And then I thought about this morning. And taking Meiners to the zoo. Sometimes that boy just gets so ... Cantankerous? Mischievous? I don't know. But I think what it comes down to is attention. That's all he wants.
My friend and I often lament that we did so much more with 'the older kids' when they were this age (4 and almost 2) - taking them to the Museum of Transportation, to the zoo, here, there...And now that the older ones are off to school and these little guys remain at home, for some reason, it just isn't as ... what? Fun? Exciting? Something - to take the younger kids to those same places. I mean, it isn't HARD to do. It just doesn't get done. Like playing with them on the floor. I used to play with the twins on the floor half the day. Now there's laundry to do and dog hair to vacuum and ... and what?
So today I took Meiners and Sasha to the zoo. And I bought my little man a chimpanzee toy. He took it straight away over to the primate exhibit and proceeded to give me the memory of a lifetime. The baby orangatan came right up to the window and clapped. At Meiners. And his little toy. And the baby begged Meiners to give him the chimp toy through the window. And he climbed the window and he laid on the floor --- all based on where Meiners placed the toy. And the orangatan baby clapped again. And kissed the window and made faces at Meiners. And a crowd gathered. And Meiners just grinned. The whole time, playing with this little primate baby and his chimpanzee toy. And I'd left my camera at home. But Meiners left with an extra bit of pep in his step. He listened a little better. All day.
I love that we went to the zoo. To see the 'peepamzees.'
Oh. And the boys have taught Sasha - 22 months old, barely able to speak - to do Karate.
Ha-YAH! (if only I could figure out how to post video...)
