MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING 4 YEARS OLD AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT (I WAS TIRED OF GETTING INVITES TO THE PIZZA PLACE AND PLAY ZONES). BEING HER BIRTHDAY WAS EARLY SPRING(APRIL), NOT MANY PEOPLE HAD YET BEEN TO THE ZOO..I CALLED THE ZOO TO SEE ABOUT A PARTY THERE, BUT THEY ONLY HAD A REALLY BIG PAVILION,(ONE FOR ABOUT 200 PEOPLE)... I ASKED THE ZOO FOR THE NEAREST PUBLIC PARK,(IT HAPPEN TO BE AROUND THE CORNER)....I SENT OUT INVITES MADE ON THE COMPUTER WITH DIFFERENT ANIMALS ON IT...WE INVITED 15 KIDS FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO "MAKE A FAMILY DAY AT THE PARK & ZOO", (THE WHOLE FAMILY WAS INVITED, BUT I WAS PAYING THE ADMISSION TO THE ZOO ONLY FOR MY CHILD'S CLASSMATES) ...AT THE PARK, THE KIDS PLAYED ON THE PLAYGROUND, OPENED PRESENTS, AND DID THE WHOLE PARTY THING THERE...(MY HUSBAND AND I GOT TO THE PARK ABOUT AN HOUR EARLY, SO WE COULD FIND A GOOD TABLE LOCATION...(IT IS A PUBLIC PARK..WE LUCKED UP AND GOT RIGHT NEXT THE PLAYGROUND).. WE THEN THREW EVERYTHING IN THE GARBAGE THERE...WE LOADED UP THE ICE CHEST AND WE ALL DROVE TO THE ZOO...THE ZOO WAS 2 MINUTES FROM THE PARK...I GAVE ALL THE KIDS A CAPRI SUN BEFORE WE WENT IN THE ZOO, (THEREFORE I DID NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO BUY THEM ANOTHER DRINK IN THE ZOO)....THE ADMISSION WAS ONLY $2.00 A KID AND 12 KIDS SHOWED UP...I FEEL THIS WAS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER...PARENTS THANKED US FOR INVITING THE WHOLE FAMILY AND REALLY ENJOYED IT, (MANY SAID THEY ALWAYS GET TIED UP AND CANT MAKE IT TO THE ZOO IN THE SPRING OR SUMMER, BUT THEY HAD A REASON TO BE THERE THAT DAY)..THE ZOO WAS A 35 MINUTES DRIVE FROM OUR HOUSE, SO I FELT HONORED WHEN SO MANY SHOWED UP....CHEAP PARTY THAT WILL HAVE A LIFETIME OF FAMILY MEMORIES...EVEN GRANDPARENTS, UNCLES AND AUNTS WENT...IT WAS GREAT FOR US AND OUR DAUGHTER....