The Steele Family: Honolulu Zoo

The Honolulu Zoo had a Military Appreciation Day where all the military members and their families could get into the zoo for FREE. The USO also donated lunch and ice cream sandwiches to the first 8000 military people that came in. Let's just say the place was PACKED! They even hightened security for that day....I'm guessing so that people followed the rules, but it was still funny to me: let's heighten security for the military!

Anyway, Austin and I went down there with Paula, Nathan and Anna. It took us a full hour anda half to get there because of traffic, so the kids were beyond ready to be there!

Finally, we were there and got everyone ready to walk over from the parking lot to the zoo. Austin was in the stroller, then decided he didn't want to be in there. So, Anna decided she would ride. As soon as we got in the zoo and got our meal tickets, Austin decided he didn't like the fact that Anna was in his stroller, so he started to throw a fit. Well, Anna decided to be a GREAT big cousin and let him have his way. That was fit number one. Anna wasn't happy about the decision she made, so Paula went to rent a double stroller for her and probably Nathan. Well, when she got back, Austin decided that stroller was so much more cool, so he kicked Nathan out of there and sat with Anna. Nathan did excellent with that and just rolled with it!

We were walking around the various booths and games they had set up for this day and they were all having fun. We ate lunch (hot dogs, chips, and water) and then got our dessert. We made our way over to the Childrens Zoo and they enjoyed petting the goats, seeing the cows and the fish, etc.

As we left there, we went to another part of the zoo where they have the chimps. There's a little part where you can buy Italian Ice and Lemonade if you have cash. Well, we didn't...Paula and I just had our debit cards. This was the beginning of the downward slide of fits. Anna wasn't happy about not getting Italian Ice and reluctantly got in the single stroller after a little bit of whining. We saw the monkeys and then Austin decided that he REALLY didn't like that Anna was in that stroller. He threw the fit of all fits and I had to take him to the bathroom to calm him down. He ended up hitting his eye with the camera because of his fit and had a cut above his eye. I even had a mom say, "Let me guess....he's two!" Yeah, really? How could you tell?!?! :-) Anyway, he eventually calmed down and by the time we got back out to the group, Anna had moved to the other stroller and Austin got in his stroller. We walked around for a little bit and Austin was refusing to get out of the stroller. He'd had enough. Both the other kids were cranky as well, so we just called it a day and made our way to the exit.

It was a pretty good day....just hot and tiring! We had fun most of the time....the tantrums just kind of stood out and showed you that a day at the zoo is really just that.... a ZOO!!! :-)