Munchkin Meals: Picnic Food!

I get emails on a weekly basis from a couple of parenting websites (can you say "information overload"?). They discuss development (what baby may be doing now, or may do soon), ways to stimulate and play with your baby, and baby-related news (recalls, new research, etc.). 

When I received an email on Monday titled, "Your Baby: Week 42," it hit me rather suddenly: my little Peanut will be one year old in a mere 10 weeks. That sounds so much closer than 2 and a half months. 

I started to reflect back over Liam's short life, and his many firsts: his first smile, his first time rolling over, his first time eating solid food, his first time sitting up, his first vacation . . . He also recently had his first trip to the zoo, and while there, his first picnic (of sorts)! Which coincided quite nicely with the planned Munchkin Meals theme: Picnic food! 

The zoo also allows guests to bring their own food and drinks. Had we planned our trip in advance, I would have brought homemade sandwiches and snacks. But it didn't happen that way. One morning, out of the blue, I asked The Mister if he wanted to go to the zoo. He said, "Today?" And I said, "Why not?" We left as soon as Liam woke from his morning nap, stopped at a convenience store on the way, and ate lunch almost as soon as we got there. 

The Mister and I got hoagies (a.k.a. subs, heroes or grinders, depending on your locale), Sun Chips and water. Liam's a bit young for his own foot-long sub. Luckily, though, the convenience store carries healthy, ready-to-go snack packs. I grabbed a package of grapes, cheese and crackers for Liam (and a plastic knife from the salad bar to cut the grapes and cheese into Liam-sized pieces). Of course, I forgot to pack a sippie cup for water (if Liam tries to drink from an open cup or water bottle, he ends up spilling most of it down his front, even if we try to help him), so I just nursed him. 

We ate at an outdoor table, just across from the children's carousel. I had packed our Skip Hop Central Park blanket, for a real picnic feel, but we had some picnic crashers. 

After our lunch, we made our way to the exhibits we really wanted to see. We didn't think Liam would tolerate visiting the whole zoo, or even be all that interested in seeing the animals, being as young as he is. But I love going, especially to some of the newer exhibits like the Primate Reserve, and Big Cat Falls, so those were the ones we visited first. 

They have a family of gorillas, as well as a few bachelors (the two groups live separately, as they would in the jungle). We also saw a mama orangutan, Tua, and her baby girl, Batu! They were exploring the zoo in a new overhead series of passageways called the Great Ape Trail. 

For more picnic food ideas for munchkins, please visit A Healthy Slice of Life!