Things always seem a little sad in Los Angeles when it rains. After all, it's chilly and damp -- two things that appall Angelenos more than "C's" in restaurant windows and "no turn on red" signs.
So I thought it might be fun to lift our spirits at the Los Angeles Zoo, where they're hosting Reindeer Romp, with Santa's furry holiday helpers on hand for the kiddos until Jan. 3.
I second-guessed my decision the minute I loaded CC into the car and turned on the wipers. I mean, would the reindeer even be out at all? Or would they be nestled by some warm, dry fire with egg nog telling embarrassing Santa stories?
But, as Ian said, a reindeer in L.A. has a lot of nerve being cold and grumpy.
Once we got there, the zoo was pretty sparsely attended, as expected on a day like today. But that didn't stop CC from having fun, yelling "HIIIIII REIIINNNNDEEERRRR!!!!" to the lounging animals and leaping onto a large, photo-ready stage filled with cutouts of penguins and polar bears.
She even tried to dive into the meerkat digs -- and one of those meerkats was looking pretty freaked out at the idea of that.
We also got to check out the gorillas, flamingos, lions and giraffes. (Next time, we'll have to see the newborn Kikuyu colobus monkey and the snow leopard cubs.)
Yes, our hair got a little damp and our fingers a little frosty, but the rain itself was no match for my child's enthusiasm.
And who doesn't love a reindeer? Or a freaked-out meerkat?
