Friday, March 20, 2009

Zoo Lessons




Today we took advantage of our new zoo membership from AJ's great grandma Jody, the gorgeous spring like weather, and one of my last few dwindling maternity days off and went to the zoo with a friend and her three kids.  That's right...three toddlers and two babies!  What an experience!  


I learned a few things about going to the zoo with children under the age of four:
  1. Dress your child in hunter safety orange because half of the other children under the age of four in the city are also at the zoo running from their parents.  Your little escapee needs to be easy to spot amongst the before school aged crowd.
  2. Leave the wagon at home and bring a backpack, thus making it easier to maneuver through crowds chasing your child...minimizing things you need to keep track of...and protecting innocent bystanders just trying to look at the zebras from being side swiped by the gigantic plastic tank as the children push it down hill at ramming speed...
  3. Avoid the hut that sells cotton candy at all costs...even if it means the detour requires an extra half mile walk...my child will outlast me as he loiters by the counter waiting for me to give in and just buy the $2.75 bag.
  4. Cash to ride the train is necessary to avoid a melt down that might rival Chernobyl...
  5. If you think taking your child to the zoo will wear them out...it will, but you will be just as exhausted from the trip if not more...
  6. And lastly...a membership to repeat today's adventure as often as possible over the next year is worth every penny!  

3 comments:

Brenda L. Greenwald said...

It's the wagon flying down the hill that makes me laugh out loud! I'm a big fan of hunter orange, as you well know. Bless you for being an awesome, zoo-willing, parent!

Katlyn said...

Awww I'm jealous it sounds fun!

Amy said...

Where's your picture of the boys taking out that man with the wagon?!?! I had fun, but I have to agree... I was exhausted afterwards!