Wisconsin Vacation Days 2 and 3: A Zoo for Hobbits and Toddler City Planning

My, my, but I am LOVING this not having to go to work business.  “But Jenn,” you ask, “doesn’t work add structure and consistency to your week?”  And my response would be, “Yes, in the same way Spanxx add structure and consistency to a person’s shape.”  But no one wants to wear spandex all day in the same way no one, I would hope, wants to work without having a vacation to anticipate.  This trip has provided a glimpse into what life will look like once Jon is in residency and it is so very, very excitingJ  My retrospective about working for the man as a med school wife and mother can (and must) wait for another post, let’s get on with the Madison run-down:

Madison Days 2 and 3:

On Sunday, Jon and I took D to the Madison Zoo.  Not only is the zoo nice and kid-friendly, it’s FREE (parent friendly).  Some highlights:

We got to see animals like lions and seals and a polar bear and Meer cats.  And a badger, of course.

Jon and D got to play in a giant play structure that looked like something out of Middle Earth. 

Jon and D also rode the carosel, which proved to be more exciting from a distance and more terrifying up close… 

D insisted that Jon feed the goats.

On Monday, Jon had to go back to work, so D and I were left to explore the city on our own.  We hit up Target first, because Target is always a fun place to visit and we needed paper towels.

Next, we went to the Madison Children’s Museum, where I remembered that I had forgotten my good camera back at the apartment.  Jenn!  I did manage to capture some cute David moments on my phone when he wasn’t darting from one exhibit to the next. 

Fun zebras for climbing

Super cool water system, complete with red, plastic balls that shot from one fountain to another.

And an equally cool water table/green house area with cups and pitchers and a fountain that sat on the roof, letting gravity pull the water down through a system of intricate tubes.

Indigenous mud hut and play garden with fabric beets  and carrots.

And the piece de resistance, the ‘build a city’ table.

D played here for about 25 minutes.  I had to entice him away with a rocket ship:

The museum also had a rooftop garden with pond and animals to see (baby chicks, turtles, snakes, fish).

We played there all morning, then went back to the apt. for lunch and nap.

Hooray for vacations!!!  Seriously.