Yesterday the temperature was barely 70 degrees. A unique gift generally not heard of in Utah at the end of June. We had to go somewhere, do something and take advantage of it! I must also share that all of the boys were awake well before I would prefer them to be so we had adequate time to prepare an early exit. To the zoo! I don't know who loves the zoo more, myself or the boys. Often I invite friends or family to come with us and enjoy the day examining mostly non-native creatures. This time though it was just me and my boys. I love outings with friends but I think I love being with just my boys best! There is no one else to give my attention to and I can focus completely on them and their joys.
We first found ourselves by the Gorillas, stretching out to see if we were as tall as an infant, a juvenile, or adult male or female. Height was one thing, what really seemed incredible was how long their arms were and how short ours in comparison. Later we worked our way to the bears, the seals and the sea lions. It was a bit of a disappointment that the polar bear was not about, but we agreed we really had enjoyed him quite a bit on our last visit. Chas and Eli said they were hungry but they could wait until after we had seen the tigers and giraffes. Onward! One of the reasons I like to go to the zoo when the weather is a bit cooler is because the animals are more active and let us begin to see how they might really be in the wild.
On cooler days we have seen leopards stalking oblivious birds, cougars swinging on rope swings and leaping high in the air, and frisky zebras, tortoises, and giraffes. At the tigers I immediately noticed a plaque explaining the reality of three tiger brothers. They don’t always get along and sometimes it results in injury. The zoo wanted us to know that their vets were taking care of the owies they inflicted on one another. We were not to worry. We moved on to where we could observe two of the brothers. They were pacing near some trees and one began scratching his head and back against a tree. I looked down at Maddax and suddenly a roar shook and echoed about the complex. The tigers were baring teeth and swatting and roaring. People came running; one lady asked if it was a recording because they were so loud!
The boys and I began plugging words into their altercation:
Tigerbrother 1: I was here first!
Tigerbrother 2: I want a turn too! Its my turn!
Tigerbrother 1: To bad, wait your turn!
Tigerbrother 2: You’ve already scratched enough!
Then it began Jolleybrother style with Eli wanting to sit on the stroller with Maddax. Really it was quite the same, screaming, yelling, pushing, no real words employed. I laughed as I realized that the verbatim I had plugged for the tigers could basically be used in the current Jolleybrother exchange. What is the difference between having tigers or boys for children? I don’t think people would find comfort from a plaque posted in our home letting them know that all wounds were under care and observation, even though I know that their antics are normal brotherly interactions. While I am inclined to let them work it out, sometimes I must step in before blood is drawn or before the roars escape our home. Then again the tiger brothers, though only 3 years old are fully grown and my sweet ones I believe are still within my sphere of influence.
