Kicking and Screaming

We live about 30 minutes from a nice little zoo.

It's easy to get through, never too crowded, and with a zoo pass, we can go anytime we want and never have to stay longer than a few hours at a time.

But this zoo has one draw back. One fatal flaw that makes me grind my teeth and pull my hair out.

Ok, not that bad. But I really, really, really don't like it.

This zoo has camels.

That you can ride.

For 5 bucks.

5 bucks doesn't sound like a lot, right?

Well it is with 6 kids. And it's still 5 each even if you double or triple up on the camel.

And every time we go to the zoo they want to ride the camel.

So all of a sudden, my fun, free day at the zoo turns into "You're the worst mom ever because you won't let us ride the camel!"

Well, no one ever said that. But they were thinking it.

I can tell.

But this last time something changed. A shift in the universe. Something so sure to set things right in the world of children whose mother won't let them ride the camel.

This time.....their father came too.


And quite happily he is in line as well. In a really long, long line.
Where am I? I am behind the camera, because there is no way I am paying 5 bucks to ride some stinky camel around for all of 1 minute (I kid you not, that's all you got for your money). Not when we already paid 35 buckaroonies for the rest of them.
There is a term for people like me.
Party pooper.

Two things happened. First I really wished I had my super zoom lense on my camera.

Second, I had no idea how absolutely hilarious it would be to watch them all. They all bobbed up and down on the thing as if they were jockeys.

And Nora was so giddy with excitment that her funny little hee ha laugh could be heard by all those waiting in line.

It was awesome.

So was it worth it, in the end?
Was it worth all that money spent?

The jury is still out.

Jeff and the kids would say heck yeah!

I would say that I refuse to answer on the grounds I might incriminate myself. Or something.

But was I happy to not have ridden the stupid camel myself so I could take pictures

of what may have been the priciest minute of entertainment ever?

Yes.
Do I regret not riding it?

No.
But am I glad my kids were so dang happy?

Yes.

Signed, yours truly,

Stick in the Mud