Thursday, April 15, 2010

Buyer's Remorse, almost.

Last week I bought a season pass to the Hogle Zoo. Sounds fun, right? Let me explain. I love animals & am fascinated by them. However, I'm not such a fan of them being in captivity. I much prefer watching them in their natural habitat (Animal Planet is closest I can get to the real thing).

For some reason, I associate the Zoo with a happy childhood and of course I want my children to have the most fulfiling, joyful childhoods that I can possibly provide so I bought a season pass for 90 whoppin' dollars. The instant I bought it, I felt the sting. How often am I really going to drive to Salt Lake? ZoZo and MB are under 2 years of age so they're free to get in. Silly me, why didn't I think all of this out before.

My mom came with us that day, along with one of MB's little friends and we met up with HeRoos' sister and her 2 kids. MB was a nightmare (probably because he didn't have a nap). I think that is the worst he has ever been for that extended amount of time. The only time he wasn't screaming or throwing his body limp on the ground was when I was holding him and on the train ride. By the end of the day, my back was aching and my buyer's remorse was confirmed.

There is a no return policy so today after naps, I decided to attempt it again- just me and the two kids. We made it in the gate at 4:55 -five minutes before the gates close but the zoo is opened until 6:30. First we rode the train, then took our sweet time and actually saw more animals than people. It was awesome. I loved spending quality time with my kids and talking to them about the animals. MB didn't have one meltdown and he seemed to truly enjoy our time at the zoo. The weather was perfect and I was reminded of how much I love my kids and enjoy being a mother. The pass paid for itself today, just having that special time alone with my ZoZo and Mr. Boy.

The train ride. MB's latest fascination is Cho-Choo's.




MB figured out a way to see the animals. Anytime we stopped, he climbed on the front of the stroller and held on to the fence. What a smart cookie.





I can't even begin to explain what a good sport this little girl is. She is so sweet and rarely complains. I L-O-V-E her!



I've discovered the trick for a good day at the Zoo: leave after naps when the kids are in a good mood and the people are gone.

4 comments:

Jamie said...

I think you are a genius - with a season pass you can go for an hour or so and never feel guilty for wasting money. And the kids are always better with a short trip.

E Andersen said...

Also...overcast days are really perfect, the animals tend to be more active. We love the zoo, I just need to break down and do the pass!

Megan said...

We did the pass last year, too, and I hadn't realized that since Sandy was free and Bill never came with us it would take me 9 trips to the zoo to break even on the cost. I did it - we also discovered the joy of afternoons at the zoo - but I didn't renew the pass this year. Maybe next year when Sandy isn't free anymore and Abby is a little bigger.

Anonymous said...

Happy days are here again! I definitely want to go again with youj and the kids to the zoo.
xxoo G>G