Zooday Hooray 1-2-3

I took Ella to the zoo yesterday, even though it was sweltering hot. And she threw a fit when I got her ready.

Apparently the tantrums are starting. She’s been getting extremely furious when I go to change her outfit. I don’t know why. It used to be so quick and painless. She’d just put her little arms up in the air and off her shirt would go and on with the new one. Now she acts like she’s an abused child. She actually threw herself on the ground on her tummy and banged her fists on the ground. It was like out of a cartoon. And I just was putting shorts and a t-shirt on her. It wasn’t like I was trying to get her to wear a wool sweater and leather pants or anything uncomfortable like that. Geez.

She also was a little mad when I put her in the car. So this makes me wonder. Is she associating getting dressed with me taking her to the sitter’s? Not that she doesn’t have a great time at the sitter’s. I really think she does. But maybe she doesn’t feel like going. I don’t know.

Anyway, we got to the zoo yesterday and she was mad again when I went to put her in her stroller. What is going on? I thought. I worried the trip was a mistake. But I got moving and she was pretty pleased when I handed her a box of raisins. And as soon as we started seeing animals, life was good.

She just pointed and stared at every animal. A few times she said “dog.” “Nope, that’s not a dog. That’s a monkey.” I would tell her. Or “That’s not a dog. That’s a bird.” OK, she isn’t perfect at her animal identification skills just yet.

After about an hour and 1/2 I was tired and she was yawning, so we made one final stop, at the fountain. It’s more of a wading pool. And some really prepared parents with older kids were letting them play in it in their swim suits they had brought. Well, I didn’t think about this option. And honestly with her changing fits I’m not sure I would have brought her suit anyways. But after seeing some other little tots in their diapers I figured why not. So, I pulled off her shorts and let her play in the water in her diaper and shirt. She loved it. There are little spurts of water that come up and little animal sculptures in the water. And she loves watching other kids play.

This went on for awhile. I finally decided it was time to head home. And boy, she did not want to go. I struggled getting her in the stroller.

Then I changed her diaper in the car. In the heat. And it was not a good diaper to change in the heat, or in the back of a car. So I decided not to fight the getting dressed battle even though we did have a spare outfit in the car. So, I took my little girl home in just her diaper. And she went right to bed when we got home. Ah zoo day.

And now I can’t get one of her books out of my head that goes Zoo Day Hooray 1-2-3 ….