Calgary Dispatch #2

Today was ZOO DAY.  Undeterred by 10 degree, rainy weather, we set out at 11, via Berel's Bakery, the city's only kosher bake shoppe.  Way out of our way, actually, but it was worth it - I got up the nerve to ask, and scored about a cup of authentic sourdough starter!  They sell an olive and herb sourdough bread that smells lovely, though I haven't actually tried it yet.

 

However.

 

By the time we got to the zoo, the baby had suffered what may have been the most unfortunate diaper blowout of his life - in a DISPOSABLE diaper! :-o

I felt both smug and overwhelmed by the badness of the saggy, sloppy, papery diaper combined with the insufficiency of the baby wipes I'd brought along with me.

 

Mother-in-law:  "Do you have an extra outfit for him?"

Me:  "No.  Usually we use diapers that work."

 

I mopped up his overalls the best I could with a wipee and then bagged up the lot and tossed it in the nearest overflowing bin overlooking the scenic Elbow river.

 

It rained off and on the whole time we were at the zoo, more of an annoying "spray" than actual falling-down rain.  It just kind of got all over you, without demonstrating that it wanted to go in any particular direction, ie towards the ground.

 

Nevertheless, we stayed until about 4, had a good time.  Lots of interesting animals, much closer-up than you get to see them at the Toronto Zoo - magically, without compromising enclosure size:  they still all have plenty of room to roam.  Amazing!  Definitely STILL my favourite zoo of all time.

 

Kids enjoyed it, too.  Naomi was playing it pretty cool - ie her semi-autistic, non-communicative self... until we saw the hippos, and then she started getting excited by every single thing we saw.  Oh - we got to chase peacocks.  Yay!

 

Naomi Rivka and Gavriel Zev absolutely love their "Grandma", and follow her around like puppies.  They don't love the actual puppies here so much.l.. there are two puppies, a scary poodle/bichon mix and they bark almost constantly if there's any kind of "stranger" around.  Ie people who have lived there less than fifteen years.

 

But Grandma!  I can't get over it!  Naomi, who doesn't talk to people if she can help it, basically started chattering to Mary, my mother-in-law, non-stop the minute we got off the plane.

 

I have explained the relationship to her a bit.  I told her that a long time ago, when YM & EC were born, they had another Abba.  Their Abba died, and Abba came to live with us.  Grandma is the mother of their first Abba.

 

Hmm... kind of hard even for me to follow!