Zippity Zoo Da!

Yea, okay it's another post about the zoo. But this time it will be different. Promise.

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Now that the pool is closed, we have to find new things to do. Last week I had a brainstorm. Let's go to the zoo and do all of the things that we don't usually get to do! Molly thought this was a great idea so off to the zoo we went.

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Even though this was the NEW zoo trip, Molly still had to perform balance beam routines on every curb.

Old habits die hard.

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Next stop: the train.

Molly usually only wants the carousel and will forgo all other rides for one more ride on the carousel. Not today...this was the NEW zoo trip!

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Next stop: the petting zoo.

I have to admit I hate this place. I took Molly a few summers ago. She pet the goat several times and then put her fingers in her mouth. Yuck! We haven't been there since. Do you blame me?

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Today was different. Molly tried to feed the goats instead of petting them and she kept her fingers clear of her mouth. Yeah!

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Next stop: Penguin statue.

Well, we do see the penguins quite often, but have never posed for a picture with this statue. We didn't look at the penguins today, just posed and went off to our next destination. (In fact, we didn't look at any animal exhibits today.)

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A quick pic with the totem pole at the waterfront...

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....and then on to the boat ride. This was a big hit.

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I hate the playground, but Molly really wanted to stop, so stop we did.

Molly is that little yellow speck at the top.

If you like the sanitized, Mary Poppins version of motherhood stop right here. Read no further, because things are about to get ugly.

Still with me? Brave soul. As I watched Molly play for 45 minutes, I planned our next zoo adventure. We were going to ride the carousel, go see the baby elephant and eat soft pretzels. When Molly made her way to the bottom, I told her one more time up the play structure and then we were going. I got an "Okay, Mommy," so all was good.

Until she came down from her one more time. This is when Molly looked straight at me and ran to the entrance of the play structure and up a ladder before I could get her. I suggested that she get back down to the ground ASAP. Five minutes later, she arrived. I was just about to grab her hand when she dashed into the entrance and shot up the ladder, again. This time my suggestion to come back down was a bit more stern. But, she did comply.

When she arrived I grabbed Molly and picked her up. Screaming ensued. It was ugly. She yelled that she would hold my hand if I put her down. Stupidly, I trusted her. Guess what she did...yep, in through the entrance and up the ladder. I am way too big to get up there and she knows it. Smart kid.

At this point she knew she was in trouble, and came down in fairly quick order. I grabbed her, picked her up, and whisked her away...kicking and screaming. Of course she wanted to hold my hand. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I never put her down again.

I walked from the playground at the back of the zoo, all the way to the front of the zoo, and all the way out to my car with Molly screaming at the top of her lungs. Trust me, her screams are loud. Very, very loud.

When we got to the car and I got Molly strapped into her car seat, she looked me square in the eye and said, "Mommy, I'm happy. Are you happy?" The entire tantrum  just for show.

Me? Happy? I don't think so.

And now you know...the rest of the story. (Anyone miss Paul Harvey as much as I do?)