Zoo Boots

Once Upon a Time there were five pairs of colorful boots that went to the zoo. The giraffes stuck out their purple tongues. The lions lazily rolled in the grass. The monkeys scared the otters out from the water and the zebras sleepily drank their morning coffee.

Wait, coffee? Ok, that was me. Because of the activities the day before the zoo adventure, I was dragging…

Hitting the day with a circuit of errands with the kids, we were in the mall for less than two minutes before Ryder met the submarine ride with the side of his head. The submarine won. We got the dime tour of the inner workings of the mall with their security team while waiting for the EMTs to arrive (emergency medical team).

Note to self: Picking ones battles in any relationship pays off. Ryder and I had fought over his slowness with getting dressed that morning. I told him it was on him to get it done and that I was out of patience waiting for him. He came out in his muscle clad Spider Man suit which proved most effective for getting the best doctor at the ER. Apparently they were fighting over who would get to work on the little Spider Man with the bright green rain boots.

“Did your web break?” the doctors asked him. “Did you hit a building?” a nurse inquired. Neither of which amused this otherwise serious character. Three super “string band-aids” later, an impromptu math quiz to calm him down as they stitched away, Ryder’s head was back together.

Tip: Never stop having unique conversations with your children, especially the day before splitting ones head open. You know, the ones that start from the backseat with:

“Hey. Mom. How much blood can one lose before they should panic?” Ryder asks.
“Um? I would guess two pints? Maybe three? Because you can donate one pint, but too much more could present a problem. Why?”*
“Well because I wanted to know the amount so if I get hurt I know when to panic or not.” He continues, “And why do we need band-aids when there are scabs?” I began to explain coagulation, scabs and their need to stay moist, how germs can enter, how band-aids help…
Ryder says, “Oh ok. Thanks.”

Not deterred by his close shave, the following morning Ryder and friends met up with Great Aunt Jo (giver of the boots), Great Uncle Dan, and the greatest Great Grandma from New York who accompanied the pack of rain boot clad mini Macks and mini Mack cousins to the Virginia Zoological Park.

We saw monkeys. We saw red pandas. We rode tooting trains and splashed in fountains. Caught rides with uncles and uncles of great. Ate picnic lunches and played in jungle gyms.

Life, no matter with less blood in the veins than normal, is especially fantastic when accompanied by favorites such as family.

*Approximately 15% is the amount of blood the human body can lose without serious danger. 30%-40% requires a transfusion and if not given will often become fatal. This amount varies when measured in pints based on the size of the person.