Our timid toddler

Jared and I decided to be good parents this Labor Day and take Hallie to do something we thought she'd really enjoy. We weighed our options and finally decided upon the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. For some reason while planning this little outing we somehow forgot how incredibly timid Hallie can be when she is in a new environment. Our day of fun actually turned into a day of tears and shouting "want to go bye-bye." What two-year-old doesn't like the zoo? Well, apparently ours. I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised by her reaction to the animals. Her reaction to just about everything new and different has always been to cry and to cry hard. Some other recent experiences that come to mind are: going to the doctor (lots of screaming), getting her pictures taken (total disaster), and taking her to see Shrek 3 (we only made it 5 minutes). Even though Hallie cried at every animal exhibit in the entire zoo, the day wasn't a total bust. She did really enjoy the seahorse exhibit and she loved the kid's play area. Why a baby penguin will scare my child and lots of big, loud, aggressive kids at a playground won't is any one's guess? The icing on the cake was when we were about to leave and she started begging to go on the carousel. We thought that maybe because she was asking for it that she might actually like it. Well as you can guess, before the ride even started... lots and lots of screaming. That's why we love our Hallie- she keeps life interesting and always keeps us on our toes. Here's to the zoo!