We Came, We Sweated, We Wild Kratted

The last time we went to the zoo, I saw that the Wild Kratts were going to put on two shows (11am and 1pm, plus a meet and greet at 2) on June 10, which at the time seemed like a long time to wait (especially for B). (OK, that sentence stinks, but I just can't seem to fix it.)  Fast forward to a week or so ago, when I received a zoo newsletter stating that on the day the Kratts were visiting, the zoo would open the parking lot at 8am and the gates to the zoo would open at 8:30.  Crapola, I thought to myself, how many people are they expecting?  The zoo usually opens at 10!  And then I saw the forecast for the day was 90 degrees!  I seriously was hoping B would misbehave and we could take away the Kratts as a punishment.  Mike said that would be mean.  Hmmmm........  That doesn't mean that I didn't dangle it over B's head as incentive to behave.   (Insert Evil laugh ha Ha HA.)  Anyway, we woke early, and while we were not at the parking lot at 8, we were there before 9 (I think). What we do for our kids, right?  90 degrees at a crowed zoo, people! 


First stop, as always, the carousel.   









Next stop?  Stingray Bay.  We were the first in line.  I figured there was not wait, might as well take advantage of it.  We stayed as long as Charley could tolerate.  B would have stayed there all day.  She even fed them.  The stingrays are silky, slippery, and a bit slimey.  B, of course, made best friends with the kids around her.







After a quick bathroom break, we decided to walk over to the playground.  No animals to see at the zoo you know, so we have to go to the playground.  I usually never let them play on it, so OK.  We did make a pit top for a photo of my little pests, I mean bugs.




This playground was great fun for the girls, and right next to where we wanted to eat lunch (The Bison Grill which was not as good as it used to be, why does that happen?  One season it is good, the next, eh.  And they didn't have the chili flatbread taco I used to get.  ARG!)




















This sign says "Do Not Feed The Animals."  (May I say, I forgot my real camera and had to use my phone.  I must have "butt dialed" this one.  I don't remember taking it.)

Next, we went to see some animals (we were going to the 1:00 show, which was probably a mistake.  And people were already camped out in front of the stage when we got there which was around 9.  SERIOUSLY!  I mean the Kratts are not Bruce Springsteen.  I mean they are not even the newscaster on the 5:00 news are they? I guess if you are 5, the Kratts are the Beatles.  Good thing B is too young for a bra or it would have been thrown up on stage....)

OK, Brookfield takes after Disney.  After every attraction you are funneled through a store.  It irks Mike because our kids are lookers.  They want to touch everything.  But we made it through without buying anything.  Yeah!  That means the house is safe from sinking from all the toys they have - at least for now.





After the bears,  (and the polar bear was in the water, then started pacing around like a well, caged animal.  Makes me feel a bit bad.) we headed over to the stage to start the wait.  At oh, 11:30-11:45.  Yeah, for the 1:00 show.  I may talk a mean game, but I must really love B to sit in the 90 degree heat at noon.  Chatch, our delicate howler monkey, had to sit in the shade.  She is a melter people!  She was definitely wilted by the time the show was over.   We ate a snow cone, drank water, visited the bathroom, talked to the people around us, and I was intrigued by Dippin Dots.  Something that has been around forever, but I have never had. Weird stuff, don't know if I will ever try it. 




Yes, we were close, but I think we would have have to queue up at 11:30 when the first show ended.  OK, so get this.  We waited for how long?  And the show was about 20 minutes long.  No joke!




Still, our little fan was thrilled!  We wanted to do the autograph thing, but, (this is why we should have attended the 11:00 show) people were lining up for autographs around the same time we started waiting for the 1:00 show (which if you remember was around 11:45.)  Again, seriously people, The Kratts are only mortal, not deities!) So needless to say, we did not wait to get an autograph.





Which was fine, because by the time we hit the highway to go home, our two fans looked like this:









This was the first show we have ever gone to for the kids (who am I kidding, this is not Mike's or my scene - we are not fans of anything that involves crowds (OK, I am a huge Disney World fan, but only in the fall, I would never go in the summer, at Christmas or even Spring Break time.  Too Crowded and more expensive.).)  But, B had fun.  She was very excited about going and being there and Charley made it through the heat.  Success I think!