Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Today marked our first official homeschool educational outing.  We enrolled in the Knoxville Zoo homeschool Tuesdays class.  Lukas and Shelby LOVED it!  I mean, really .... dry ice, chinchillas, the elephant exhibit and red pandas, all led by a zoo educator.  What's not to love??!!  I want to join the class!!!

I'm excited for them and all they will learn.  These classes will run every Tuesday through November, then pick back up in January and go until spring.  I'm looking forward to some quiet time during their class where I can commune with nature and the animals.  Mommy has some reading to catch up on!  We are there at the best possible time - Tuesdays during lunch.  There aren't many people there and the animals are out and active.  We got some wonderful photos of the komodo dragon and videos of the river otters and black bears.  The bears were CLOSE to the glass... those dudes are HUGE!!!  Shelby "made friends" with a river otter - he loved her purple umbrella and would follow it as she moved it on the glass. 

 We are going to thoroughly tour/investigate a different section of the zoo each week and learn something new.  At least... that's the plan ;)  I'm excited about this new venture, and I'm thrilled that they are excited, too!  It's just another confirmation for me that God's hand is in this and we are doing what He wants.