Alligators and Trains

“Matthew, please stop talking for a little bit, ok?”

“But I like talking, Mama,” he says. I shoot him a pleading look in the review mirror but see that he is sitting with his arms stretched behind his head and sunglasses upside down on his face. I can’t help but laugh quietly.

“We’re almost there love bug,” I assure him, although it’s me who is the impatient one.

“Almost there Mom love bug,” he parrots back but in a friendly way.

The zoo is not crowded which is a nice. We take out time strolling though exhibits. Matthew is eager to ride the train which has wheels like a bus and rides on a dirt trail.

“Where are the tracks?” he asks me.

“It’s a magical train, which creates tracks as it drives.”

“Ohhhh,” Matthew is impressed by this.

After the train ride we venture over to the lions and tigers. “Grrrr!” Matthew growls at the tigers, sneering his teeth. The tigers look at him dubiously.

“The tigers growled at me,” Matthew will tell Bob later with his voice full of sorrow.

He rode on the kiddie rides before lunch. 

After lunch we head to the petting zoo.

Matthew alternates between joy and feeling terrified while feeding the goats. He would have preferred an organized dinner line but does his best to get a corn kennel to each and every goat or sheep.

We have our second train ride that afternoon before heading over to the deer forest.

“I need to see the map,” Matthew tells me when we leave the deer forest. He takes it out of my bag and studies it in all seriousness. “We go this way,” he points in the direction we are already walking in.

“That alligator is not scary, he’s my best friend,” Matthew tells me as we pass one. Then we stop for an ice cream cone before going back to the rides.

“I had so much fun today,” he tells me when we leave, music to a mom's ears.