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Not That Kind of house wife's Family Adventure at the Zoo: 5 Unexpected Life Lessons I Learned Along the Way

Howdy, today you are in for a treat! My friend Not That Kind of House Wife has written a lovely blog so please enjoy!


When you think of the word “housewife” what do you think? Yeah, me too. I am not that kind of housewife. My name is Katie and I am a mom (and massive Disney fan) of two small humans just trying to figure out how to navigate through the day.

 

I was so honored and terrified when my good friend That PNW Dad asked me to write up a post for his blog. My idea came to me almost instantly as I decided to write about what I know best, being a mom.

 

Please enjoy my scribblings,

 

Not That Kind of Housewife 😊


Family Adventures at the Zoo


Towards the beginning of this year, my husband decided to purchase an annual zoo membership for our family. My initial thoughts were a delightful mix of excitement and anxiety. Excitement for the potential of wonderful memories and learning opportunities that awaited us, and anxiety at the thought that we live about an hour and a half away from our nearest zoo. Traveling in the car with two toddlers can be a bit unpredictable, to say the least. It can be a pleasant, beautiful drive full of singing and laughter, or a seemingly never-ending nightmare full of screaming, crying, and the occasional random projectile from the backseat to the front windshield. If you know, you know.


Nevertheless, we opted to make the most of our membership and travel to the zoo as much as possible. We went rain or shine, hot or cold, sleep-deprived or well-rested. Some trips were magical; others were… not as magical. But something unexpected happened through it all. As I was recently reflecting on our visits, I began to realize that I had gained more than I had planned from our zoo trips. I had learned five amazing life lessons that I hope will encourage you as they have encouraged me.


Lesson 1: It’s a Journey and a Destination

One of our first trips to the zoo was eventful to say the least. My daughter had recently started potty training and was doing great. So great, in fact, that we decided an hour-and-a-half car ride to the zoo would be no problem. After she had done her business that morning, we packed up the car and off we went. Much to our surprise (hindsight 20/20—not much of a surprise at all), we ran into a major traffic jam on the freeway. My husband and I frantically typed alternative routes into Google Maps, knowing that every second was getting closer to the inevitable.


And then it happened. There came a precious little voice from the backseat saying, “Mommy, I have to go potty.” My husband and I looked at each other with horror in our eyes. We were stuck in traffic that wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Luckily, we were close to an exit near one of my dearest friends' homes. If we could just make it there, everything would be great. Slowly, we inched our way to the exit, only to find a detour immediately blocking our way to the promised land. The anxiety in the car was tangible, and I felt myself begin to sweat.


Finally, we made it to my friend’s house. I unbuckled the car seat faster than I ever knew was humanly possible, tucked my daughter under my arm, and began banging on my friend’s door. My friend did not answer. So, I rang the doorbell. Still no answer. I called my friend—nothing. So, I did what any civilized parent would do: we walked around the corner where my daughter had a “little accident” in my friend’s backyard


Looking back, were there about a million other solutions to this scenario? Yes, yes there were. But for better or worse, this was the path we committed to. I was so defeated after this that I thought about just turning back home and calling it a day. But we didn’t. We trekked on to the zoo and ended up having the one of the best days together. The lesson I learned here is that even if the journey gets hard (as it often does), keep going because the destination will be worth it.



Lesson 2: Don’t Forget to Laugh… Like Really Hard


On another visit to the zoo, it was kind of a dreary day. I don’t enjoy being cold in the slightest; I find it annoying. That’s where my attitude was at. We had unloaded the kids from the car and were just trying to make it inside the zoo. However, our kids found some extraordinarily entertaining monkey statues at the entrance that they wanted to play on for what felt like an eternity to me. As I had mentioned I was slightly chilled therefore mildly grumpy.


Finally, the kids were persuaded that going inside the zoo could be just as much fun—if not more fun—than playing with the statues in the parking lot. As we turned the corner, still not officially in the zoo, my darling little son noticed a window display from the gift shop containing a picturesque scene of a wooded backdrop and a large stuffed zebra. He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him to the window, jumped up on the ledge, and, eye to eye with this majestic creature, let out the most joyful declaration in all the land by screaming at the top of his sweet little lungs with the gusto of a Broadway superstar “HELLO REINDEER LADY, HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?”


Instantly, my attitude changed. It no longer mattered that I was slightly inconvenienced by the less-than-ideal weather situation. I threw my head back and laughed—just really laughed, hard. This darling little boy reminded me to stop and remember to laugh, that laughter is the best medicine. Try to see the joyful moments in front of us, even when it’s easier to rush through life to get to the next destination. Don’t miss those beautiful little moments our kids give us to laugh



Lesson 3: Cherish Your Village


Our annual zoo pass allowed us the amazing opportunity to bring our friends with us at little or sometimes no additional cost to them. We had been enjoying our trips to the zoo so much that, once we got the hang of the terrain, we decided it was time to share our newfound love with our friends. We brought everyone—friends, family, anyone who was willing to be seen in public with us was welcome.


Most of the time, this meant that the ratio of “grown-ups” to children was skewed and not in the favor of the “grown-ups.” This thought made me feel anxious and worried, but off we went to navigate the zoo with a gaggle of toddlers. The kids always ended up having so much fun! It made for an entirely different zoo experience. We explored pathways we hadn’t ventured down before, saw animals we hadn’t seen before, and even shared the memorable opportunity to feed a rhino with our dear friends.


Through all of this, I noticed something: we were all pitching in to complete the task at hand. Everyone was lending a helping hand to keep these two-foot tornadoes on track and accounted for. I learned it truly does take a village, and many hands make light work. Invest in your village and tell them often how much you appreciate them.


Lesson 4: The Carousel of Progress: Stay Present, This Won’t Last Long


At our zoo, we have a beautiful old wooden carousel, adorned with lights and ornately carved horses and sleighs. It is truly one of the most magical experiences for our family during our zoo visits. We always know that the carousel will be the way we close out our day before we hit the gift shop and make our journey back home.


One particular time caught me by surprise. We were the only ones on the carousel. I felt like I had jumped into a chalk painting, and this truly must be what Mary Poppins felt like (any other Disney fans out there?). We ran around and around, trying to select the most perfect horse for our enchanted voyage.


We got the kids seated I was with my daughter, and my husband and son were just next to us. We heard the bell ring out three times, and off we went. The lights flashed and twinkled in beauty, the carousel’s wooden floor creaked with the sounds of the years of enjoyment it had offered to so many, and the chilly wind turned our cheeks and noses a lovely rosy shade of pink.


Then I looked at my children’s faces. They were smiling and laughing, with an innocent look of wonder and amazement that we so often lose in adulthood. For those five short turns around the carousel, nothing else mattered. It was pure perfection. I was with the people I love more than I can ever say, and there was absolutely nowhere else I would rather be. This moment taught me to stay present. These moments with our kids will be gone in the blink of an eye. Enjoy them, right now.


Lesson 5: Don’t Forget Your Married


When my husband and I had the opportunity for a date day, we chose to experience the zoo as adults and as a couple in love. It was a much slower pace, and it was wonderful in a different way. We took our time, held hands, laughed, and enjoyed one another’s company.


Just off to the side of that magical carousel, we noticed a spot in the zoo we had never seen before—most likely because every other time, our focus was fully on wrangling the tiny humans that accompanied us. This spot was a grassy area with a rocking bench built for two, and it was empty. We sprinted over, kicked our feet up, and just rocked together. We were not in a rush to do anything other than be together in this moment.


It was there I started to reflect. One day, my kids will grow up; they will set out to make wonderful lives of their own. They won’t need me as they do now (insert a box of tissues here, please). Life will throw unexpected things our way, whether we are ready or not. There will be laughter and times of great joy, and there will be moments where we find ourselves crawling on our hands and knees, wondering what will happen next.


I found great comfort knowing that through it all, I would have this amazing man by my side. That it is us together to face it all. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to spend quality time with each other. Remember to notice one another, appreciate each other, and tell each other those three little words that can sometimes fall by the wayside when we feel we are just trying to make it through the day. I love you



There they are, in all their glory: the five unexpected life lessons I learned from our family visits to the zoo. My hope is that these stories inspire all of us to fully experience our lives that are happening right now and to watch for unexpected lessons that can pop up in the most unexpected places.


See you soon, friends,


Not That Kind of Housewife



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