I have a saying: If it can be done, my daughter will do it. I never knew how easy of a child my son was until my daughter came along. They have complete different personalties. Benjamin is easy going. He does what he is told, rarely talks back, and doesn't like to rock the boat. My dauther, Sela, on the other hand, questions authority, pushes every limit, and has a sense of curiosity that astounds me for a two-year old. Yes, she is only two. I fear my future.
Today, we went to the zoo. We met some friends there. Luckily, my friend brought her extra stroller, because I had forgotten mine. Sela was in and out of the stroller all day. When there was something to see, she was out running to stand beside her big brother and watch. We were at the Giraffe pen - looking down on the short giraffe and across at the tall giraffe. My daughter sat down at the iron fencing and dangled her feet. I didn't worry about her. There was no way she was going to get through that fence.
My son had been asking for a drink, so I bent down to grab a juice box from my bag. Suddenly, I hear my daughter crying and a bunch of other mothers saying, "Whose this little girls' mother?" My heart lept into my throat, wondering what in the heck happened to my daughter - you know that kind of leap? Terror at what could possibly have had happened. It is only a split-second feeling, but one that gets your heart and blood pounding.
I ran over to my daughter and asked, "What's wrong?" The other mothers pointed to the ground down below. "Her shoe fell off." And yes, there down on the ground, far below us, was my daughter's bright hot pink Land's End all-weather moc, (size 7), staring back up at us. All I could do was roll my eyes, "Thank God" it wasn't serious, and then put her in the stroller and find some zoo keeper.
Just so that everyone knows....a zookeeper (or zoo security) will not be going after shoes, articles of clothing, or other insignificant personal items until after the zoo closes to the public for the day. Of course, if that insignificant personal item is about to endanger the life of an animal, that is a different story. But, a pink shoe in the giraffe pen was nothing.
If it can be done, my daughter will do it.
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