Later, gator

Hmmmm. . . What have we been up to today? The kids put away some laundry with me. Fiona played with Sydney at her house next-door. The whole family played "I Spy With My Little Eye" before Ian went to work. And oh yeah, Nora held an alligator.

Yes, Mark of Mark's Ark visited the library today, and we caught him on his last visit of the library branch circuit. We learned about hissing cockroaches, millipedes, a cane toad, an albino hedgehog, a hairless rat, and an American alligator named Irwin. It was simultaneously educational and entertaining.

Mark let anyone interested person touch Irwin at the conclusion of his program. Since neither daughter professed any interest at all in holding the year-old gator, I said I would do so if they might want to pet it. I figured it would be good for them to see that it wasn't scary, and might actually be fun and interesting. Moms try stuff too, right?! I gratefully handed my camera off to a friend who would document the excitement, then accepted the reptile.

So we were all surprised after both children had a chance to pet it and to thank the presenter when Nora reached up with supplicating palms for her turn to hold Irwin as if that's naturally what was to happen next. Way to go Mandy for snapping a quick picture of her curiosity!