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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Our Zoo Adventure

Maybe it's because we don't  go very often, due to the expense, but the zoo is such a magical place for Maeve and me.  Animals are so beautiful and unpredictable, and you really never know what's going to catch you by surprise, or really grab your imagination.

When I told Maeve where we were going yesterday (not three minutes before we actually left) I heard her happy litany of excitement: I'm gonna go the zoo and see the animals and go in the stroller and it will be so fun!  It seems to me there are few things as rewarding in life as making a child happy, and I totally get how people with good intentions end up spoiling their kids.  But on the other side of that coin, just taking Maeve to the zoo makes her so happy, why up the ante and then go buy her a bunch of stuff there?  Why not just enjoy the level of happiness the zoo, itself, brings?

The first animal to really capture our attention was the arctic fox.  They seemed like cats in the sunlight, majestic and calm, unruffled by the big group of strollers and wheelchairs angling for a better view.  Maeve thought they were so cute!

We headed into Tropical Discovery next, which I knew Maeve would like.  She really loves watching fish, and is not at all opposed to having inches of glass between herself and strange creatures.  She loved this 'glittery fish', as she called it, and she really does look like someone let a kindergartener loose with craft glitter and glue.
 This one was my surprise, Maeve couldn't even see her very well.  A very beautiful capybara was snuffling around in the water.  With those big, kind eyes, she reminded me of a horse.

 Maeve and the horseshoe crab have been fast friends ever since she petted them every single week at the Butterfly Pavilion.  This one was not available for touch, but he kindly crawled up the side of the tank so we could see his underside, strangely lobster-like. 
This was the most beautiful tank in Tropical Discovery - the anemone were so graceful and delicate, and with Dori and Nemo swimming around inside, it really transported me.  Maeve liked it, too, so maybe we should try her on Finding Nemo again. 
The Elephant Crossing was decorated with lanterns to celebrate, I think it's the Rice Festival in Thailand, as Thailand is kind of the cultural theme of the Elephant Crossing.  All the lanterns were just breathtaking, although Maeve did not dig it as much as I did.  She's more into elephants, as they bear a strong resemblance to her beloved mammoths.
Happiness is having fun adventures together.  No tantrums, no crying, just joy.

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