Something every parent has to do once…

A few days before Halloween I took my kids to Boo at the Zoo, sure we’ve been to the Zoo before, we usually got once sometimes twice a year, but we haven’t done Boo at the Zoo before. I see this as one of those things parents don’t really want to do; it’s slightly enjoyable, and very hectic. I saw several children crying that they’ve lost a parent, and being a parent myself I feel bad, take the kid to someone who works at the Zoo and inform them the child can’t find mom or dad. I have a system in place for that since Jack is (well, was) a wanderer, I printed business cards, I guess I went a little overboard with “don’t talk to strangers” so Jack wont at all, not even if he’s lost.  Jacks business cards say “Hi, my name is Jackson; I can’t find my mom or dad. Please call my mom Nina at (insert my number here) or my dad Cory at (insert his number here). Thank you.” And he knows to give the card to a police officer or someone in uniform who works where we are visiting. 

Last year he asked me what Code Adam meant when we were walking into a Wal-Mart. I explained to him what happened to Adam Walsh, and what the process of Code Adam is in stores. This is why I said Jack WAS a wanderer, now he won’t leave my side. Not even at the supermarket. I believe on being an honest parent, since I was lied to by my parents again and again “No no, sweetie, your gold fish is just sleeping”, “Your dog Marty was just tired of city living, so we took him to a farm so he can be free to run around as he pleases.”, “you can’t die until your old” and so on. My mother doesn’t appreciate how honest I am with my son. 

I went off topic. Boo at the Zoo is a good time, costumes and food, animals and trick-or-treating. It was also completely physically and mentally draining. When we got home that Saturday evening, everyone in the house was asleep my 8pm. One day when my kids ask me “Oh, can we go to Boo at the Zoo?” I can say “We already did that once how about we go to Duffield’s, go on a hay ride and pick some pumpkins?!”   

Jack was the Slender man, and Jacob was a Cowboy.