Unpaid Vacation #2

Geez has it already been 2 weeks??! How quickly we lose money! Well for this unpaid vacation, we successfully managed to score the Culture Pass from the library. Let's just say the city had a great concept, poor execution. There are about 10 different museums, etc to choose from and the pass allows 4 adults free access. However each library was only given 5 passes per museum. Yes you read that correctly, 5 passes for the millions of people they serve. There is no waiting list, you can't reserve the passes and there's actually only 1 pass available each day. They state it's a first come, first serve method. You have to show up to the library obnoxiously early and anxiously wait while eyeing your competition (and lets just say the word "free" and "public" bring out all sorts of interesting creatures). Then when the doors are unlocked and opened you literally shove, scrape, claw, trip, elbow and sprint through the doors to the Culture Pass Kiosk. Slow readers have the disadvantage here because this definitely isn't first come, first serve. While you're reading the titles to get the pass you want, someone behind you reaches and grabs the one you wanted! Let's just say it took both Jeremy and I 4 different separate attempts before we figured out the pathetic process. Although Jeremy believed it wasn't worth endangering ourselves, I was not to be defeated! The outcome, success!! (and I managed to meet a lady from Pocatello that grew up with and was best friends with one of our high school coaches, Coach Pat Tiede! Funny what you find out while waiting 30 mins for a stupid library to open)

Introducing...The Phoenix Zoo!

Jeremy built this contraption for optimum sun protection. I figured since we were there on a free pass, we might as well look the part too.

Taylee was more than thrilled about everything.

Anden loved seeing all of the animals! We probably should have told him this one wasn't real.

It was so hot! I forget each year how quickly 100+ degrees wipes you out! We ran from shade spot to shade spot. This was by the far the most genuis animal of the day.

Do you think he wonders each day how he managed to pick the short stick and ended up in a zoo on the equater??

After we had as much heat as we could handle, we braved the splash pads/caves/slides. I think every kid at the zoo had the same idea. It was packed! But it was definitely worth watching kids knock each other over and seeing our selfless little boy cut in front of the slower kids every chance he could.

Taylee is the wiggliest baby I have EVER seen! I call her the human slinky; always flipping over one way or the other. But I think she's worse than that now. She so desperately wants to run everywhere but hasn't quite figured out what her legs are for. While Anden was knocking kids over on the water slides, we attempted to get a pic of her and us. Tried 3 times, failed 3 times!

Thank you City of Phoenix for the $48 to get into the Zoo. No worries, we still financially supported your facility by spending $3.78 for one measly ice cream sandwich!