back to the zoo

the boys have been asking to go for months. we planned to go last week to renew our membership but the wind made it just too cold. today we made it! i think it has almost been a year since we have last gone - manning didn't even remember most of it. that actually made it more fun. there were lots of other changes that were new to maddux and me too.

manning was pretty impressed with the octopus.

they (well, manning) got a little grumpy and wouldn't take a group picture at the easter bunny station. so individuals it is - maddux offered to take my picture too.

this little ropes course is new to us and replaced a small wooden playset. this definitely allowed for more children to play at once.

they boys asked for this one and posed themselves.

grumpy boy is almost always against group pictures.

the boys were happy to see that the "otter slide" was open. not only that, but the otter was swimming all around the slide. maddux stopped to watch for a second or two.

manning kept going up the stairs but not going down the slide (he would climb back down the stairs). i offered to take him up and slide with him. that was just what he wanted and happily went with me. when i got to the top platform i realized what the problem might have been.

there were a few boys around maddux' age that were covering the top of the slide and yelling down the tube. and then some more came running up behind us and shoved the boys already there to slide down. keep in mind, there was a line with about 5 kids and 3 adults waiting in line on the platform. the other moms were making lots of comments along the lines of "where are their parents?" and "we have been waiting for awhile now." after the boys ran by me for a third time, i spoke up explaining that the line was behind me and that it was this girl's turn to go. the mother thanked me and helped her daughter slide down (the girl was clearly overwhelmed by the boys yelling and shoving). i was shoved again by a few of the boys who were cutting the line as they passed me. the mom in front of me had taken to physically trying to return them to the back of the line so that her son could slide. two of the boys settled for just jumping in front of manning and me in line where the proceeded to shove each other when one of them was snatched to the back of the line with who appeared to be his mother.

but then another boy shoved me and jumped in front of manning. i told him that it was our turn and he could be next (maddux was waiting at the bottom of the slide with our backpack and i just wanted to get down at this point). the lady who had snatched back the other boy started going off about how she hears everybody talking about her boys. manning and i quickly made our escape down the slide. 

i couldn't believe that this woman was responsible for all of these boys and was making no effort to keep them from shoving adults (i was not alone in speaking up) and not allowing any one else to slide. i just wanted to get some distance from this disturbing group. we had actually encountered them when we first arrived (they were leaving an exhibit as we arrived) and i overheard a dad say, "whose kid is shoving my daughter?" looking around. he then told his daughter (who was maybe 2) that she should punch anyone who blocks her way, "we don't do that." we quickly scooted on from this family too.

oh well. we still had a lovely day at the zoo and ran into several friends. i just didn't want to end up in a fist fight! love.