While Maren is busy herding daycare children and enjoying the fact that Blair is home from AFRICA, I have spent the morning at the zoo.
We have been going once a week and it is always an experience. Today we spent 15 minutes watching a cockroach shed it’s skin. Repulsive and amazing all at the same time.
We also FINALLY saw the lions get up and walk around. They are forever sleeping in the sun like giant rocks. It will truly be a miracle if we ever see the hyenas move from their favorite sleeping positions.
Today, was, shall we say, an educational experience. I left the big girls standing by a monkey cage while I took Miss 3 to the bathroom. Miss 9 loves animals and has recently been very interested in determining if the animals are male or female. This particular monkey left her no doubt as to its gender. Apparently while I was helping Miss 3 go potty, he gave the girls quite a show with his male anatomy. ahem.
(I could barely recount it to My Dear Husband without blushing.)
You can imagine the discussion that led to with my very inquisitive and precocious Miss 9.
I suppose I was planning on having some conversations with her anyway, since she is entering 4th grade. I know I need to talk to her before the school health adviser gives her the “government approved/district health” version of the birds and the bees.
I just wasn’t planning on starting “the talk” with help from a monkey.
geesh
Last year we took my almost 2 year old with his 3 younger cousins to the zoo. The hugest of the 4 tortoises was REALLY interested in another tortoise…I must say I had never seen a tortoise move that fast than when he was chasing, yes chasing, the other, presumably female, tortoise. At one point, he slowed down to eat some grass, but then he resumed his chase. And caught up to her, ahem. I was glad the kids weren’t old enough to notice.