The Zoo Experience... Most photos can be deceiving

This zoo story needed to be prefaced by some important facts:

• As I write this I am eating a mug of ice cream
• The kids and I decided to join Dhrumil on his business trip to Toledo in hopes of enjoying the
  indoor pool, visiting friends in Dayton and basically not having to endure a whole week at home alone.
• A week ago Nolan caught the Hand, Foot and Mouth virus...
• 3 days after that Mikayla caught a milder version 
• 3 days after that Dhrumil caught the adult version (yes by that time we were in Toledo)
• Nolan has been waking up at 5:30am in the hotel, this morning it was 4:30 and he fell back asleep in our bed, head jammed against my side, for only about a half hour 
• Nolan is going through a "yell talk" and "attempting to run everywhere or only be held by Mama while sucking his thumb" stage 
• Mikayla is going through a... Yeah don't know how to explain her stage ;)

Ok so basically...  One heck of a loooooong week and a half, tired kids, tired mama, need to leave the hotel, it's Toledo, there's a zoo... type of thing going on.

And so... Did I think it would be all roses? No. Ok fine maybe a small part of me hoped for a miracle. I have never attempted something of this magnitude with both if them  in tow before, but I decided to just give it a go and if it got rough we would just leave.

We pulled into the zoo and after taking 5-10 minutes arranging the double stroller, strategically placing water and snacks within reach and taking a deep breath telling myself I could DO THIS I went to grab Nolan who had just fallen asleep. He was not happy I disturbed his slumber and let out a very loud wail as I tried to lovingly pin him down and strap him into the stroller. Mikayla got in easily and the three of us (one screaming with every part of him) walked to the entrance invoking  every pity stare and sighs of "thank God that's not my child" from all the people we passed. 

He eventually stopped and for about an hour we had a really good time. I had us go on the train ride around Africa and though the picture above may show what the majority of our time looked like, we did have a joyful experience on that train.

And here is the last hour in a nutshell:

• Pushing my double stroller all over a zoo takes physical muscles
• Pushing my stroller all over the zoo with a whining 4 year old and holding a crying 1 year old takes more physical muscle and even more mental muscle (especially when it includes and very steep hill to get to the overpass)
• The kids would rather play on the zoo playground than watch the monkeys play on their playground
• When I said "Mikayla look the wolves are so close" she said "can we see something else"
• When I said "Nolan look the wolves are so close" he said "ball ball" (there was a ball in their area)
• Throwing pennies in the fountain was the high point of the visit
• When watching a mother struggle with her double stroller and heavy doors, trying to make it into the bird experience house with the grace of a peacock, DONT JUST STARE!
• Mikayla on being hungry "I'm so hungry my tongue is going to turn red if I don't eat soon"
• $8.50 is not a well spent dollar on a PB&J that was refused by a 1 year old

How long did we stay? Two hours... I was hot, sweaty, carrying Nolan, pushing a very tired Mikayla and just wanted to ask them to stick me in the Ape house where I'd yell "I give up!"

BUT it was worth it because..

I am thankful for seeing Mikayla's face light up in the bird house as the birds flew above her. I am thankful for watching Nolan popping his little face in and out of the play beaver house, giggles filling up the hollow cave. I am thankful for the quiet train ride, holding my babies close, feeling the wind in my hair and watch in the magnificent giraffes. I am thankful to know that I did it! A year ago, knee deep on my recovery,  I couldn't even go a week alone with the kids. 

This was a victory for me... All that other stuff? Just good stories to tell to the kids when they are older.