I'm Going to Need a Few Penguins, Please

Depending on who you ask and when, I'm a terrible mother. I'm the sort of terrible that has five fifth graders in her house overnight and then lets them hang out together for a while through the day and then says DONE! WE ARE DONE WITH THE BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

Yeah, so, Alexis would have liked to continue throwing a Me Party for a few more days. Alas, eventually it needs to be time to let Mila pick something fun to do. So I did.

She picked the zoo.

She always picks the zoo.

There's something about roaming around and looking at animals that speaks to the youngest member of the family, which is fine because when she's happy, I'm happy. It just so happens that I'm extra happy when we go to the zoo in the winter because there's basically nobody there. I only pretend to be able to cope with crowds, so it's pretty perfect.

Mila agrees, of course. She agrees because small crowds mean more freedom for her. If ever there was a kid who loves the idea of running around like crazy, she's the kid.

Unless there are penguins walking nearby.

I don't know what it is about the penguins marching outside that freaks Mila out so much, but she cannot have her feet on the ground when they're waddling around. She wants to watch them, but from a distance. A safely in her sister's arms distance.

Which, there it is. That is why I need some pet penguins to come live at our house. Not only are they adorable when they waddle around, but with them around, I get to watch Mila flip the script on the whole bird thing. It's Alexis who is absolutely petrified of birds (all birds - she has randomly always been scared of every bird under the sun). Yet, it's Alexis that Mila seeks out when the flightless birds unnerve her.