Back to the Zoo with Uncle & Auntie

Daddy and Mommy got a morning off last weekend! Well, not really. It's just that we had other things to attend to. However, it was really nice of Uncle and Auntie to offer to take the girls out to the zoo. Apparently they managed to get passes and took the opportunity to bond with their lovely nieces.

Uncle & Auntie came to pick the girls just past nine in the morning in a vehicle they rented for the weekend. Just minutes earlier, Daddy decided to surprise the girls with a much anticipated responsibility: since they were going without Daddy and Mommy, they were tasked to use a small compact camera to take photographs of their trip to share with their parents when they got home. Needless to say, we'll get to use them for our family blog as well. The girls were first taught how to operate the point and shoot functions. Next, we put in place some guidelines for caring for the device, and ensuring that this new toy was fairly shared by the the sisters. It was an appropriate opportunity to teach them responsibility for property, and looking out for one another. After some discussion, we agreed that each girl was only allowed to take two photos in a row before passing it on to the other and so on. Also, they were reminded that despite not holding on to the camera at any one point in time, it was still their responsibility to care for it and remind the person holding on to it to take it with them as they move from one point to another. They were told what they should do if no one was using it, and encouraged to use this opportunity to show Daddy and Mummy that they could be entrusted with bigger things in the future. It was a risk to take, but a useful developmental step we were finally willing to take. I forgot to mention that the model entrusted to them was one of the most rugged-proofed models of its day, which helped to cut out the risk of damage due to impact or water-logging.

The staff explains the uniqueness of the free-ranging concept here in the Singapore Zoological Gardens. This means that it is all the more important for visitors to mind where they throw their trash to prevent unwanted accidents happening. Many animals are free to roam and their curious tendencies.

Flamingos always fascinate me with the their talent to stand on one leg all day.

The leopard is out sunning himself today...

The penguins are so graceful in the water, but absolutely clumsy on land. Makes me want to go spot wild ones in Australia like we did last time!

The initial plan was to visit exhibits and try things we did not get to do during our last visit here in July. Water-play was not on the itinerary, but there's a lot of other things to do at the Rain-forest Kidz World. So here it goes: many of the pictures were out of focus or fuzzy, but a selection of nice ones are included here for your enjoyment!

One of K's favourites are the pride of lions. She often imitates them at home with a ferocious growl.

Watching the elephant rides. This brings back memories of the elephant safari we did in Chiang Mai.

Wow, the difference a wall of ice can make! I didn't know this.

We were here at the Frozen Tundra last time, but the Polar Bear Inuka has always been a favourite and we were not going to miss it. The girls came home quizzing Daddy and Mummy about how heavy Inuka was at birth. The answer: 500 grams!

The giraffe exhibit was closed the last time, so it was nice to be able to visit one of the most magnificent and intriguing beasts this time. Always one of our favourites!

We missed the Reptile Garden the last time, and one of our favourite animals here are the majestic crocs. 

The entrance to the Kidz World: here you can purchase tickets to ride the horse-drawn cart, ponies, or the carousel.

Having a go at feeding some of the smaller kid-friendly animals.

The Carousel wasn't in operation the last time, so it was a treat to have a go on it. This must be one of the larger ones we've tried, and the girls always have a soft spot for it.

Uncle and Auntie 'returned' the girls to us before evening. The girls shared that they did well with the camera, sharing and taking responsibility when they were supposed to. However, they got tired of taking pictures quickly, and the the camera spent a good portion of the visit inside the bag during the second half of the trip. They were obviously tired, but they were beaming. Just being away from Mummy and Daddy gives them the freedom to enjoy things they usually don't get to I guess. We are certain that they would look forward to the next outing with their Uncle and Auntie. So would we.