the peaceful butterfly pavilion

Today we went to the zoo with our neighbors. We got in for free on their zoo pass, because it says "two adults and their dependent children." So that means ANY two adults, not just them. So if there's anyone else in Omaha with a zoo pass who would like to get us in free, let me know! :)

Okay, so we each have a four year old, a two year old, and a baby, except mine isn't very babyish anymore. :( So we had our hands full, but it's our life, so we could handle it. easy.

However, what is NOT my life is TWO four year olds, TWO two year olds, and my baby ALONE while the other mommy takes a nursing break. But it still seemed like a piece of cake. I've done this many times before actually, with these same exact girls. So I'm not worried. at all. After all, we were just going to walk through the peaceful butterfly pavilion and marvel at God's beautiful creation.

While we walk to the doors of the pavilion, I walked behind two sets of siblings holding hands. It was so cute. And then we walked in and heard the rules: no touching the butterflies, no picking the flowers. easy. this will be easy.

And then I remembered that my children in particular don't like animals all that much. So Lillian starts flinching MAJORLY when we are about 5 steps in. She kept running behind me, scared to death of the butterflies.

OKay, not a big deal. She'll manage. But when she's scared, it always spreads to Josiah. Did I ever mention her strange fear of smoke detectors on here? well, she had one. and guess who else does now? the J man. So it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he decided the tiny, beautiful, fluttering-by butterflies were reason enough to start crying.

And, as I'm sure you can all see coming, although I did not, that triggered the other two year old crying. Except she doesn't just cry. She freaks out. So she starts SCREAMING. Loudly. And we are less than a third of the way through the pavilion at this point. and it's jam packed with people.

And my dear tender-hearted son either felt Catie's pain and joined her, or just got so freaked out by her screaming that he joined her. either way, I was holding Brielle on my hip, yelling at Maddie to go find the end of the freaking pavilion, yelling at Lillian to grab Josiah's hand, and trying to convince Catie that it was going to be okay, which she only believed when I picked her up too. we were quite the sight.

and the nice annoyed people just kind of smiled. you know, that one smile? the one that says, "you poor thing" and "shut your kids up" all at the same time.

So I just started plowing through people saying, "EXCUSE ME! SORRY! WE'RE LEAVING! SORRY! WE'LL BE OUT SOON! EXCUSE ME!"

and we made it out. there was an entire second section to go through, where the kids calmed down, but since I had not yet calmed down, I refused to let them look at the displays and stuff in that half of the pavilion. not a chance. I was getting OUT of there.

The rest of the day was fun though! :)