A Hoot of a Good Time

I got to be class parent today, volunteering to help out because the ZooMobile was visiting. The first half of our day was a normal preschool day, with playtime (we hopped from station to station as the kids showed me everything they do) and snack time (I got to sit with them both, went meant changing all the groups around because usually they sit at different tables; all the kids thought that was strange). Oh, and "calendar time," where they mark the day, check the weather, and say the Pledge of Allegiance--and because I was there, Sis got to do the calendar and Bud did the flag. It was cute to see them proudly perform their tasks.

Then the zookeeper came with several covered crates. Now, I have to say that I was really looking forward to seeing the hedgehog they'd seen last year, the main reason I'd signed up to be "zoo mommy" today. And, for Sis, I was hoping for a bunny. But we would both miss out on those, but not, in any sense, miss out. Sure, I wasn't that interested in the walking stick bug, salamander, bearded dragon lizard, or the rat, though I was impressed with the zookeeper's style and information, which kept the whole thing lively and interesting (and under control), which is not necessarily easy with a group of 4 year olds who mainly want to tell you about their pets! They were, though, very interested in all the other creatures, getting to touch most of them (Sis touched all of the ones she could, but Bud would only touch the rat--which is the only one that most of the adults wouldn't touch!).

But then she brought out the screech owl, this tiny little feathered bird with huge eyes, weighing no more than a quarter pound, full grown. I was mesmerized; it really was beautiful. And small, though it can eat mice, voles, and bats even. Did you know that their eyes are so big that there is no room for muscles to move their eyeballs around which is why they are able to turn their heads almost all the way around? Which the bird did several times. I think I'm growing increasingly fond of owls, right up there with cats, pandas, koalas, and hedgehogs in my favorite creatures list, I think, from seeing a real one and then hearing several real ones in the wild in Texas, to the one-winged owl we saw at the nature center, to the owls at the zoo, plus of course owls as the symbol of my favorite Greek goddess Athena, and a sign of wisdom. So, even though there were not bunnies or hedgehogs, I was thrilled to be the zoo mommy today, getting to see the owl.

Oh, and my kids!