Zoo

We wanted to do something fun with Chloe to celebrate her birthday. First of all, we had a hard time deciding. We don’t exactly live in a place where there are a wide variety of things to get out and do. We figured we would be driving a little bit to find something. The second problem is that there aren’t many things that are appropriate and exciting to a toddler. So we settled on the idea of going to the zoo. We talked to my parents and made arrangements to meet there on Saturday.

It started out a cold, dreary day. It was only supposed to reach 62 degrees and was very windy all day. We all bundled in layers so we would be comfortable no matter what the weather did. Luckily by afternoon the sun came out and made it feel much warmer.

On the way to the zoo I asked Chloe what animals she wanted to see. I suggested the elephants and zebras (both are animals she recognizes in books), and she said giraffes. First we went to the sea lion show. That did not go well at all since Chloe has very recently developed a phobia of water. We thought she just didn’t like her baths anymore, but I guess it’s a water phobia now. She liked it when the sea lions were doing their tricks on the stage but got very upset whenever they went into the water. Mom ended up holding her and watching from the very top of the bleacher seating. The next animals we went to see were the zebras and giraffes. She thought those were pretty neat.

It went downhill from there. Basically the remainder of the zoo trip was “NO”. If anybody tried to take Chloe near glass so she could see an animal, she said no. If an animal had any kind of water in its exhibit, she said no. Almost every exhibit was a no. At the end of the day we finally made it to the part with the elephants. At first the elephants were a no because of the water in the exhibit, but Kevin was finally able to get her excited about them.

I think Chloe really enjoyed spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa. She just didn’t enjoy the fact that it was spent at the zoo. Three animals to get excited about: giraffes, zebras, and elephants.

Doesn't she look thrilled?