More from the Zoo

Where were we? I'm not going to try that Dancing Elephant Box video again, but it is cute, trust me. By 4:15, Carlyle still wanted to see every inch of the zoo in order to get our money's worth, while I wanted to sit down and not have to carry Penny/listen to her whining for me to pick her up. So, he took Emily to see the Florida animals (e.g., manatees, various birds, some kind of deer or something. . . yawn), which happens to be located along the longest length of trail/sidewalk/boardwalk with only one way out and one way in. I wished them luck and took my sore toe and my whiny two-year-old (to be fair, she was currently two hours past normal naptime, with no nap) to the Manatee Fountain (see, I saw a manatee, too!).

It may be hard to tell, but I went from, Don't get your clothes too wet! to Oh, heck, I have a change of pants for you, so give me your socks and shoes and shirt and go crazy, in less than 5 minutes.





I was sitting on a bench next to another (better?) mother who called her approximately eight-year-old son over right after I'd let Penny go half-naked. She demanded that he read the sign. "Read the sign. What does that say?" The sign happened to be right behind my head, so I turned around to look as the kid read, "Shoes must be worn at all times." The mother nodded, "That's right, mister." The kid put his flip flops back on and raced back into the fray. I decided, after swallowing my mommy guilt, that it was totally worth whatever miniscule risk of (what, exactly? broken glass? athlete's foot? judgmental strangers?) to sit down for fifteen minutes and watch her have a ball. I should have come prepared with towels and water-friendly crocs and all that. But I didn't, so there you go.

I also noticed that this same mom kept running over and moving her approximately one-year-old daughter whenever Penny entered the same fountain spout space. Probably a total coincidence.

Emily and Carlyle returned after the exhausting walk, which they nonetheless enjoyed. Then it was paper towels to Penny in the restroom and new pants and (old, but dry!) shoes and socks and we were out of there just before zoo closing at 5 pm.

We cautiously explored the streets around the zoo (thanks Google maps!) until we found a Sam Seltzer steakhouse. Probably not my first pick for a meal with a 2 and 5 year old. (Man, do they use low wattage bulbs in there! And give you a lot of steak!) But it was food and we ate it (except for Penny who only had dinner rolls and lemonade).

We got back to the zoo for the reopening at 7 pm, had to stand in line for a few excruciating minutes until they opened the doors. I only have pictures of a few rides, but highlights also included two child-friendly haunted houses, which Emily loved but disdained a bit, and one decidedly-not-child-friendly haunted house, which Carlyle reluctantly agreed to take Emily through. She was scared, she stated that she might have nightmares, but so far, she hasn't actually had any nightmares. So I think we didn't scar her for life. (You can bet that mom at the Manatee Fountain wouldn't have approved, though!)





Those last two are on the carousel, the only ride Penny (reluctantly) agreed to ride. You can even see me lurking behind Emily, while Carlyle (cameraman) was standing right beside Penny. And the carousel was moving.

It was a really good day. A good way to spend the day before an important and difficult comprehensive exam, which I think I passed (results in 2-3 weeks). The kids fell asleep in the car and didn't even blink or protest when we plopped them in their beds at home.