The Heidelberg Zoo (and a Housing Update)

I'll start with our housing update (because there really isn't too much to say!) We met with Heidelberg housing yesterday and they told us that our Mannheim military housing option (the 4 bedroom duplex) is out of the question (that post is eventually closing and they don't want to move any new people in) So......we sat briefly at a computer with an agent who clicked rapidly through off post houses and demanded that we pick 3. From those 3 we MUST decide on one...meanwhile we haven't barely a clue where they are located (how far of a drive will Leevi really have to work, school zones, good neighborhood, etc.) Believe me, we are composing quite the complaint letter to the Garrison (something has got to change about this process...at least give us a computer room of our own to browse through the houses at our leisure). Anyway, we borrowed a car from one of Leevi's bosses and bought a GPS and headed out...I was my bright idea to wait until bedtime so we wouldn't hear complaints from the girls being strapped in their carseats for hours and the sun doesn't set this time of year until 9:30 so we had plenty of light to house hunt. They crashed within minutes of getting in the car and we had a nice peaceful tour of Germany. One of the houses is in a questionable neighborhood, one is pretty cramped with neighbors right in your windows, and the one we really like is pretty far away. But the kicker....da da da....we get home from our 3 hour adventure and Leevi has an email from the Mannheim housing office stating that our request will most likely be approved!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! We laughed so hard! So, he called housing this morning and they are waiting on one last signature and we should know this afternoon!!!

And the zoo....Kailee and I made an attempt to find the zoo earlier in the week to no avail (mapquest failed me! I walked around for an hour and gave up. Come to find out, it started me from the wrong location so I never had a chance!) We tried again a few days later...we took the military shuttle from lodging to the main PX post and then walked about 30 minutes through downtown Heidelberg. When I saw this river I was sooooo relieved because I knew I was going the correct way!

Thankfully Kailee crashed on the way because initially I made a wrong turn and added 30 minutes to our route!

The bear exibit on the outside of the zoo

Needless to say she was obsessed with the monkeys (how fitting!)

My science fact of the day...anyone know that Sea Lions have claws on their back flippers??!!! I found this picture online...look closely...those fingernails pop up (like Wolverine!) and the sea lion was scratching himself like a dog...I was amazed!

See the leftover piece of meat hanging above the lions head?

The Heidelberg Castle on our walk home! We will make it there one day! Kailee LOVED the zoo...she wanted to go back and see the "ah ahs" (monkeys) and when I ask her what she saw at the zoo she'll say, "ah ah, roooarrr" (monkey and lions!) The next morning when she woke up she got right in my face and said, "ah ah, rooooarrr?" implying "are we going back today?!" :)

And on a side note, she has gotten over her bug phobia!