Logan's Birthday

How many kids can say that they spent their 1st Birthday abroad? Well, Logan now has that distinction under his belt...too bad no one remembers their 1st birthday :(

For His Royal Highness's birthday we went to the Praha Zoo with some friends. Logan enjoyed himself and we got to see a small part of the zoo. The Zoo itself is very large and has a wide variety of animals. They were hit very badly 5 years ago this August by a terrible flood and there were information boards and photos up all over the place. They have made a great recovery since 2002 and we were able to see birds from all over the world, 2 large elephants (slóni), a family of hippos, huge turtles, penguins, and some seals. There are still many areas and animals to see so we shall we heading back soon. This is a pretty economical outing here whereas you break the bank going to a Zoo in the States. Children up to 2 years, 11 months, and 29 days are free of charge, 3-14 year olds are 70 kc (or $3.45) and Adults are 100 kc (or $4.90). There are a few places to get food & of course beer throughout the Zoo, an ice cream spot, and multiple snack & drink vending machines that are comparable to US prices. There are also a few picnic table areas and you are allowed to bring in whatever food/beverages you want to so you could make it a very cheap outing if you want to carry stuff around with you! There is also a great children's playground complete with a small pool that the kids can play in, a Noah's Ark to climb, and great climbing structures, swings, and other basics. One of the best features is that the W/Cs (bathroom facilities) are all free since you paid to get into the Zoo itself...and they even have changing tables :)

We took a river boat back from the zoo to downtown - a 45 minute excursion which includes going through two locks - and went out for dinner. On the way home, I picked up some ice cream as we could not find any sort of cake. Logan was a bit surprised by the coldness of the ice cream but after getting a taste he quickly was in full baby bird mode and ate quite a bit. So, our tired little boy had quite a day to celebrate turning 1 and he even decided to add in a few common milestones to make turning 1 official. He turned Pro at pulling himself up on things and is very close to walking on his own. However, for now we have assembled his walk behind toy and he is taking things slow by holding onto it and taking a few steps before the rolling motion gets ahead of him and he gracefully plops to the floor. His vocabulary is improving. He says Hi Daddy, Momma, Ala (Alex) and "Up" or "Uppy" for being picked up. His favorite phase it "UH OH" and his favorite Czech word is NE which means no. He is also an excellent clapper and often claps with people on TV. More Pictures