Zoo Day!
So with having such wonderful weather today and a zoo membership about to be useless for the year, the kids and I headed for the Columbus Zoo. At first glance out the window today it didn’t look as if the day was going to be this gorgeous! So I wrangled up my kids, got them to the breakfast table, spoon fed them both, packed a bag of diapers and snacks and headed out the door about 10:30am
The whole ride on I-270 West consisted of Sam’s excitement for the endless trucks he’d seen and asking “We go to da zoo?” about 80 times as Mary slept the time away. Once we exited the expressway to finish our last leg of the 20 min journey the demands of what animals to see first started. Of course the #1 animal of choice was the polar bears then the alligators, monkeys and the elephants. Those four animals are a must see every visit.
Once I found a parking spot the unloading ritual begins. Anyone who’s a mommy or was a mommy of little ones knows where I’m going with this. First thing to unload is the ever obvious parent trademark, the double tandem stroller. Luckily this stroller is super easy to open, but unluckily quite a chore to push, especially up hill. Second step of the unloading process, the kids. Sam was first, in the front then Mary, in the back. Third and finale step, at least for this mommy, is getting the little pouch attached to the stroller handles ready; phone, camera, wallet, glasses and zoo membership card. This third step makes life much easier to have these items ready at a moments notice to avoid stopping the stroller to dig through the “mommy pack” under the stroller all the while missing that perfect “Kodak moment” or an important phone call.
Of course Sam, the whole time I was going through the unloading ritual kept demanding “I wanna go!” So with the 3 steps to unloading finished, the brakes came off the stroller and away we went. Sam was overjoyed to see the entrance, while Mary was completely oblivious to the fact we were at some place that has animals for show just smiled and bounced in her luxurious stroller seat.
First question from mommy to son; “What do you want to see first?” Sam shouted “ALLIGATORS!” So with out further a due the alligators were our first stop. From there we just followed the path around and saw flamingos, fish, manatees, penguins, and gorillas all before lunch.
Lunch as many of you may know from past entries is usually the toughest meal of the day, especially when Sam’s mind is over stimulated by fun and excitement. Well he must have been hungry because he said he wanted a hot dog without me asking what he wanted to eat AND he ate the entire hot dog along with apple sauce and french fries. Mary’s lunch was a little less tasty, well for mother and son that is. She stuck to her banana flavored puffs and an always beloved bottle.
After lunch tiredness was setting in for both kids and mommy. So I suggested that we go see the elephants and the polar bears and then head home. For mommy this was a long trek pushing the stroller from the food court to the polar bears and knew that I would be exhausted and so would Sam. Without protest off to the elephants we went, then to the polar bears. By the time we go to the polar bears Sam started to get unhinged with tiredness that the hitting, screaming and being 3 had started, so instead of looking at more animals I opted to take him to see the inside of the van.
Remember the unloading ritual? Well do that in reverse with two diaper changes in the back before loading the massive stroller. Once in the van the a/c roared to life even though the temp outside was only 77 degrees. I knew Sam was tired and I prayed that he wouldn’t fall asleep in the car on the way home. Despite the fact there were horrific screeches coming Mary’s lips and my talking on the phone to my mom he fell asleep. “Shoot!” This was the last thing I wanted because for some strange reason when he falls asleep in the car, even for 10 minutes, he thinks that’s his nap and refuses to go back to bed once home. So the nap time struggle began around 2pm and finally was resolved by 3:30pm with him falling fast asleep! THANK GOD! But of course mommy didn’t get her rest as hoped because as soon as Sam settled, Mary stirred in her crib! “Shoot!”
Soon the day will end and I must say it was a great day with a few fits from the kids and maybe one from mommy. I still have dinner to cook and baths to give but I know that my kids will have had a great day and mommy, albeit exhausted, will have more mommy memories in her memory bank.
Thanks for reading
~Andrea
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