Pittsburgh Zoo

Okay... yes, yes... you've seen pictures of my kiddos at the zoo before.
But this day HAS to be documented.

Tuesday didn't start out to great. We are really struggling with Abby getting her stinky business into the loo, and some mornings I wake up to a dirty trail around the house.
Not the best way for mom to wake up (especially after having food poisoning two nights before).
So, still exhausted mommy, gets up and deals with Miss Abby.

Then I tried the bribe tactic. Promised a trip to the zoo if she could stay clean. 

...

..

.

Nope.

So then, because mom really wanted to go and meet up with friends at the zoo, I begged that if she just did a little business on her porcelain throne that we could still go.
A pea drop later and we were in the car, zooming to the zoo!

I was so happy to be there and excited to see our friends.

We're showing our visitor "Flat Stanley" around Pittsburgh this week, 

so we had to take a picture of the sign. 

I just loved the little look on Sarah's face. 

Got a sibling shot on the turtle... 

2/3 smiles... not too shabby.

And the next stop was the play area where our friends were waiting for us. 

There was a bathroom just outside so I told Abby we should go potty before we go in so we could stay all clean. 

Too late.

*hmphfff*

This is the part about parenting that I don't like. 

The follow through. 

I stressed over and over again to Abby that she could go to the zoo if she stayed clean, but if she had an accident then we would have to go home.

Now, yes. I shouldn't have used such a big consequence.

Especially one that not only punished Abby, but me and Sarah as well. 

So I took her into the bathroom, flustered and upset. 

There was a line of course, so all of these mom's waiting for the "big" stall were waiting and listening to our conversations, which only added to the embarrassment of the whole situation.

Blah! 

No fun.

So, while I'm dealing with all of this the thoughts about what to really do kept running through my mind.

Should I let it go... or stick to my guns. 

Will she connect that we are going home because she messed her pants?

Well, I decided to stick to my guns.

My own stubborn mistake.

So I ran in to tell my friends what had happened and that we had to go.

Luckily, they kindly offered for Sarah to stay with them.

(Thank you Ali & Katie!)
So I walked back through the zoo with Abby crying for Sarah the whole time.

Of course there was a long line to exit the zoo (it was late in the afternoon). At our zoo there is an escalator (which was broken) and elevator at the very beginning. So I had to wait while other parents wondered why I didn't do something to help my daughter to stop crying.

I drove home in tears of course. 

Called Ryan... and then called my Mom.

It was a no good, horrible day. 

And I had pretty much done it to myself.

The good news is that it gave me a chance to rethink my potty training ways with Abby.

The rest of the evening was still frustrating, but we did give one offering to the porcelain gods... 

and that, I'd call, a success!

Early the next day we went to the zoo right at opening and looked at the animals.

We didn't have our friends there, and we only could stay for an hour and a half. 

But I was glad to start over and have a good experience going to the zoo. 

Here the girls are in front of the ostrich. 

It doesn't look like it in the picture. But he was right up close, so we got to see it really good. 

Sarah kept offering her arm to Abby as we walked around. It was so cute. 

Love these two sisters! 

And we were lucky to catch the polar bear swimming in the pool.

(they have a tunnel you can go in a watch, so cool!)

(don't mind Flat Stanley...)

Anyway... those are the latest Pittsburgh Zoo adventures in our family.

Soo.... didn't think you get a story completely about poop with that title... did ya now.