Florida Day 5--The Gatorland Photo Essay

As we've said, today's main event was a trip to Gatorland. Gatorland is a zoo of sorts with alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and other assorted animals. We had a very good time around the park, and our kids' behavior affirmed our decision to NOT invest in Disney tickets or anything crazy-expensive. They had fun, but not the kind of fun you want your children to display when you've sunk a lot of money into something, you know? If we'd dropped hundreds of dollars for Disney tickets, I would've wanted my kids to think everything they saw was the most amazing thing ever! When you invest tens of dollars into an alligator-themed attraction, it's okay if your kids whine a little bit. :)

On with the show!

Dad, Anne, and Sammy at the start of our day:One of several alligator-sunning areas. These were not even close to being the biggest alligators in the park.
Sambo with the "PhotoGator" Anne would not go anywhere near it.
She did, however, enjoy these tropical birds!
The park has several shows throughout the day. We took in the "Gator Wrestling" show and watched Brett here wrestle this alligator into submission.
I was there, too! Mom is mostly behind the camera....
This was toward the end of the day, when Anne's patience was running out. We took a train around part of the park--we enjoyed the shade and the sitting!
Bobo took the opportunity to act like a sullen teenager and text his friends.
One last photo at the entrance before we hit the road:
Sammy was asleep pretty quickly! He had a rough day--strapped to the stroller, sweat and sunscreen running in his eyes. He chose the white "leucistic" alligator as his souvenir and proceeded to teethe on its snout.
Anne zonked out as well.
Upon our return to the resort we saw FOUR armadillos outside our villa. I have no idea if armadillos are ever dangerous or aggressive, but we encouraged our kids to chase them.
Daddy made grilled cheese for lunch when we got home and the children were happy again. It is good to remind ourselves that they are happy to do fun things, but they are just as happy to have their lunch laid out as a smiley face. They are easy to please.
I wasn't going to blog this one, but when Sam saw it he said "Aaah! I never get to see my bald spot from the top! It is so bad...." Judge for yourselves, folks.