Field Trips

Since the girls started at school, they have both gone on several field trips.  From my understanding, Danish schools really value the experiences the kids have outside of their classroom, so just about every other week, the kids go somewhere away from the school.  They have both been to the Danish National Museum, a local farm, a local recreation area that has a "hill". Myra has taken other excursions into the woods for picnics and to the park for birthday parties.  Lexi has gone for a tour of another school and the Zoo.  I've been lucky to get to go with Lexi on a couple of her excursions.  A few weeks ago, we went to this little public farm in Albertslund. It was nothing to exciting, but the kids loved seeing the rabbits (and trying to catch them), petting the cows and horses and seeing a newborn sheep.  It was funny, they brought out a horse for the kids to pet and Lexi and Noah went right up to pet it, but NONE of the other kids would even go near it. 

Then, this week, Lexi's class went to the Copenhagen Zoo.  I was really excited to get to go with Lexi, I love Zoo's! =)  Myra was so sad she didn't get to go with us, but I'm certain that her class will get to go at some point, as well. The Zoo was pretty fun.  I've never been to any other Zoo except for Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake, so I didn't have much to compare it to.  It kind of seemed like the type of facility that was built quite a while ago, and is working on slowly updating their facilities.  I guess it was actually founded in 1859 and is one of the oldest zoos in Europe.  It was a little frustrating going around with a group.  There were a lot of things that I would have liked to look at longer, that we swiftly walked by, and several things that we got stuck at for long periods of time, like the wooden animals throughout the Zoo that the kids liked to play on. Also, there was a lot we didn't have time to see, so I'm sure I'll be making a trip back there again.  Of course I wish that I had taken more pictures.  But, once again it was challenge being with a group.  Oh well, it was a fun outing!  Here are a few highlights:

There were a lot of animals that I haven't seen at Zoo's before, but of course, I didn't get any pictures of most of them. This anteater was pretty cool.  A lot bigger than I would have expected.

These Monkeys were really fun to watch, swinging around all over the ropes.  The kids loved the Monkey area.

There was a Baboon enclosure with about 10 adult Monkeys in it and almost all of them were carry around babies on their backs.  So cute!

This sign was on the wall next to the Baboon enclosure.  I just thought it was so funny!  It totally looks like the Monkey is reaching up to have the child placed in it's hands.  I guess that's something you probably shouldn't do.

This penguin kept swimming around and around right in front of the window.  The kids were loving it.

Hmmm, well, I'll let you be the judge of this picture.

Noah was so excited to see the Tiger.

A few years ago, they put in this state of the art Elephant enclosure that was designed by some big architect.  We saw one elephant, and not even very well.  I think they were all hiding somewhere else in the large elephant house, but our group skipped that area.

Lexi thought it was so cute that the Crocodiles were giving each other piggy-back rides. 

Noah was most excited about seeing Lions, but they were all sleeping, so we didn't get a good view of them.  And, he was absolutely terrified of the butterflies they had in this one indoor enclosure.  

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Lexi's favorite part was the Butterflies, Monkeys and the playground.

The hippos were just cool.  And Lexi was really worried they would be able to jump up and eat us.

This was my favorite part.  We were watching these Llamas for a while, when one of them walked over to inspect us.  It came right up and I even reached over to pet it. 

As it came closer, the kids were a little more timid and stepped back from the wall.  Noah actually took of running about 10 feet away, along the wall. 

Well, the Llama was particularly curious about him and followed him.  When it peeked it's head up over the wall again, right in Noah's face, he was pretty freaked out.  It was pretty funny.