for this year, a park with simple play equipment would be awesome. W may be just starting to get into play equipment and can enjoy it, and you'll not have him overly tired from having to travel etc. as i said, i LOVE the idea of the animals and things - but if you do it this year, it will be for everyone else, not W. he won't be old enough to appreciate it. i know with E, she loved the balloons and the food and smiling and talking to people - but she even as an animal lover (she adores our cat and dogs) she just wouldn't have gotten anything out of the animals cos she was just too distracted by the people and related excitement. the added bonus with park close to home is that you can migrate home if the weather turns sour or if DS needs a nap...

oh, and i hear you on the shutterbug thing - saturday morning we took oooh about 150 photos before people arrived - but once they arrived, i just didn't have time! i'm so glad i asked for someone to take the pics for us. i think, because you are organising and trying to be the ideal host, you just don't have time to think to catch everyone in a pic.