Zoo

Yesterday, we loaded Little One and Big One into the van and headed to Omaha. Destination: Henry Doorly Zoo. We have a season pass to our local zoo but it's lacking in animal variety. The day trip to Omaha was our solution for a little mini vacation.

Blogging has sent my mind into overdrive. No longer do I fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow. My mind preys on the silence of the moment. Writing ideas bounce around, fending off the sleep I so desperately need. When we venture outside our home, I look at everything as potential writing material. Our trip to the zoo was no different. Here are a few things that made me think yesterday.

• Rhinos are HUGE... like Mommy and Daddy. At least that's what Big One says. Let me tell you, it feels GREAT to be compared to a rhino.
  
• Elephant butts are really wrinkly. I haven't seen a lot of elephant booties in my life. Fortunately, Big One did not draw a comparison between me and the elephant.
• Don't mess with a granny in pink plaid pants. The bubble gum pink may lure you into thinking she's a gentle-hearted woman. It's an act. She'll chew you up and spit you out. Especially if you're 7 and you sit in your little brother's stroller. Not only did she rip into her grandson, she was ready to leave him behind near the jaguar display. Don't cross granny!
• Some styles never die. Tie dye shirts. Shirts that double as maps of Missouri. Mullets.
  
• Common courtesy does not come naturally to everyone. You may want to stop and stare at the Burmese Python for 10 minutes. I don't. Please don't block the entire path. Move aside so I can get my screaming 4 month old and nap deprived 3 year old out of the Desert Dome. If my subtle throat clearing doesn't do the trick, I'll resort to making snarky comments loud enough for you to overhear. It's nothing personal. Just move to the side, people. Move to the side.
• It may be beneficial to get more than 4 hours of sleep the night before a trip to the zoo. Previously mentioned snarky comments may have been avoided.
  
• Regardless of how cranky Mommy may get, Big One will still have a good time at the zoo.
  

All negativity aside, it was a great day at the zoo. I wish I had suppressed my crankiness a little better. But it was still fun. Except for the last 45 minutes of the ride home. Little One caught my crankiness. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!