What do you give a gorilla for his birthday?

On Saturday, we had the privilege of keeping a friend’s children for the day. They are 3 and 5 and quickly reminded us how much work preschoolers are, but they also brought a lot of joy to our day. We decided that it was a beautiful day for the zoo and none of the children disagreed. When we arrived at the zoo, we were told it was Mosi’s (the baby gorilla) second birthday and that the party would start soon. After a carousel ride and a quick check on the chimpanzees, we were off to the party.

There were presents and streamers and a gorgeous cake. If you’ve never seen a gorilla opening presents, it is quite a sight. Calli, the five-year-old, kept asking, “which present did we bring?” Afterward, we had cupcakes and drinks while the gorillas played with the new gifts. I think that a gorilla birthday is probably one of those once in a lifetime events, but I’m glad to say I was there.

After the big shindig, we were off to see if there was a camelope (per Kyndal – the three-year-old) to ride. And indeed there was. Joshua, Calli, and Kyndal loaded up on top of Emily the camel, for a stroll around the yard. Kyndal said it was the funnest thing ever, except that the camelope sure did “stank.”

After a trip to Sonic and the park for a picnic, it was naptime. And we all did nap. Afterward, we painted pumpkins. Calli was very meticulous and painted dots and stripes on hers. Kyndal just enjoyed the paint. I honestly don’t think the many layers of paint on that pumpkin will ever dry. But she sure had fun.

All in all, we had a great day. And we also learned, just in case we ever get invited to a gorilla party again, they like tennis balls and rag dolls, but not quite as much as they like the treats that lead them to the presents.