The Zoo

I have a couple of friends through a friend who have two boys that are a little older than Vincent. These ladies are (in varying degrees) housewives, too and we've been trying to get together for at least a year. Last week we were finally able to get all of our kids together and head to Como Zoo.

It's such a neat thing to be able to do with the kids on nice days. That it's next to free is even more amazing. Times are tight as we continue to hang in our tenuous limbo wondering when the skies will open up and send us another job for Matt (or the ground trembles and opens up and I have to go back to admin type work. Please, no - not back to being the one that loads the paper in the copier! I'm so much better at this job.)

The other boys are a couple of years older than Vince. I didn't know how much he'd be able to play with them, or even get what was going on. He hasn't been to the zoo since he was a baby. We have been reading a Curious George book that his good buddy Harper picked out for him for his birthday. I had hoped this would mean that he'd at least (maybe?) recognize some of the animals from the book. We arrived and I said, "Look Vince! Flamingos!"


"Just like George saw, right? See that shiny water?" He did not care. He whined for another graham cracker.

"Oh Vince, LOOK! A butterfly. It's so pretty!" He was not at all interested. Then I made the mistake of releasing him from his stroller confinement.

"Look at the seal, Vin! Here he comes again to say hello!" At this point, you can see it in his eyes, what's coming next. I really should have worn my track pants. The minute I set him down, it was game ON.

We were off - he was running. Up the stairs, down the path, around the corner, dodging other kids much bigger than him like Bode Miller on a slalom course.

He would not be stopped. I kept huffing after him, "Vin - VINCE! VINCEENT! Prefontaine - wait for MAMA!" Did not work. Not that I expected it to. The yelling was more for the benefit of those around who kept looking at him like, "Whose child is this?" We were drawing both disapproving stares and chuckles from other people.

He'd pause for a moment and take off again. I blame the shoes. I just got him these Payless kicks because his little feet continue to be more rectangular in shape than most and he has to have special wide shoes. So, I got him some that actually fit and he just loves them. And he loves to run. Our friend Andy (the photographer and link to the other hot mamas) said, "Wow, it's just amazing to see how he keeps up with the older kids. He's just so advanced." I would have said, "Yeah, I know," but I was too out of breath and he was almost beyond my field of vision, heading back where the buffalo roamed.

No matter where we went, he'd rather go the other direction. He didn't really get what the other animals were about, he just loved to run the wide open paths. And unlike in our neighborhood when he runs around the block, there are no cars to worry about (just giant wild animals, but no cars.)

I grabbed him around the waist and slung him over my arm, determined to see the lions (and at least try to talk to some of my friends who I haven't said hardly a word to all afternoon.) I'm so glad I wrangled him - just long enough for Andy to catch this picture.


I will forever cherish this image. I love it so.

And then? He took off again. This time, through the automatic doors. He was about a city block away from me when I saw them "WHOOSH" open and I had to sprint after my crazy wonderful little boy.