I had a lot of things going on last week and by Thursday morning I started to feel like I hadn’t really spent any quality time with Caroline.
Guilt. It is a mother’s constant companion.
So I woke up that morning and asked Caroline if she wanted to do something fun.
She said, “No. I despise fun. I will have no more of this fun of which you speak.”
Not really.
She jumped up and down at the mention of all the fun so I gave her two choices for the day.
“We can go to the beautiful outdoor mall, walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather while stopping in the occasional store or (mumbled under my breath) we can go to the zoo.”
For those of y’all playing along at home I’ll let you guess which one she chose.
And here’s an important fact about me. I really don’t like the zoo. In fact, I kind of hate it.
I haven’t always felt this way and sometimes I can tolerate it, but over the last two years the San Antonio Zoo has been under a lot of construction which has made it less than enjoyable and twice as smelly.
It’s actually a great zoo according to people who know stuff about zoos, but I’m just not a fan of all the smells and the sleeping animals. Because let’s be honest, do you ever really see an animal do anything cool at the zoo?
RARELY.
There was actually this one time at the Omaha Zoo where I saw this polar bear do the backstroke and swim underwater. It was impressive. But I’ve kind of blocked out the rest of that trip because I made the unfortunate decision to wear a cheetah-print top and am embarrassed to this day by my decision to theme dress.
But if you’re ever in Omaha, go to the zoo because Marlon Perkins and Mutual of Omaha have created quite the Wild Kingdom. He knew what he was doing. And I bet he never wore a cheetah-print shirt.
Anyway, I told Caroline to go get dressed for the zoo.
SERIOUS LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT.
She came back in the kitchen about twenty minutes later wearing her best skirt, a t-shirt, and some knee-high socks. I told her she could wear the shirt and the socks, but NO WAY was that skirt going to the zoo with all the smells, the animals, and the hot dogs covered in mustard.
I went in her room to help her find another skirt because apparently her zoo experience wasn’t going to be complete without a skirt. She rejected all my advice and finally came up with this outfit.
At the moment this picture was taken she was lamenting the fact that she didn’t have any “beautiful, purple shoes” to wear to the zoo. Because I know when I look at that outfit my first thought is NEEDS PURPLE SHOES.
Who puts that much thought into what they’re going to wear to the zoo?
I mean other than someone who may or may not have worn a cheetah-print top to the Omaha Zoo back in 1993?
Some days it’s like looking in a mirror.
Except I usually don’t wear knee-high rainbow socks.
kelly says:
I love her fashion sense- she totally has her day-at-the-zoo planning priorities in order!
I once saw a baby elephant pestering its sleeping mother, over and over, until that big ole mama hoisted herself up, went over to the teasing toddler, and gave him a good spanking with her trunk. Seriously, it was the funniet thing I have ever seen. Then she lumbered back to her spot, laid down, and went back to sleep!
May 6th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Kelly says:
She is SO my long lost child!!!! Caroline cracks me up!
May 6th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Marie J says:
Next time, try to work that purple shoe angle back to the outdoor mall!!
May 6th, 2008 at 6:36 am
Jenny says:
It reminds me of the time when I took my 2nd grade glass to the indoor butterfly museum. One of my little girls wore a barrette that had a silk sunflower attached to it. She had worn it at other times of the year so I didn’t think much about it. The butterflies LOVED that barrette. They kept “swarming” her trying to land on her head. She was frantic trying to get away from all the fluttering going on around her. The screaming took away from the beauty of it all! WE finally took her barrette off so she could calm down.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:59 am
suburbancorrespondent says:
I totally don’t get zoos, either. Once we went to the DC zoo in the middle of summer (read, incredibly hot and humid), with the smell of elephant poop hanging heavily in the air (I know it was elephant poop because we watched the elephant produce it, okay?). We of course had to visit the pandas, because they are special; but it was so hot they wouldn’t come outside into their little enclosure and chew on bamboo or whatever else it is that pandas do. Instead,they lay inside, motionless, on the cement floor of their glassed-in cage. They looked like a big panda-colored rug. And, for some reason, there was a guy next to us videotaping the motionless panda rugs. We never could figure that one out.
Oh, and on another visit, the kids were thrilled to witness a rhinoceros peeing. They said, and I quote, “It looks like a fire hose!”
So maybe that was educational. I don’t know.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Holly says:
Ok, totally unrelated to the post- but please don’t tell me you were in Omaha for the College World Series when you were a Diamond Darling? Because that would be so unfair! My husband and I have dreams of going to the College World Series…of course those dreams are a tad bit shattered now that Skip Bertman is not the head coach of the tigers and LSU baseball is not performing up to the standards that we are used to in this neck of the woods.
(Ok, so now that I’ve spilled my guts on that- how embarassing will it be if you just happened to go to Omaha for a family reunion or something?)
Now- related to the post…Caroline and my little Bayli bug could be fast friends I tell you…it’s so much fun around here several times a day when it’s time for a new outfit!
Just curious about the Omaha thing…
Holly
May 6th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Jill from Omaha says:
As the Omaha Girl I must chip in something.. we do have the best Zoo in america. I’ve been to the San Diego Zoo and thought what was all this fuss about, our Zoo trumps you. However the weather in San Diego from Nov-April wins hands down. I’ve been to the Zoo three times in the last three weeks for Field Trips with school/ sunday school and guilt that the three old doesn’t go to Preschool Field Trip. On Sunday I even said haven’t we seen the Jungle and the Dessert enough, its the same old animals.
Rumor has it we might get Pandas in a few years when the CWS moves to the “new downtown arena” and the Zoo takes over the stadium.
Come again anytime we have an extra room.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Dana says:
Don’t you know? Purple shoes go with everything…
May 6th, 2008 at 7:54 am
seized by hope says:
I hate the zoo.
I find myself wondering if I wore something along the lines of Caroline’s choice would I have more fun at the zoo. Perhaps that has been my whole problem, wrong choice of clothes for my zoo outings.
I’m off to find some knee socks for my boots, because I don’t have any purple shoes.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt says:
*outburst of laughter at the picture* Oh, how I’ve seen that at our house.
Feelin’ the same way about zoos, ma’am.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:05 am
MelanieS says:
But you ARE the one who purchased the knee-high rainbow socks?
I’ve got one of these “fashionistas” myself, so I feel your pain/pride.
Can we have a Fashion Friday for our daughters??
May 6th, 2008 at 8:16 am
April in Ct says:
The polar bear at the Central Park Zoo, does the same backstroke, underwater thing in a relentless loop (I think the poor thing is bored out of his mind!). Oh and it’s not as cool a zoo as the movie Madagascar makes it out to be!
May 6th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Melanie says:
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, but my first time to comment. You have me in stitches most mornings as I read… thank you for that!
Love, love, love this outfit Caroline chose! It most definitely screams of the need for purple shoes!
May 6th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Melinda says:
So cute. My son is so picky about getting dressed too and he comes out with some pretty unusual combos. I always have to try to talk him out of changing something. Sometimes I give up and just say the heck with it. So we go out with him looking like a hobo, oh well.
Great blog BTW, just found you from…well, now I’m not sure. Anyway, I’ll be back, lots of good reading here.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Sister Honey Bunch says:
It’s much easier (and more boring) with boys. Hmmmm…which jersey should he wear today…
May 6th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Melanie says:
Mine would have come out with that same outfit. It is either cowgirl boots or flip flops at this house.
And I hate the zoo, too. The only animal display theme park I like is an aquarium situation like Sea World. One reason- no smells. Except for chlorine pool smell, and that is good because it smells like “clean.”
May 6th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Karen (Simply A Musing Blog) says:
Last time I went to the zoo, we visited the Little Rock zoo. It was under construction and the apes flung poo on us from approximately 42 feet away. Lovely.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Holly Smith says:
And just look at how her headband ties the outfit together!
You know what I do? Don;t laugh. But every tiome I go to the zoo, I pray that God will show off and bless us with awake animals. He always does it. And I (don’t laugh) always clap.
Maybe we should go to the zoo together. Then they won’t notice your cheetah print with the crazy woman clapping all the time
May 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am
T with Honey says:
Of course she needed purple shoes! It is the only way to complete the ‘rainbow’ themed outfit. That girl is a fashion genius!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Brickhouse says:
One might think that the clothing dilemma only applies to mother’s of sweet little angelic girls. Not so, my friend. Luckily, you do not remember meeting Jared at age 3 in shorts, tank top, black cowboy boots, cowboy hat, and pacifier. And although years have passed, the fashion sense has not necessarily improved. We have ditched the cowboy boots for Pumas, but clearly, we have issues with coordinating. A typical morning argument with one, or both boys, usually starts with “That doesn’t match. Change your shirt.” Simple instructions, met with the loud stamping of feet and some whining. Then they emerge with same shirt, different shorts. “That still doesn’t match. Navy blue & black will never ever match.” More feet stomping and whining. It could go on like that forever, so I finally have to give options. They have never opted for any of my suggestions, but at that point, they miraculously find something that matches in their drawers.
Jared is my high maintenance kid. He cares how he looks, and he is the one that I argue most with. Austin could care less about how he looks, and his failure to match is plain & simple laziness. These shorts were on top in the shorts drawer & this top was on top in the t-shirt drawer. Done. I told him to change this weekend, since he had on a navy blue & yellow top with brown & pale blue shorts. He stomped to his room and came back with a red t-shirt. I don’t get it. His teacher teased him in the second grade because he wore some type of white t-shirt EVERY DAY, and now he can’t find one to save his life!!! His response to my request to change was, “Oh Mom, who cares? There will only be boys at the party & they don’t care.” Good point.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:08 am
lynn says:
The St. Louis Zoo wins hands down… its awesome, great natural habitats… and get this ITS FREE!! REALLY - its FREE! So - it basically wins.
That said - I am always torn when it comes to going to the zoo because I totally love seeing the animals but part of me feels sad that they are caged in. Is that weird?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Mel says:
Better watch out. You have a future Irish dancer on your hands with those knee-high socks.
Looks like I’m in the minority. I love zoos. I always have since I was a kid. I’m not a big fan of petting zoos now that I have kids, though.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Amy Beth @ Ministry So Fabulous! says:
She is hilarious. By the way, I love the zoo. Weird, I know. But I do.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Colleen says:
The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is THE BEST. We usually visit every summer when we make the trek to visit hubby’s college buddies. and the kids enjoy it every time! The aquarium is my favorite and the kids like to ride the REAL TRAIN.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Emily says:
It’s at this point in which my daughter would have found a permanent marker and drawn something fabulous on my bathroom counter. Oh, yeah, she already did that, yesterday.
Hold your ground, Bigmama, hold your ground. She’ll thank you one day.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Emily says:
Classic outfit. I’ve got several of my daughter after I’ve let her “dress” herself.
I love it.
Emily
http://www.twodogsrunningsouth.blogspot.com/
May 6th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Jenifer says:
I love it when you post pictures of Caroline and her outfits. They are not unlike those chosen by my two girls, who are 6 and nearly 4. The 4 year old has a pair of pink Fatbaby boots that she MUST wear with nearly everything, and the 6 year old thinks that as long as the colors go together (somewhat!), then the print or pattern matters not!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Pennie says:
This reminds me so much of my little girl! Micaela would totally love that outfit, and a girl knows their shoes!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Jenny says:
The Omaha Zoo is awesome! I don’t really enjoy our children’s zoo that much, but I love going to the Omaha Zoo. It seems like there is always at least one animal group that is entertaining.
Great outfit that Caroline has picked out. Too bad that she didn’t have the purple shoes. That really would have made the outfit complete!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Donna says:
Please tell me you went ahead and let her wear it. Please please please…
BTW - who bought the knee-high rainbow socks? HMMM?
Oh, my dd went to home depot with me one time in a tiara and a tu-tu on over her shorts and carrying a wand. A cape may or may not have been involved, the memory is fuzzy. We got plenty of snickers, and knowing glances. It made for a trip to HD that I would never forget.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Barb @ A Chelsea Morning says:
It’s so cool that you let her choose her own combos - she’s got serious style. And she’s going to die laughing someday when she sees all these adorable photos you’re taking.
I agree though. That outfit definitely needs purple shoes. I’m pretty sure it’s the only color in the whole spectrum that’s missing.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Quirky says:
Well, no one in my house wears knee high rainbow socks, but I’ve got you beat on the zoo thing. My husband was a zookeeper for a few years, and we make it a point to go to the zoo in EVERY. CITY. WE. VISIT. I’ve even seen the zoo in the Bahamas. When we aren’t traveling to other zoos, we regularly go to our zoo so that he can still visit “his” animals. The good news with all this is that we get the special zookeeper backstage pass, so I get to see the animals behind the scenes, like during feeding time, when they aren’t asleep.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Such The Spot says:
You don’t know what you’re missing out on then. Knee-high rainbow socks are way underrated.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Amanda says:
Love it! That’s how my five year old dresses daily. It’s almost painful.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Jeanette says:
You definitely need to go buy her some purple shoes. She will adore them.
I am a chaparone for my daughters high school band trip to Chicago next week. On the itinerary it says the kids have to dress up for the day and one of the activites that day is to go to the Chicago zoo. The parents present raised a flag on that part. Do you expect them to stay clean at the zoo? The band director suddenly asked if anyone had ever been to the San Antonio zoo. Those who had all laughed. I missed the joke. Anyway they decided to not let the kids go to the petting zoo area.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Kmama says:
You must promise to continue blogging through her teenage years. It will be the most entertaining reading on the internet! Also, the zoo experience - the seals and otters are usually good for entertainment, but the all time top was while chaperoning the kindergarten class and the whatever-kind-of-monkeys that are small and ADHD decided to have a mating-fest. Don’t think kindergarteners these days don’t know what THAT is!
May 6th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Kelly @ Love Well says:
Maybe Caroline was channeling how you felt about going to the zoo.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:39 am
T says:
I don’t particularly enjoy the zoo either. The San Antonio Zoo has got to be the hottest, most humid place in the world next to floating down a river in the Amazon. Not enjoyable. And you’re right, the construction just made it so bad. I have three boys and nothing beats paying for a zoo pass and having them only want to watch the construction equipment.
A couple of years ago we did have the fortune (in my boys’ eyes) of seeing some zoo action. The tigers were having a grand time tossing the lifeless body of a squirrel back and forth around their sad little excuse of a water hole. Yippee.
I do have to give credit to them for opening up the Tot Spot where there is at least some air conditioning.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:41 am
angelle says:
I love that pic!
May 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Tiffany says:
What a great outfit!!
May 6th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Vera says:
LOVE it! I think you might yourself a guest writer for Fashion Fridays!
May 6th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
3CHEERS4MOM says:
I have 2 girls (& 1 boy) myself and I have to say sometimes my 14 year old comes out with these outfits I would like to say “what were you thinking????” I have learned to pick and choose my battles. Some times I win, most of the time I loose. -hey, I’m just happy everything is covered.;]
May 6th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Natalie Witcher says:
a. if my kids are a reflection of me then i should be reeeal skinny. gerr
b. go ahead and get the socks
c. where did you get that dresser and does it come in black?
May 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Kimberly says:
Re: Your comment that nothing cool ever happens at the zoo.
I beg to differ.
When I was five or six, we went to the zoo and what did we find, but two gigantic turtles MATING! These things are like 10 or 15 feet in diameter, and somehow, the male had managed to get its gigantic self on top of the female and was going at it, complete with satisfied, incredibly embarrassing (for me) grunting. And somehow, I knew what they were doing…I was far too worldly for my age.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Sheila Gregoire says:
My youngest (10 now) is so into skirts. She just loves them, and wears them even when it is totally inappropriate. She also loves summer dresses, even in February.
And then she wears the most ridiculous socks with skirts, but she thinks she looks like a fashion plate. Her older sister hates to be seen with her. It’s really quite funny!
Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!
May 6th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Amy says:
We just know that fighting the battle of fashion wars with our young daughters and sons is so not worth it. We digress. And we hope they will snap out of it by the age of 13 or so before their friends start making wise cracks about it.
And the best day to go to the zoo? When it’s raining and cold because then the animals are out for entertainment. We went to the Seattle zoo a few years ago and I filmed an amazing bear fight on the video cam. A few months passed and we were talking about how pleasantly surprising it was to catch the bears scrapping and we took out the video cam and found that I had recorded over it with our children’s Christmas play. To this day, my hubs gives me a hard time about it. I’m just sayin’, which is more important? Bear fights or children’s recitals?
May 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Becoming Me says:
She and my daughter must meet! They have the same fashion sense
May 6th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Angie says:
I love the zoo, but the animals plot against me, I’m sure of it! Every time I approach an exhibit I hear about the amazing things the animals were JUST doing. Or every time I step away, that’s when I’ll hear the ooo’s and ahhh’s and I never see the fun!
Except one time I did see two orangutans gettin’ it on. That was entertaining.
Come to think of it, I think their passion was sparked by a woman in the crowd wearing an animal print shirt…
May 6th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
decemberdreamer says:
The polar bear swimming laps at the Omaha zoo has always been my favorite too! Every time we have gone since then I have hoped to see that spectacle repeated, but no luck so far.
If you haven’t been to the Omaha Zoo in the past few years, it is worth another visit. Not only is there the jungle, but now an aquarium, and the “Desert Dome”. I am a repeat visitor, even though I share your sentiments on the whole zoo experience overall.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
April says:
adorable…just adorablbe….another wonderful post…since I found your blog a short while back I am having so much fun reading it.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Jeni says:
Too funny! I can’t wait until my girlie dresses herself - although I’m sure we’ll have many a battle before we can leave the house!
May 6th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Elaine says:
Yes, purple shoes and an orange headband and I think she would pretty much be a rainbow herself. Now wouldn’t that be cool Mama?? tee hee!
May 6th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
zoom says:
The best part of any zoo experience is when everyone gets to the lion, tigers and panthers. Someone will invariably say, “they look just like REAL cats.” To which the other’s in the group will say, ” it is uncanny how much they look like real cats.”
May 6th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Janet (aka JT) says:
Purple is the new black.
I can’t believe you post “Fashion Friday” and didn’t know that.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Kara Messner says:
She looks as sassy as any runway model I have ever seen! Believe it or not - I think I saw Tommy Hilfiger put this together on some runway! Hee Hee. Girls rock!
May 6th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Indiana Keetha says:
So, she’s a fashion diva and a speaker too!!!
May 6th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Beth_C says:
Wow! You’ve got your hands full with her! Didyou let her wear the cowboy boots?
I don’t like the zoo either. Waaaaaaay to much walking for me and I usually get hot…I hate to get hot.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Jill says:
If you want to see something exciting happen at the zoo, go to the monkey house. Just make sure you have had “the talk” with Caroline first. Cause I always get quite the show when I am there. And if the monkeys aren’t entertaining watching people react to some monkey lovin’ surely is.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Amber says:
LOVE the outfit! Can’t imagine the zoo would be too much fun in those cowboy boots!
May 6th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Chelsea says:
But isn’t the new Africa Live area just a *little* fun? The last time we were there we saw a hippo swimming in the water. He then pooped a big grassy poop in the water, which floated innocently until the hippo made another lap and his big two-ton body smooshed the poop against the clear glass window. C’mon, that’s quality entertainment.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Genny says:
That is just too cute!
May 6th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Karen says:
Tell Caroline I LOVE her outfit. I have three daughters, now 18, 20 and 21, and I seriously miss the days when they dressed themselves, uh, not-according-to-fashion-rules. And I agree with her - it needs purple jellies.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Andi says:
I have the very beautiful purple tennis shoes (size 10)for which your Caroline is searching. Once school is out, and all my little one wears are flipflops, I’ll send them to you. Or perhaps I can drop them by on our way to Padre in June. Rainbow Brite has nothin’ on Caroline.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:15 am
julie schaal says:
sheesh, you are a mean mom. i get it, caroline.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Drama Mama says:
I like it- My princess would wear it!
May 7th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Happy Mommy says:
We came and visited San Antonio back in mid February, we tried to go to the lovely zoo you speak of, but no parking… We drove around for 1 hour looking and never found one parking place, the kids were simply devastated ! Maybe because they didn’t have purple shoes either.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Cara says:
I used to live in Calgary, AB. We had a world-class zoo there, and I used to make disparaging remarks about trips to the zoo as well… till we moved here to the middle of Northern Alberta. It is cold here. There is no fun here. But there is lots of oil, and lots of jobs.
When your children’s entertainment options consist of a McDonald’s Playland (which smells like pee) or Nothing throughout winter (which lasts approximately 7 months of the year) you think that Zoos are A Really Good Idea. I am Jealous.
And, I totally feel your pain - but you are a smart mother. You take pictures which have two possible uses in the future 1.) Trips down memory lane 2.)Blackmail.
Love your blog.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Dani says:
I so feel the pain! My daughter is the same way! Last night she came into the living room dressed to go to Wal-mart. She had on a ballerina skirt, white shirt, fuzzy red sweater jacket, long white socks, and her black boots. My husband says, “she’s her mama’s daughter.” I agree with that, but I don’t remember EVER wearing anything that elaborate!
May 10th, 2008 at 9:25 am