The summer sun and prickley heat seems to bring out a little bit of dare devil in all of us for 3 short months out of the year. A good number of people are apt to try new and exciting things just to get out of their stuffy houses for a day and with the greater portland area so diverse in landscape and climate, there is a meca of things to get you living on the edge.
So, what do I do to "live on the edge" you ask? Well, since I am who I am and seem to crave points for deree of difficulty, I choose a trip to the Portland Zoo with 4 young children in toe. Doesnt sound like an adventure to you?
Trust me, at the end of the day I had burned more calories, covered more distance, and dripped more sweat then any adventure seeker, adrenalin junky out there. Ok, maybe not really but it was definitly a merithon of a day.
Because I am not totally insane I had my Mom join us for a little moral support, crowd control and for an extra pair of hands durring the indefinate potty stops. Bless her heart I dont think she knew what she was getting her self into, though years of feild trips to this very spot with countless classes of preschoolers had broken her in, this just might be the day that does her in.
As anyone who has kids knows, getting ready to go anywhere with one child is a labored event that takes in all cases some preperation. So to no surprize taking four children to the Zoo is labor in its rawest form and without a couple miricles provided by God above it probely would never have happend for us. So after packing lunches and diaper bags, dressing everyone in layers to last the day and packing even more layers incase of wild bodly fluids, and getting everyone out the door and into their carseats, I...was ready for nap time. I offered for Hailey to drive but she insisted that she was too young and could not even reach the peddles. So with me behind the wheel, much to my dismay, we were on our way and after a quick stop to pick up Grandma Nonna we will be truly starting our adventure. Zoo or bust!!
Like I said everything was going great, and then, it is time or everybody to unload. Just as tedious and tireing as loading everybody and everything into the car, is unloading everybody and everything out of the car. Now that all of the kids are older the bond between baby and cozy carseat has now been replaced by an overwhelming hate for being restrained aginsed their will. By the time we arive anywhere after any length of drive and they can hear the sounds of freedom, all they want is OUT! It is now a rush to get to the stroller, load it with the bags and set free the babies before everyone including me is in tears. And after several minutes, a few deep breaths and a prayer that the stroller could handle the weight of it all we were locked and loaded and ready to go. 
As we got closer to the gates it was obvious that a number of other parents of young children also thought it brillient to visit the Zoo on this particular day. The court yard in front of the gate was jammed with strollers like a parking garage after a big concert, everybody trying to go to the same place in a hurry for their turn through the gate.
Inside the gate was nothing like the outside and the crowd scattered in all directions. And, after a quick potty stop, not the last of the day by far, we picked a path and got the stroller safari started. Now Jonathan has never been to anything like a Zoo before and I wasnt quite sure how he was going to react to the animals, large or small. I knew that there was glass and fenceing between us and the animals but would he at first? Because I didnt know what Jonathans reaction to a rather large animal coming towards him was going to be and picturing the worst, I prepaired myself for running after a screeming crying petrified child, and heading out to the car, all for nothing. Instead though as the first animal, a small Jonathan sized otter thank God, came near he just stood there, inches from the glass watching. There was no jump no jerk, just a glance back to me as if to say "I ok Momma?", a firm grip on Nonnas hand and eyes glued to the otter swimming circle after circle.
As we rounded the corner into the sealion area things got a lot bigger, a little louder and a little funnier. Sea lions are huge creatiors that as far as I'm concerned have quite a sence of hummor. We got there as they too were swimming circles in their tank of milky merkey water (I guess the Zoo really needs cable) and Jonathan followed Hailey right up to the glass. Little did he know that what he couldnt see at the time was a good 12 ft sea lion on a colision course for his very spot behind the glass. As the sealion came into sight and made his olympic swimmer style turn, Jonathan screemed with surprise and high tailed it to the stairs leading back to the safty of the stroller. 
He had only gotten about half way when he heard the laughing, saw me taking pictures and realized the joke was on him and after a glance over his shoulder to make sure Hailey was still alive, he "tough guy walked" back and joined her at the glass. Now he couldnt very well let down the audience or pass up the chance for another great reaction, so with every pass of the giant Sealion came a scream and a turn to except his applause. Soon enough Hailey and Jonathan had the sealion playing a game of peek aboo with them. Now after his very graceful turns he would drop down under the viewing glass, wait, and then pop back up right in front of the kids. I guess the lion liked Jonathans reactions too.
About three hours into the tour we had seen otters, sealions, penguins, monkeys, elephants, hippos, lions, tigers and bears, ooh my! With the exeption of Hailey, every kid needed to be lifted and held to see the animals, thats 20 - 30 lbs times three at every stop sqwirming with excitment to get out and then with discust when strapped back in. Needless to say Nonna and I were ready for a much desirved lunch break and a few minutes of chewing silence. And as I am sure I am not the only mom who knows that the gift of lunch is a gift that just keeps on giving; now comfortable with full bellies and the warm afternoon sun out the little ones didnt have a chance and akwardly fell asleep in the weighed down stroller. 
So, what do I do to "live on the edge" you ask? Well, since I am who I am and seem to crave points for deree of difficulty, I choose a trip to the Portland Zoo with 4 young children in toe. Doesnt sound like an adventure to you?
Trust me, at the end of the day I had burned more calories, covered more distance, and dripped more sweat then any adventure seeker, adrenalin junky out there. Ok, maybe not really but it was definitly a merithon of a day.Because I am not totally insane I had my Mom join us for a little moral support, crowd control and for an extra pair of hands durring the indefinate potty stops. Bless her heart I dont think she knew what she was getting her self into, though years of feild trips to this very spot with countless classes of preschoolers had broken her in, this just might be the day that does her in.
As anyone who has kids knows, getting ready to go anywhere with one child is a labored event that takes in all cases some preperation. So to no surprize taking four children to the Zoo is labor in its rawest form and without a couple miricles provided by God above it probely would never have happend for us. So after packing lunches and diaper bags, dressing everyone in layers to last the day and packing even more layers incase of wild bodly fluids, and getting everyone out the door and into their carseats, I...was ready for nap time. I offered for Hailey to drive but she insisted that she was too young and could not even reach the peddles. So with me behind the wheel, much to my dismay, we were on our way and after a quick stop to pick up Grandma Nonna we will be truly starting our adventure. Zoo or bust!!
Too many things were going my way so far. We had left the house on time, made it through traffic on roads I hadnt driven years, and now we had found a half empty parking lot where I could almost pick any spot I wanted.
Like I said everything was going great, and then, it is time or everybody to unload. Just as tedious and tireing as loading everybody and everything into the car, is unloading everybody and everything out of the car. Now that all of the kids are older the bond between baby and cozy carseat has now been replaced by an overwhelming hate for being restrained aginsed their will. By the time we arive anywhere after any length of drive and they can hear the sounds of freedom, all they want is OUT! It is now a rush to get to the stroller, load it with the bags and set free the babies before everyone including me is in tears. And after several minutes, a few deep breaths and a prayer that the stroller could handle the weight of it all we were locked and loaded and ready to go.
As we got closer to the gates it was obvious that a number of other parents of young children also thought it brillient to visit the Zoo on this particular day. The court yard in front of the gate was jammed with strollers like a parking garage after a big concert, everybody trying to go to the same place in a hurry for their turn through the gate.
Inside the gate was nothing like the outside and the crowd scattered in all directions. And, after a quick potty stop, not the last of the day by far, we picked a path and got the stroller safari started. Now Jonathan has never been to anything like a Zoo before and I wasnt quite sure how he was going to react to the animals, large or small. I knew that there was glass and fenceing between us and the animals but would he at first? Because I didnt know what Jonathans reaction to a rather large animal coming towards him was going to be and picturing the worst, I prepaired myself for running after a screeming crying petrified child, and heading out to the car, all for nothing. Instead though as the first animal, a small Jonathan sized otter thank God, came near he just stood there, inches from the glass watching. There was no jump no jerk, just a glance back to me as if to say "I ok Momma?", a firm grip on Nonnas hand and eyes glued to the otter swimming circle after circle.
As we rounded the corner into the sealion area things got a lot bigger, a little louder and a little funnier. Sea lions are huge creatiors that as far as I'm concerned have quite a sence of hummor. We got there as they too were swimming circles in their tank of milky merkey water (I guess the Zoo really needs cable) and Jonathan followed Hailey right up to the glass. Little did he know that what he couldnt see at the time was a good 12 ft sea lion on a colision course for his very spot behind the glass. As the sealion came into sight and made his olympic swimmer style turn, Jonathan screemed with surprise and high tailed it to the stairs leading back to the safty of the stroller.
He had only gotten about half way when he heard the laughing, saw me taking pictures and realized the joke was on him and after a glance over his shoulder to make sure Hailey was still alive, he "tough guy walked" back and joined her at the glass. Now he couldnt very well let down the audience or pass up the chance for another great reaction, so with every pass of the giant Sealion came a scream and a turn to except his applause. Soon enough Hailey and Jonathan had the sealion playing a game of peek aboo with them. Now after his very graceful turns he would drop down under the viewing glass, wait, and then pop back up right in front of the kids. I guess the lion liked Jonathans reactions too.
About three hours into the tour we had seen otters, sealions, penguins, monkeys, elephants, hippos, lions, tigers and bears, ooh my! With the exeption of Hailey, every kid needed to be lifted and held to see the animals, thats 20 - 30 lbs times three at every stop sqwirming with excitment to get out and then with discust when strapped back in. Needless to say Nonna and I were ready for a much desirved lunch break and a few minutes of chewing silence. And as I am sure I am not the only mom who knows that the gift of lunch is a gift that just keeps on giving; now comfortable with full bellies and the warm afternoon sun out the little ones didnt have a chance and akwardly fell asleep in the weighed down stroller. 
Before we knew it two more hours had flown by and we were at the end of our tour with only the icecream stand left to visit. We had seen it all, including more then our fair share of the public restrooms and now as we head to the truck, with our icecream cones in hand and dry pants on our undersides, we know that it was all worth it, the kids had fun, I worked out my glutimusmaximus, and Nonna....well we havent seen her since....she just might still be resting!
We have come, We have seen, We have conqured!!
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