If we could talk to the animals...

It's not that we were trying to be a family of Dr. Doolittles. It just sort of turned out that way. On Friday, we let the kids terrorize the animals at the Zoo. Then on Saturday it was the creatures at the Aquarium who breathed a sigh of relief as Sydney waved goodbye.

I didn't even realize our zoo had lions. But a trip down a pathway we haven't traveled before revealed three lions. In the heat of the afternoon, the big cats were feeling quite lazy. Sydney did her best to order through the thick glass, "Wake up lions! Wake up!" Alas, they ignored her.

At the Aquarium, Sydney's favorite spot today was the aviary and its "ducks and turtles, ducks and turtles," which she chanted over and over again.

She's the perfect height to notice all the underwater creatures that adults miss unless they figure out the view is better if you squat down. When a rock turtle swam by she gave it an enthusiastic greeting, "Hi turtles!"

Though the ducks proved to be the ultimate favorite as she shouted, "Hi ducks, quack quack!"