Passover 2011 - Trip to the D.C. Zoo

Alden and I did Passover in Maryland at my Uncle Rob's and Aunt Kay's house again this year. Like last year, Kerstin had to teach a class and was unable to join the fun. This was my nephew Levin's first Passover trip and the first time that he and Alden have been old enough to enjoy each others company. They got acquainted by playing on Rob's exercise bike.
We then sallied forth out to the zoo in D.C. We took a train into the city, which both boys thought was pretty great. It culminated in the largest escalator ride that Alden had ever experienced. I think we had to climb about 5 or 6 stories to get back to the surface. Alden's mind was completely blown.
At the zoo, we rented a double buggy for the kids to get around and they had a great time mostly sharing snacks. Alden helped himself to Levin's stash of Cheerios and Goldfish, but made sure to give some back to Levin. "One for me... one for baby Levin". Levin was satisfied with this arrangement, although I'm confident Alden ate more than he shared.We also met up with Alex's (Ben's girlfriend) brother Greg, who has a plush government job giving tours at some big house on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He and his girlfriend April also joined us for the first night of seder. My cousin Sarah was back in the states for a brief respite from her veterinary studies in Scotland.
Alden's favorite animals were the meerkats and tamarins and other little creatures in the Hall of Small Mammals. The bigger animals (lions, apes, elephants, etc.) were a big yawn for him. Levin seemed to be more interested in a wider variety of critters.
At the end of the day, both boys got pretty tired and that's when the squabbling in the buggy began. Alden was banished from his seat when he started hitting Levin, and Levin passed out shortly thereafter so Alden got his place back. He then promptly fell asleep within minutes of the deadline to return the buggy. Luckily, Uncle Ben had the arm and back strength to carry Alden a mile or two uphill back to the train station. Both cousins had great naps on the way home.

My camera ran out of battery life shortly thereafter and since I forgot my charger, I don't have any more images of Passover. I should be receiving more from other family members soon and I'll post them as they come in.