April 16, 2009
-
What a zoo!!!
I mean, have you ever been on a bus for 30 minutes with a bunch of first graders who have just eaten pure high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the disguise of “Lunchables”??? When we left school in the morning, the bus was filled with well mannered, excited six and seven year olds, quietly playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” games of “I Spy,” and singing little ditties about dogs and cats. During the field trip, they were well behaved and followed instructions nicely. They knew the answer to every single question I asked them at the zoo. Good, smart kids.
And then came lunch.
It was really crowded and as I looked out over the sea of picnic blankets, I saw So. Many. Lunchables. I know they are convenient, and I guess kids think they are fun. But I just do not get these things, and so neither do our kids. It is just so unappealing to think of eating hot dogs, chicken nuggets and/or lunch meats that have been stored in a box on a shelf. And of course, they are loaded with chemicals to survive the extended shelf life AND they include such tasty treats as Skittles, Kool-Aid and the like.
When we got back on the bus, some of the kids were like crazed monkeys. And I speak with experience, having just seen a whole slew of caged monkey species. They were clawing at the windows, pouncing on the seats, slamming heads with one another. (The kids, not the monkeys.) It was really fascinating to see the transformation. Luckily, the kids did crash from their HFCS-high a few minutes before making it back to school. Good timing.
As for the actual zoo — it was fun! The weather was gorgeous and the animals were all where they were supposed to be. Can you tell that I’m not really an animal person? Nor am I an expert on zoos, so I’m sorry to say that I still can’t really comment on the conservation factor raised by ordinarybutloud or the injured animal theory that draco1531 raised in comments on my previous (unstimulating) post. I can tell you that this zoo is really big on the animal feeding…..and I am not. The kids each got a little dixie cup of animal chow for feeding the black-tongued giraffes and the feisty goats and the slobbery camels. I watched from a distance and resisted the urge to Purell the kids every time they finished a feeding.
I had two boys and two girls (including my own) in my group. I enjoyed seeing the way that they each handled their animal food differently. One boy used his all up right away and then literally begged me, whole heartedly, to buy him more from the machine. I would have — but who carries quarters anymore??? Another boy used his up even faster, but got resourceful and started picking up every loose piece of chow he found on the ground. He ended up with more than anyone, but he was quite a slow poke moving through the zoo and I was terrified he would pick up some stray goose poop or something. The girls hung on to that food as if they were certain they would get a reward at the end for making it last. They were so proud of their animal feeding willpower. Alas, there was no such award, so the prairie dogs near the lunch pavilion got a whole lot of food dumped into their habitat, instead. Oh well, it’s probably healthier than Lunchables.
Comments (7)
I can almost picture your day, all parts! LOL
Me too!
I love the zoo, but I always go in the middle of the week when it is quiet….then a class of kids arrive lol
Hahahaha. 1. Lunchables are gross. 2. I do not understand zoos where the patrons feed the animals, and I do NOT resist the urge to Purell my kids mercilessly every time they feed them. 3. My little girl dumps all her chow into the bear cage at the Abilene zoo and then she has none left for the giraffes, which is always a major disaster. Too annoying.
@ordinarybutloud - Ah, no wonder why we get along so well.
I was just telling the Mr. last night how I found the animal chow to be just a major pain in the butt, and how I’m sure there are other moms who would say, “Oh, isn’t it so sweeeeeet to see the kiddies feeding the darling little animals?” I’m glad we’re in the same camp on that one!!!
@turningreen - Oh, it’s a major pain in the butt, on so many levels. There’s the money, and the sanitation problems, and the whining and the frustration of reaching the stupid animals, and it just basically takes all the fun out of strolling through an attractively landscaped park, idly looking at animals in cages. In my opinion.
What a crazy but fabulous day you must of had. I wonder if the animals ever get sick of eating?
@wholefoodsMum - They MUST!! There were three separate schools visiting the zoo on the same day and each and every kid was throwing food at the animals like it would be their last meal!!