Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A complicated zoo trip

Today was our homeschool co-op's zoo field trip day.  Just me and the three kids, driving for an hour to get there by 9 AM.  Sigh.  I made it, about 15 minutes late, but I won't be trying it again anytime soon!  It's field trips with Daddy for us from now on!

I showed Robert a baby alligator in the reptile house and he said "alligator!"  I think the girls had fun visiting their animal friends, especially Baby Bob the orangutan, and I love sharing field trips with my kids.  Not everyone gets to do that.  It wasn't a bad day at the zoo, it was just a one-thing-right-after-another, nonstop, hectic kind of day.  The kind that's easier with another adult along to help.

Autumn the giraffe.  She is pregnant, although it's harder to tell from this angle, and the baby could come any day!  They have a giraffe cam set up so everyone can watch.  They've had the camera up for weeks.  No pressure, Autumn!  I wonder if she is tired of people asking if she's had that baby yet.


 They love the lion statues.

And the bear.

Also, you know what is awful?  When you are just a singular person driving down the road and you have to pee, you pull into a Hardee's and use the restroom real quick, right?  Of course.  It's easy. But when you have three kids with you, and are running terribly late for the oldest one's homeschool zoo class, and you made the mistake of drinking just a little coffee because you didn't want to fall asleep at the wheel on the long drive?  No pee break for you!  It would take at least ten minutes to herd your crew in and out of the bathroom, struggle with three car seats, and get back on the road.  You will be nearly in tears by the time you reach the zoo, wondering if you will make it in time, but you will still have to run your oldest child to the classroom with the toddler in one arm and the diaper bag in the other.  The kind and helpful zoo employees will probably wonder why you seem so grumpy and anxious.  Then, finally, you get to use the restroom while telling your three-year-old to please hold the door shut and watch her little brother.  Ahhh.

Seriously.  Zoo trips with help from now on.

1 comments:

Amber Strocel said...

Oh, sister, I feel your "no pee break" pain. And to think, I didn't even appreciate the ease of just visiting the washroom whenever I wanted while I could.