Zoo trip with daughter better than I could have hoped

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September 16, 2009

Anonymous The North Jefferson News Wed Sep 16, 2009, 05:05 PM CDT

Commentary By Danielle Pelkey

The North Jefferson News

The wonderful weather has given way to many outdoor events. It is perfect weather to get out and get something done. Last week, I finally got something done that I wanted to do for two years — take my oldest daughter to the zoo.

This is an outing that most parents love to do with their babies and I am no exception.

Since she could say “dog” or “cat,” I have had it in my mind that she was ready to explore the zoo.

Last Thursday I had some time to spare at work, so I decided to take off most of the day, surprise Raygan at school and take her to the zoo.

When we got there, she was ready to do anything. Upon walking through the gates, we were rushed to the very back of the zoo to see the rhino exhibit. There were signs pointing to a great rhino display. When we got there, we were a little saddened by the fact that the great display was just them giving the rhinos their food.

It would take more that a boring feeding to put a damper on our day. We headed straight to the monkeys from there. Little kids are always infatuated with monkeys, so I knew this would be a fun stop. I thought a picture of Raygan by the monkeys would be a great shot for her baby book. Well, she was pretty sure that the glass would not hold those beasts behind it, so she would shake in fear every time I let go of her hands to take the picture.

By the tenth display she started to lighten up and at least touch the glass.

Next, we headed to the birds. Did you know that every bird is a “duck” to a little girl? She called flamingos, parrots, swans and pigeons all ducks. And to my dismay, there was not one duck in the whole zoo, that we saw.

We looked and laughed and sat and ran and had a wonderful time. As the day was winding on and nap time was lingering over our heads, we decided to make our way back to the car, but not before riding the train. She was so tired, I was surprised that she stayed awake for the whole thing.

Time had taken its toll on my sweet little girl and she was slowly turning into a beast that I didn’t want to be at a zoo with, for fear they might lock both of us up with the monkeys. As we headed across the parking lot to the car, she broke. She started screaming and threw herself on the ground.

I did my motherly duties and handled the situation. She was quickly whisked away to her car seat. However, the screaming lasted for about 10 seconds before the nap set in.

After two full hours of sleep in her bed, it was time to get up and play with her little sister who was then home from school.

She may never remember her first trip to the zoo, but as a mom, I’m so glad that I took her.

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