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Oregon Zoo |
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A promise was made and I had to keep it. As last week was filled with prior family plans, I had to make it up to my little ones by taking them to the zoo this weekend. On our way, a quick trip to REI was essential as we had to acquire some gear for a future trip Amber and I are planning. Afterwards, we sped out to the Zoo with five hours to kill. The cloudy skies overhead and 80 degree temperatures promised a perfect day for a strolling. Upon arriving, I thought an annual pass was not the wisest move given the 30 minutes it took to find a parking place. My mood soon improved though as we finally squeezed through the entrance.
Johnny was on a mission to keep his Daddy on his toes today. You see, my training ride yesterday had left me a little tired and I was praying for a gentle stroll through the park. This was not to be as the little man shouted "See moe. See moe.", running away as fast as he could for the next attraction. After reeling him in like a fish, he spotted a log and had to take his turn. He was rather surprised to see Daddy waiting for him on the other side and wondered where my magic porthole was.
We went thought nearly the entire park quickly as some of the animals were not to be found. Johnny was in auto pilot mode. He came, saw, and conquered before running off. It was hard to keep these two together as Johnny wanted to see, while Amber wanted to study. She loved to watch the little otters frolic and play and snickered as they did their little under-water stunts.
As a child cannot maintain a pace set by these two without calories, a pit stop was in need for some snacks. I brought the healthy stuff, but a day like this required a little more. After all, with the amount of energy that child put out today, he needed the calories that 6 yogurts, a half bag of popcorn, a half cup of six-grain rice, a Hershey bar, home made chicken noodle soup, two glasses of milk, and four juice packs could provide.
After seeing all that we could, the loudspeaker exclaimed "The park will be closing in 30 minutes." As I told the little ones that it was time to go, Johnny decided it was time for a game of Tag before leaving. I was the first to get tagged, of course, but as I went to tag Johnny, he took a dive onto the grass and rolled all the way down the hill, laughing the entire way. Warning words coming from the screeching box told us it was time to leave. A quick exit, no more than two minutes after starting the truck, saw us to the freeway where, to my amazement, Johnny's head was slumped over his chest; eyes closed and snoring. I took pride in knowing I won this day.
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