so labor day weekend we went to the denver zoo. me, hank, beth, and the larson clan. very entertaining, generally speaking. beth loved it because everything was either a "puppy!" or a "birdie!", and very occasionally a "fishie!". she wasn't sure what to call the monkeys. they were a bit confusing for her, but it was still fun to watch her get so intrigued by the different animals.
she also insisted on demonstrating her independence most of the day (as published below) by refusing to ride in the wagon, and would only allow progress if she could pull it instead. literally, would scream if you walked away without letting her hold on to it and lead the way as well. todd, thank you so much for your patience. i owe you, huge. it made our journey around the zoo twice as long, but hey, at least it omitted screaming child in tow.
part ii: i think i'm getting old
by the end of the day the girl was exhausted, and so was i. it's hard for her to nap in places like that where there's so much commotion going on... a million kids running and squealing as they move from one exhibit to another, her familiar daycare family laughing and hollering and skipping about all around her, and lots of new sights and smells and sounds to take in. but she starts to get more and more cranky as she gets more and more tired, and it begins to take its toll on everyone. so when she finally zonked for an hour in the stroller (the last hour of our zoo expedition), i was stoked.
best of all though, (this is where the "getting old" part comes in) when we got home, hank went off to work on cars, and it was just me and beth at home, and i have to tell you - i was LOVING IT. and not because beth and i got some quality time together, oh no. that was maybe 10% of it. i was loving every second of the peace, quiet, and stillness that i had. and i kept thinking to myself, what am i, like 78 or something? i'm just barely entering into the chaotic life of millions of kids around me all the time! and i admit that i'm excited for that and enjoy the high energy and free spirits of kids. and i think it's even more fulfilling to now see that in my own as we discover the world together through various activities. BUT...
and i don't really remember needing those silent hours so much before. but i confess, i really like my quiet time. for a lot of reasons. call me geriatric. call me lame. tell me i'm prematurely over the hill. go ahead. but there is just something about having some time during everyday when i can settle into my own thoughts, recoup from the day's events, and give my soul some r&r. in moments like these - as well as many busy and full ones - i find bliss. sometimes it's just me on my own, sometimes it's me and hank hanging out on the deck together, sometimes it's me and a delicious bowl of lucky charms, and in this case, after the zoo, it was just me and beth, playing together on the floor of my family room. just me and her. it was lovely.
i've just learned that for me, in my current state (whatever that means), it's healthy. does it mean i'm old? i don't know... probably. i guess i don't really care. i just know it's good for me.
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