Zoo Day

Negotiations of which animal to see next.

 Pepper has been asking me to take her to the Zoo on an hourly basis for at least 2 weeks.
"Mom.  You gonna take me to-na-zoo today?"
It worked.
Sunday morning we were at the gates of the Hogle Zoo-  at 9 a.m.-  right when they opened.
"We're gonna go to-na-Zoo!"  Pepper chanted "Sophie!  You wanna go see all-na-animals?"
From a top her yellow-flowered car-seat she reigns - Queen of the mini-van.
However she is easily distracted.
She steps down to chase animals and candy.
So we don't have to deal with her demands all the time.

Beckam charmed all the ladies.

But this one would not die, so here we are.
Beckam is nestled into the umbrella stroller.
He barely fits.
He stayed in it the whole time, kicking his sausage legs.

I feel tired, blearly eyed like a Jack Kerouac poem and too much whiskey.  I haven't drank whiskey in over 7 years, but I remember.  I also remember that it passes if  I just put one foot in front of the other and put my head down like an ox.
I told Pepper we would do this, so I put on my checkered Vans and conjure my inner child.
I need the girl who runs through fountains on a hot day and builds forts out of bed sheets.

I think of my own Mom, and how many days she must have felt just like this.
She had six kids in ten years.
She was tired for entire years of her life.
She created magic for us every Christmas, birthday, and a hundred days in between.
She understood that little things are important.
She sewed our Easter dresses, and made sure we had little white gloves to go with them.

Talking to "Timone" from the Lion King

Taking turns sticking tongue out at Mom

Sophie is incredibly patient.

Monkey meets monkey

watching seals swim

"Mom, what was the coolest thing you saw today," Sophie asks.  Her voice is eager and young.

So often I hear hints of teenager come out of her, and it scares me.  I want her fascination to last just a little longer.

"Hmm...probably the giant iguana," I say.

"Ya, but what about the monkey whose hair looked like Beckam's!"

"Oh ya, of course, how could I forget about that?"

"Sophie, you wanna go to-na-zoo?"  Pepper chirps from her throne.

"Pepper we just went to the zoo," Sophie says.

"Ya, you wanna go?" Pepper repeats.

Oh Pepper...