Annika, Ian and I went to the zoo yesterday. Ian has asked me every day of this week if we could go to the zoo and since we have a membership... I skipped my yoga class and we spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the zoo. I think the kids had a lot of fun. There's a new exhibit with frogs, toads and other amphibians. It was quite interesting and sometimes challenging to find the toads because they're so well camouflaged. 
Annika especially loved the fish. And the hippos (they also have fish swimming in the water). Ian was set on seeing the rhinos.
On the way to the van, Ian spotted the zoo train (which is really separate from the zoo and runs to the park). He decided we should ride the train, because the zoo wasn't enough fun. We really needed to go home so we could pick Kaelyn up from school on time, but Ian had plans to stay. 'Can't we go to the place where you go up really high and play?' (the local cultural and science museum). On the way home, Ian was pretty upset. I told him he could stay at the zoo with his animal friends if he couldn't stop yelling and whining. I was told that I wasn't a good mommy. 'OK, so I'm not a good mommy because I don't give you whatever you want and let you do whatever you want?' 'That's right!' 'Well, it's not good for you to just get whatever you want. That's not how it works.' 'Yes it is!' Later, we drive by the Learning Express toy store after a potty break. 'Mom, what does it say on that store?' 'Learning Express.' 'I want to get a toy there.' 'No Ian, we're not just going to buy a toy there. Remember you're going to clean your room tomorrow and you will get your allowance and then you can buy the knight that you wanted.' 'O Yeah!' 'Mom, I think you gave me Rhino-Rabies.' 'O really?' 'Yes, I think you gave me ten of them.' He starts coughing. I have to restrain myself from laughing out loud. Explanation of the Rhino-Rabies: Ian is very interested in bodily function and disease and having a pathologist for a dad... Well, it kind of started with one of Nate's old childrens books about Louis Pasteur and the Rabies vaccine. It's about this kid with Rabies getting a shot and all these magical soldiers come marching into his body and they beat the Rabies germs. We've kind of used this story to get him to eat more vegetables (they give the magical soldiers ammunition, energy, make them see better, run faster, etc.). Later, when he had a cold one time, Nate told him it was called Rhino virus. Every little cough, tummy ache or anything else has been Rhino-Rabies since then.
Later the same day, he does some work sheets from his new pre-K workbook and then asks: 'Mommy, can we go to Learning Express and buy me a toy now?' 'Ian, you get a sticker for doing the work sheets, not a toy.' 'You're a mean mommy!' I joke: 'I love being mean to you!' He takes it serious and starts crying. 'I was just kidding, Ian!' He runs out the back door and slams it.
A little later, when he's calmed down and playing with his dinosaurs, I say: 'Ian, I love you.' He smiles: 'You too, mom.'
1 comment:
You guys are great. I think Ian is preparing early for a high school debate career.
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