Monday Fun is Back!

We took Nicco to the International Wildlife Museum yesterday. Stuffed animals from all around the world!

Here's my boy next to the lion outside the entrance. There was also a cheetah near the entrance. When we drove by, I asked Nicco what that animal is and he said "It's a moose." I snortled and suggested that it was probably a cheetah, maybe a leopard or a panther. It wasn't until we parked and walked up to the actual entrance that I noticed the rather large elk on the bridge overhead. The moose comment suddenly made sense and I felt bad for snickering at my little boy. (bad mom)
This picture is out of order. (I thought I was being so careful!) You enter the museum in the bug room (below) then you follow the path marked by arrows on the floor to the other exhibit halls in the museum. Mr. OCD did not like wandering off the marked path. Must.Follow. Arrows.

Millions (okay, maybe just thousands) of butterflies, moths, and other creepy crawlers.

Face to face with a skorca skull. (That's a sky-orca for anyone who doesn't watch Penguins of Madagascar)

Petting the ferocious tiger.

Being pounced upon by the ferocious tiger.

Bears, just like at the working house! Every wall in this hall was covered with mounts of various creeters. Hundreds and hundreds of creeters. Grandpa Madsen would be envious of the deer head wall!

Nicco finally agreed to step off the designated path and approach the leopard.

Because the 'gator was on the floor in the middle of the hall rather than behind the roped enclosure or mounted on the wall, Nicco thought he might be alive. He walked up to him timidly then knocked on his head and said "Hello??? ... He's dead, mom."

Walking under the giraffe bridge

again...

The mountain goat mountain. I thought this was cool. The mountain is huge and it has mountain goats and big-horned sheep from all over the world climbing up to the top.

Nicco recited the "Goin' on a Bear Hunt" song as he wandered through this cave. "...it's dark in here...is anyone around?...I see two eyes...and a big furry body...RUN!!! IT'S A BEAR!!!"

And he crawled around like a ferret.

Staring up at the Wooly Mammoth. Across from the mammoth was an elk whose antlers were big enough to lie down on length-wise. The boss told Patrice about such creatures, but Patrice thought he might be exaggerating a bit. Not so.

There was a small theater where they show National Geographic films. They had a polar bear video running. We sat down and watched for a few minutes until Nicco whispered to me "How long are we going to be here?" We promptly left. He played around in the tunnels and caves for a few more minutes then declared our visit done.