The Zoo

It's not a big zoo but maybe that's what makes it perfect for toddlers. The animals are always visible, the walking minimal and there's a wonderful, fly-infested playground for those who don't mind squishing a few insects as they barrel down the slide.

The French playgroup organized an outing to this zoo and Simone asked Little B whether he'd like to go.

"Ah-mals," he said, which Simone took to mean that he did, in fact, want to go.

Simone got there at 9:30 because that's what the instructions said: "We'll be meeting in the parking lot at 9:30." She was the second one there. The first one there, the organizer, informed Simone that the group would not be going in until 10 am. Not precisely an auspicious start of the day, especially with an impatient toddler in tow.

Before entering the premises, Simone was handed a questionnaire to fill out as she walked through the zoo. The instructions said that in order to answer the questions in order, one would have to go right at every opportunity along the paths of the zoo. So that's what Simone did. Apparently nobody else in the group followed the instructions because she did not run into anybody she knew until snack time a couple of hours later.

In any case, Simone and Little B got stuck at the playground. Not because of the tempting playground equipment, though she did get on the teeter-totter with the little guy. Nope. Little B spotted the flamingoes and he was struck with the notion that he needed to, HAD to go into their pen. When Simone wouldn't lift him over the fence, he climbed a picnic table. It was too far. Then he pushed his stroller up to the fence but he still wasn't tall enough to make it over the fence.

Then he wanted to go home.

Sigh.

Toss the instructions.