Can You Tell Luke How to Get to Sesame Street?

Like everybody else, we try to do enriching things with our family time. Living in San Antonio, there are so many opportunities for some interesting experiences. One family member, though, is always left feeling a little high and dry.

I'm talking about Luke, of course. Two weeks ago, we made it out to the Alamo, a must on every San Antonio visitor's to-do list. We strolled around reading about David Crockett and the role of the missions, and looking at interesting artifacts. With a hint of disappointment in his voice, Luke asked so innocently, "When are we going to see the Elmo?" It seems we had a slight miscommunication. He continued to ask the same question, slightly more indignant each time, for the rest of the day.

Yesterday, we headed to the San Antonio Zoo. Now, if you haven't ever been to the San Antonio Zoo, I must say, it is a very nice zoo. It took us about five hours to see all that we wanted to see, and we didn't get to every exhibit. And amid all of the exotic animals from far off places, there was only one that Luke insisted on seeing: Cookie Monster. Our conversations went like this throughout the day:

Joe: Wow, look at that addox's stripes. They keep him hidden so he doesn't get eaten!
Luke: I want to go see Cookie Monster.
Laura: Wow, the giraffe's heart weighs twenty pounds. That's more than George!
Luke: Can we go see Cookie Monster?

At one point, I actually laughed out loud while pushing the stroller along, trying to imagine Cookie Monster's habitat among the giraffes and the elephants. He'd stand out with his electric blue fur, for sure. Maybe he would have one of those gumball machine-like dispensers that you could put a quarter into, and instead of the pellets they give you to feed the goats in the petting zoo, there would be Cookie Crisp to throw in his grotto. And then I remembered that Joe and Luke were off looking at an exhibit that wasn't stroller-friendly and I looked like a crazy person laughing out loud to myself, so I cut that business out immediately.

Ironically enough, we went to SeaWorld a while back, and we got to go to the Sesame Street Live show. When the characters came out, Luke screamed a shrill scream of terror and cried long enough that we considered leaving.

I guess the saying, "You can't please everybody" applies to our weekend activities.


I don't want a pet parrot.



I'm Mary Poppins.


Luke vows to do something about the kangaroos' plumbing.


Can you tell they're brothers?