With the roos when everyone was still behaving.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Both Jody and I looked over to see Jonas on the wrong side of the fence facing a ditch that surrounded the exhibit. He had found the one spot where the ground dipped low enough for him to scrabble under. My heart dropped somewhere near my knees. We dragged him back over the fence while he stared at us and the crowd like, \u201cWhat, ma? What\u2019d I do?\u201d I know giraffes are gentle creatures but we\u2019ve all seen the footage of the child being dragged by the gorilla<\/a> at the Cincinnati Zoo. Everybody always looks around for the mother. How could she let this happen?<\/p>\n

On that same zoo outing Cora managed to almost fall down a gully with rocks at the bottom because she thought it was funny to slowly back up while I grabbed at air in her vicinity with one hand and steered Charlie\u2019s wheelchair with another. We had an audience for that one too because she screamed like the world was on fire as I finally grabbed her when she tottered, arms flailing cartoon-style on the brink. And then both the twins ran away from Jody in the parking area while he was unlocking the van and I had Charlie in the bathroom.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$

Just after Cora’s “almost” fall but before the Shawshank escape in the parking lot.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes I feel like animals in an exhibit when we go anywhere. Toddler twins are always good entertainment. Add a wheelchair to that and we are the carnival come to town. I\u2019ve grown used to it and can laugh now with the best of them. But on the long ride home from the zoo while everyone cried for a \u201cspecial treat\u201d (I\u2019ve got to stop bribing them with fruit snacks), I thought about the fact that everyone has eyes on us but us. How am I ever going to make sure they are all safe and happy when I can\u2019t even keep them on the right side of the animal exhibits? There\u2019s not enough of me or Jody. They don\u2019t get enough individual attention. It\u2019s a fact. I can\u2019t speak to Jonas without Charlie grabbing at me for hugs or throwing something on the floor to swing my radar in his direction. I can\u2019t discipline Cora without inciting Jonas to do the same. I have yet to go on an outing with one of the twins alone.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a puzzle I\u2019m going to have to pray through to work out. It\u2019s going to take mad planning skills and lots of caffeine or simply time until the twins turn rational. I do not expect to have this figured out tomorrow or the next. In the meantime, I\u2019m going to focus on the immediate: don\u2019t let go of hands in the parking lot, don\u2019t breach the perimeters of the zoo or our home without my consent, and for the love of all that is good, don\u2019t SCREAM IN MOMMY’S EAR.<\/p>\n

Thanks again Amanda for letting me Think Out Loud<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"