Well, here we are, and it's nearly the end of August....but way back at the end of July, we had some visitors in Kansas! Bibi and Babu had not been to Wichita since April, and I think they were missing Kansas. Or maybe they were feeling bad about the gorgeous, cool Michigan summer they'd been having, and they wanted to experience some of south-central Kansas' 100 degree days. Either way, we got to host them for a few days, and we packed in a lot of fun.
One of the highlights of their visit was a trip to a new (to us) zoo - Tanganyika Wildlife Park. It is a bit smaller than the zoo we normally go to, but it is billed as "interactive" - there are several animals you can get up close to, pet, and even feed! Both kids have been super terrified of all animals recently, so I wasn't sure how they would do, but it was a ton of fun.
We started off feeding lettuce to tortoises and rabbits. I was shocked that Jonah actually climbed into the enclosure, and even pet the rabbits. Cora was a bit more cautious.
Next up, we saw the kangaroos. I was surprised that they actually let you walk around inside with the kangaroos! They cautioned us to only approach from behind and only pet the ones that are laying down. I guess it's less threatening this way, and if the kangaroo does not want to be touched, it can safely get away. Jonah was brave again here and cozied up to several kangaroos.
I think one of Jonah's favorite parts was feeding the lemurs. I was not able to photograph this, but it was pretty cute. The lemurs walked right up to him and used their tiny paws to take dried cranberries out of his outstretched hand. Jonah is really into the PBS show "Wild Kratts" - it's a nature show hosted by two brothers that travel around the world and teach about all different kinds of creatures. One episode he had seen several times prior to this zoo visit was about....lemurs! He thought it was cool to see them in person.
Brandon had to work when we went to the zoo, but his favorite part probably would have been the fact that the zoo is entirely privately funded and does not accept any government funding ;) And they were not shy about letting us know, either. These signs were all over the park.
Another highlight of Bibi and Babu's visit was the fact that Brandon was somehow able to arrange for fellow residents to cover his shifts for about 24 hours so that the two of us could get away. This is remarkable, since he was working an extremely busy rotation, and also perfectly timed, since it came at nearly the end of a very long month. Bibi and Babu gladly stayed with the kids so that we could enjoy some time together. We didn't have too much of a plan, but when Brandon got home in the afternoon, we headed out to our favorite coffee shop. Then we checked into the The Hotel at Old Town, our accommodation for the evening. After dinner at one of the local places in Old Town, we were trying to decide how to spend the rest of our free evening. By the time we settled on a movie, many shows had already started their evening showings, and the next round were not beginning until 10 or later! That's pretty late for us....but we decided to do it anyway! But not until after heading back to the hotel for a nap. Haha! We ended up seeing Mr. Holmes, which was a little slow, but really, really good (and sad!). We both liked it. (And I didn't even fall asleep!) The next morning, we attempted to sleep in - but I still woke at 5:30 :( After a lazy morning, we found another place nearby for a late breakfast and then headed home. It was so relaxing and wonderful to have this little mini-vacation and reconnect with Brandon. Thanks to Bibi and Babu for hanging out with our kids!!
For Bibi and Babu's last night in town, we went out for BBQ, then met up with friends from our house church at the zoo. In the summer, they are open later on Tuesdays, and it's free! This was the last free Tuesdays of the summer, and it was packed! I am sure I've never seen so many people at the zoo before. It was also super hot. (We wanted to be sure Bibi and Babu experienced the full extent of summer in Wichita....and the weather did not disappoint. It was super hot for most of their visit.) The next day, we dropped off Bibi and Babu at the airport, and - for maybe the first time?? - their flight was not cancelled and departed on time!!
Sad to say good-bye....but at least it wasn't for too long. Soon enough it was our turn to do the visiting, as we made the trek to Michigan about 10 days later.
One of the highlights of their visit was a trip to a new (to us) zoo - Tanganyika Wildlife Park. It is a bit smaller than the zoo we normally go to, but it is billed as "interactive" - there are several animals you can get up close to, pet, and even feed! Both kids have been super terrified of all animals recently, so I wasn't sure how they would do, but it was a ton of fun.
We started off feeding lettuce to tortoises and rabbits. I was shocked that Jonah actually climbed into the enclosure, and even pet the rabbits. Cora was a bit more cautious.
Next up, we saw the kangaroos. I was surprised that they actually let you walk around inside with the kangaroos! They cautioned us to only approach from behind and only pet the ones that are laying down. I guess it's less threatening this way, and if the kangaroo does not want to be touched, it can safely get away. Jonah was brave again here and cozied up to several kangaroos.
Jonah and Babu rode a camel!
I think Babu's favorite part of the zoo was the lorikeets. They gave us little cups of liquid, and the birds would often land right on your hand to eat the food. Jonah was not quite as impressed with these birds....I think all the sudden movements made him a little nervous. Cora wanted nothing to do with them!
One of the attractions for kids was a little barrel train pulled by a llama. Jonah was going to ride it - so of course Cora, not one to be left out, wanted to give it a try. But as soon as they started, she was done. I think she screamed the entire time, haha.
I think one of Jonah's favorite parts was feeding the lemurs. I was not able to photograph this, but it was pretty cute. The lemurs walked right up to him and used their tiny paws to take dried cranberries out of his outstretched hand. Jonah is really into the PBS show "Wild Kratts" - it's a nature show hosted by two brothers that travel around the world and teach about all different kinds of creatures. One episode he had seen several times prior to this zoo visit was about....lemurs! He thought it was cool to see them in person.
Brandon had to work when we went to the zoo, but his favorite part probably would have been the fact that the zoo is entirely privately funded and does not accept any government funding ;) And they were not shy about letting us know, either. These signs were all over the park.
Another highlight of Bibi and Babu's visit was the fact that Brandon was somehow able to arrange for fellow residents to cover his shifts for about 24 hours so that the two of us could get away. This is remarkable, since he was working an extremely busy rotation, and also perfectly timed, since it came at nearly the end of a very long month. Bibi and Babu gladly stayed with the kids so that we could enjoy some time together. We didn't have too much of a plan, but when Brandon got home in the afternoon, we headed out to our favorite coffee shop. Then we checked into the The Hotel at Old Town, our accommodation for the evening. After dinner at one of the local places in Old Town, we were trying to decide how to spend the rest of our free evening. By the time we settled on a movie, many shows had already started their evening showings, and the next round were not beginning until 10 or later! That's pretty late for us....but we decided to do it anyway! But not until after heading back to the hotel for a nap. Haha! We ended up seeing Mr. Holmes, which was a little slow, but really, really good (and sad!). We both liked it. (And I didn't even fall asleep!) The next morning, we attempted to sleep in - but I still woke at 5:30 :( After a lazy morning, we found another place nearby for a late breakfast and then headed home. It was so relaxing and wonderful to have this little mini-vacation and reconnect with Brandon. Thanks to Bibi and Babu for hanging out with our kids!!
For Bibi and Babu's last night in town, we went out for BBQ, then met up with friends from our house church at the zoo. In the summer, they are open later on Tuesdays, and it's free! This was the last free Tuesdays of the summer, and it was packed! I am sure I've never seen so many people at the zoo before. It was also super hot. (We wanted to be sure Bibi and Babu experienced the full extent of summer in Wichita....and the weather did not disappoint. It was super hot for most of their visit.) The next day, we dropped off Bibi and Babu at the airport, and - for maybe the first time?? - their flight was not cancelled and departed on time!!
Sad to say good-bye....but at least it wasn't for too long. Soon enough it was our turn to do the visiting, as we made the trek to Michigan about 10 days later.
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