The Best Part!!!

Usually every year during the spring we go to the zoo. Well, we didn't go last year and we almost didn't go this year. So I figured Labor Day weekend would be a good weather weekend to go visit and no one would be there because everyone is camping (okay, I was wrong about that!).

So this is how the day goes:

We visit the Asian highlands. I don't think I like how that cat is staring at my kids!!!

Mom: "Gross, it smells like cat pee"

Kate: "Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!"

Preston: "Now can we go on the train?"

We visit the giraffes.

Mom: "Quiet! Don't scare the giraffes!"

Carter "Mom, Dad, is that a girl giraffe?"

(okay we have no idea what he is basing that question on!)

Kate (pointing at the giraffe poop) : "Hey we need to clean up that mess!"

Um, no sweetie. That's what the zookeeper gets paid to do.

Preston:"Mom nowwww can we go on the train?"

On to the penguins.

Dad:(think Madagascar) "Cute and cuddly boys. Cute and cuddly."

Carter: "Don't penguins need to live in the cold weather?"

Kate: "Look! Their swimming pool!"
Mom: (before Preston can talk) "Okay we have like a few more exhibits and then you can go on the train."

We get tired and need to eat.

Mom: "Hey honey, wanna walk all the way back up to the van and get the cooler and meet us back at the Asian Highlands for lunch?"

Dad:.....sigh.....

The zoo now has a merry-go-round! We stop and take a ride.

Guess what Kate had to ride on?

And have I ever mentioned that Preston LOVES LOVES LOVES Panda Bears?He darted right over to the Panda as soon as they let us on the ride and afterwards he gave the Panda a big hug. Awwww...

There were no questions about the train.

Then off to.....okay I don't know what it's called. I call it the really smelly rainforest exhibit.

Kate: "Oh, cute porcupine!"
okay.....

Preston: "Hey look that monkey is scratching his bum."

Dad is just so proud that his only daughter is squealing with delight over the reptiles.

Mom: gag, gag, dry heave "Okay now can we go on the train?"

The moment we have all been waiting for....I'm so glad we went to the zoo so we could ride the five minute train ride!!!

Mom and Dad totally crash while the kids go play at the zoo playground. Okay I would like to call this slide that happens to look as old as I am the lawsuit waiting to happen. My kids have all biffed it big time at the bottom and Kate was no exception. Yet mom and dad just watch it happen, kiss it better and tell her to go play. We are too pooped to argue. Or sue the zoo.

Oh how we love our days at the zoo.

Just as we are about to leave the Realtor calls and we have a showing from 7-8. It's almost five. We don't really want to go home and unload the van and make a total mess. So I get this wild hair and say "Hey , let's go to IKEA while we are down here!"

We are exhausted and we go to IKEA. Don't get me wrong I'm trying to like the IKEA concept, however every time we go it is totally crowded, I'm overwhelmed, and feels like we are being sucked into the black hole. And then we go on Labor day weekend? We go insane trying to find our children who are asking us if we can move in here when we sell our house and I really don't have anything to buy and all I can think is "if we had our new house I would love shopping here."

At least the food is cheap, the kids meals were free this weekend and we got a good dinner. I guess I need to go here when it's a weekday. Then maybe the daycare would be open too!!!

Then we go downstairs where the family splits and loses each other for about an hour, It takes about that long to find the exit. And then on our way out, I am totally engrossed in the fact that an employee almost runs a million shopping carts into someones car and before I know it Preston darts out and almost gets hit!! Oh I was so tired and just about lost it! I bawled almost the whole way home it freaked me out so bad. Then we get home at 8:10 and the Realtor is just pulling in our driveway to show the house!!! Grrr....

So we just drive around all of us cranky for 30 minutes and get slurpees. I think 7-11 is seriously our new home!