Saturday gone wild

Another weekend with out momma, and another weekend of daddy biting off more than he can chew. So it's a good thing I write a blog rather than record a podcast, cause my mouth is pretty full right now. Papa Jon's company had a family day at the LA Zoo today, so we jumped at the opportunity to tag along. Of course the girls decided to get up at 6 this morning, so a groggy and reluctant dad got up with them. We had some waffles and pineapple (random combination but I didn't realize we had no other fruits in the house so it had to do). Since we were up so early I didn't worry about it too much, knowing that we'd get to my mom's earlier than expected and we'd get a second breakfast their. Of course I didn't plan on Papa sneaking them chocolate donuts instead of the fruit I hoped for. ...but I should have known better. We got to the zoo and it was hot and crowded, but it's so much different than the other zoos the girls have gotten to experience. They had seals and lions (but no sea lions), a prairie dog exhibit that you could pop up in side of, gorilla's and chimps and elephants. And I swear some of the people there could have been their own exhibits too. It's kind of like going to a county fair. You really feel good about yourself when you're leaving. I mean, some of the parenting tactics on display at this place were atrocious. Does child services never go to the zoo?!! There was one guy pushing a stroller with the F-word graffitied across his shirt. And that was one of the more tame ones. I saw a woman allowing her 12-year-old to throw a tantrum by slamming her head in to the flap door of a trash bin and screaming. All the mother kept saying in a calm relaxed voice was "now, now. ... that's a little too loud." Then there was the hoards of screaming, swearing, smacking (and I'm sure other adjectives that start with "s") parents. It was family day at the zoo. Like, that was the official day: FAMILY DAY. ... it was kind of alarming. Then there's us. 4 kids total under 5, just walking and laughing and occasionally "oohhh"ing and "aaahhhh"ing. Maybe we were the odd balls. Maybe one of those other parents is simultaneously writing a blog about that terrible father with the twin girls who was having a pleasant family moment. I've got to rethink my parenting style. Tomorrow it continues. I've got to get the girls up and to church for their Great, Great Uncles 40 day memorial (it's a Greek thing) and then over to Gina's Yiayia's for a lunch afterward. Yiayia told me to just come to the house and not worry about trying to get to church, but I'm ambitious. It's important to be there so we're going to make a valiant effort. And if the girls get up at 6 again we should have plenty of time. ... ugh. I need to got bed. The zoo makes me tired.