A Beast of a Day by Kinley

Hi! It's Kinley again. I must tell you that I've been so busy that it's taken me awhile to tell you about my adventure at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Who has time to write when you're busy, busy, busy with important things like potty training and singing songs and helping cook and reading "Go, Dog, Go!" over and over again. I've also been ultra-busy researching my upcoming role as a big sister.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, my Mommy took me with her when she went to work in Wichita. My Grandma and Grandpa met us there. While Mommy worked, I took Grandma and Grandpa to the zoo.

I'm telling you:  It was a day fit for penguins. It was cold - not Kansas cold, but Arctic cold! There was still some snow on the ground. But the grandparents seemed to think it was a good idea. You know that I'm supposed to respect my elders and all.

I think the flamingos might have been shivering in that cold water. They didn't have a coat, hat and gloves like me. I could have lent them my pink fleece blanket, but I was using that, too.

 

The good thing about it being cold? We sure weren't fighting the crowds, and I had a front-row seat when the trainers worked with the elephants.

Grandpa and I had quite a conversation with an orangutan. She didn't seem scared of me at all.

Grandpa and I pretended we were in  the jungle where the ape hangs out. But at the zoo, he wasn't in a grassy nest. Instead, he was high up in the air in a sling, hanging around watching me watch him and his friends.

Grandma thought she was reenacting The Lion King movie since a big Daddy lion was hanging around on top of a rock. He kept a close eye on us. The Mama lion and a tiger pretty much ignored us.

I like turtles. In fact, my first sentence ever was "I see turtles!" at the Louisville Zoo with Uncle Brent, Mommy and Daddy back in the olden days when I was 1. These turtles were B-I-G! I was glad there was glass between me and the crocodile! I think he has more teeth than me. I wonder if his Mommy helps him brush them like my Mommy helps me?

When we first got to the zoo, it was so cold that the giraffes were inside. But, after we ate lunch at The Beastro (cute name, huh?), the giraffes got to get a breath of fresh air.

Most of the time, I stayed in my stroller and got a free ride from Grandpa. But, in the petting zoo area, I got out. I looked, but I didn't really want to touch. I let Grandpa do that.

The bird touched the fluffy sheep, but I didn't want to. I tried to encourage the peacock to show me her pretty feathers, but she wouldn't do it. Maybe she was too cold.

By the time the grandparents were ready to leave, I was falling asleep in the stroller. A girl needs her beauty rest, you know! My grandma says that was OK. Since I was dozing as we walked through the gift shop, there was no temptation to stop and look.

Hey, wait! I need to get my timing worked out a little better the next time. I sure hope there will be a next time. And I hope it will be just a little bit warmer.

Until next time,
Kinley Marie