Expectations

Today was Lindley's first visit to the zoo. There were many families who were at the zoo and kids of all ages. Some were there for the first time like Lindley, and some were probably there for their regularly scheduled visit.

Of course there were a few meltdowns, like the two little boys who were taking turns screaming, "I HATE YOU," to each other. There were little kids having fun in the water spouts and others riding the carousel. There were adults pushing babies in single strollers and siblings in double strollers and grandparents in wheelchairs. There were mommies still carrying babies in utero. It was a nice holiday to be out and about at the zoo.

As we took Lindley around the zoo, of course I wanted her to be amazed at all the animals. But most of the time, she was amazed at the other kids, or her dad's camera, or the tree she was next to. She did look at the elephant and the giraffe and the zebra and she really liked the petting zoo animals. For a nearly 6-month old, she had a great time at the zoo.

Everyone at the zoo today had different expectations for their experience. Maybe some wanted to see every animal. Maybe some just wanted to play on the playground. Maybe some planned to spend every minute there from opening to closing. But as long as everyone kept their expectations in line with who they are, then a good time was had by all.

Sometimes it's hard for me to keep my expectations in line. I want to lose 50 pounds by tomorrow, or develop six-pack abs by the weekend, or learn to say "NO" to chocolate-dipped chocolate ice cream cones. Inevitably I am disappointed. So maybe I'll just adjust those expectations. Maybe I'll just work on trying to do more crunches, or steer clear of Bobbie's Dairy Dip, or try to stick to the diet - for today.

Lindley will return to the zoo and every trip will be different as she grows. Expectations of her zoo experiences will change. So maybe my expectations will start small and grow.

After all, you have to start somewhere!

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Things that make today great: Zoo with Steve, Sam, Lynnette, and Lindley; Calypso Cafe with Lindley, Sam, and Lynnette; seeing Molly in her car on her way to the movies; Steve's Bubba burgers for dinner with pimento cheese