Zoo Trips

One of the activities I really wanted to do with LB this summer was to frequent our zoo as much as possible. The Columbus Zoo is often voted as one of the best zoos in the country so we're really lucky to live an easy 20 minute drive away. My mom buys us a membership every year so besides a $1 here and there for the merry go round and train, it's a cheap way for us to get out and about, have fun and hopefully learn something. LB and I went to the zoo towards the end of the school year with some preschool friends and I noticed a major shift in how he was approaching the zoo. It was less about pushing the handicap buttons and more about getting excited to see the animals. Don't get me wrong, he still doesn't pass up a chance to push the handicap button (there must be something about pushing a button and seeing a door open that is extremely gratifying) but he tells me what animals he wants to see and asks a lot of inquisitive questions pertaining to the animals at the zoo. The past two or three times we've been I can honestly say that I've had a blast. Before I would have described it as fun but also as exhausting and at times irritating. You know, because of the button pushing. LB also went through a little period last summer where he was nervous about the animals at the zoo. It was like he understood they were big and possibly dangerous but didn't understand that the glass was protecting him. So he would look at something for about 2 seconds and then wanted to move along and find a safe area. There was also the time I told him we were going to see the manatees and he was sorely disappointed when we arrived and there wasn't any mac and cheese. Communication problems were frequent back in those days. Now the manatees are often first on his list of animals to see. Perhaps he still secretly hopes that mac and cheese will be awaiting him.

When we went earlier this summer, they had a lot of animals out for kids to touch. In one day he touched a turtle, a snake, a starfish and a sea urchin. He was pumped. Funny that the kid who used to be afraid of the snakes behind the glass now wants to touch one and doesn't even think twice about it. He also will tell me not to hold him when he does the merry go round. If I touch him then I get a very firm, "No Mommy! I do it myself." Sheesh.

My favorite story from the zoo this summer happened when we went one afternoon while D was in California for work. It was crazy hot but LB wanted to go and I was looking for ways to keep us out of the house and occupied so LB wouldn't miss D too much. So we went. We were in the petting zoo area and LB was very intently watching the horses. He then pointed to one of the horse's genitalia and asked me if that is where milk came from. I explained to him that it was just where the horse peed. Since we potty trained at the beginning of summer, bathroom talk and private parts talk have increased dramatically. I continued to tell him that cows have udders and that we can get milk from cows. He accepted that answer and declared that "horses can just pee like me." As we were driving home, the discussion of the horse's private parts came up again as did that cows make milk. Then he asked me in the most incredulous tone, "My milk comes from a cow?" It was like he all of a sudden made the connection but had to verify and was a bit concerned about the whole thing. I told him "Yes!" and tried to sound really cheery about it because I was worried we were going to have a milk strike on our hands. He paused for a bit and then said emphatically, "Cows milk is really good!" Whew. Dodged a bullet there. From that moment on, he has become obsessed with wanting to squeeze milk from a cow. Obsessed! I have yet to fulfill this desire but am on the hunt if anyone knows of a place where LB could experience this. He's a funny kid.

We made it out to the zoo again last week and explored some areas of the zoo that we don't usually make it too. There is an Australia section with kangaroos and koalas and for some reason we never make it there. The zoo is huge and if you are there for just a few hours then it's impossible to see everything. They let you get really close to the kangaroos and LB loved that. We watched this one for a while.

LB also got to do something he's never done before. They have a place near the petting zoo where you can do pony rides and it was something I never thought of offering to LB. But while we were in New Mexico a few weeks ago (posts on that to come), he started asking about riding a horse. We decided next year we would try that since he would be bigger and hopefully have the ability to go for a longer ride. But the pony ride at the zoo takes about 3 minutes. I asked him if he wanted to and he looked at me like I had just offered him the world. So he did it and he was so pleased with himself. The pony's name was Awesome and LB still talks about it. Awesome was totally awesome. I have to admit that it was a thrill for me to watch him do it. Doesn't he look so big? And happy?

Hopefully, we'll get out to the zoo a few more times before the end of summer.