Sunday, July 10, 2011

adventures at the zoo

"Us girls" spent a May day at the zoo with my friend Ann and her two kids.  The highlight of my day was when Hallie rode a pony.  The last time she rode a pony was the state fair when she was two.  She has no recollection of that event. 

I wondered if she would be nervous as the pony approached.

She was as natural as can be.  She even said "Yee haw!  I'm a real cowgirl."  She must have learned that from the Backyardigans.  I wish I was creative enough to play cowgirls with her.  Reminder: play cowgirls with your daughters.


She rode around the pen twice.  She definitely didn't need me there.  But I was personally thrilled to wear my "riding boots" next to a pony.  I felt very official. 

At the end of the ride we heard Claire yelp.  A ground squirrel had climbed onto her lap while she waited in the stroller and tried to commandeer her fruit snacks.  Poor girl.  That is NOT as fun as riding a pony,

The kids searched valiantly for the tiger.  But he was taking a lazy nap behind a rock.

Claire was less interested in giraffes (she told me firmly "I don't like jraffs anymore!") and very interested in her favorite thing in the world right now -- "baby Kayla" (Mikayla).

The kids played on the slides while Ann and I took turns buying lunch.  It was a surprisingly delicious hamburger that was predictably overpriced.

To summarize, we saw giraffes, lions, a brown bear with the biggest claws imaginable, the lazy tiger, a moose, and a fat porcupine.  Then the girls ran with the chickens (and Claire told me sternly "I don't like chickens anymore!").

I loved it.

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