Feed the birds

Today we took our annual trip to Reptiland, which is a small zoo located 3 miles from our home. In previous years, I've only paid for my admission because all three kids got in for free with our PBS membership. Last year the kids joined Tab and her family, so I didn't go last year. This year was the first year that I had to pay for Nadia's admission, and today was the last time that Ian can get in for free. The price for an adult admission has gone up significantly over the years, which probably means Oliver will be the only child I take to Reptiland next year. Reptiland consists of a building that contains reptiles (what a surprise!), a greenhouse for the budgies, a newer, smaller building that houses a Komodo dragon and some large tortoises, outdoor exhibits that feature tortoises, animatronic dinosaurs, an owl, and emus. In addition to seeing the animals in the indoor and outdoor exhibits, we attended a 30-minute show about snakes and lizards, fed some budgies, and attended two animal encounters. The first was with two hissing cockroaches, and the second was with a baby alligator. Usually, I buy each of the kids a feed stick, but in light of the fact that I had to pay for two adult admissions, I only bought one feed stick, which meant we didn't spend as much time in that enclosure as usual. The birds were very interested in our shoes. As we were feeding the birds I was thinking of the song from Mary Poppins because Nadia will be in two performances of Mary Poppins next week. Her rehearsals are scheduled to last 7.5 hours each on Monday and Tuesday, 11.5 hours on Wednesday (seriously!), and the rehearsal + performance will last at least 10 hours each on Thursday and Friday. 

Many schools take students on field trips to Reptiland at this time of year, so I usually try to arrive in the afternoon after the school groups have left. We arrived earlier than usual because Nadia had a job interview at 12:00. After helping her fill out the application, the boys and I entered the zoo. The manager said that she doesn't typically hire individuals who are younger than sixteen, but we figured it was worth a try since at the moment Nadia's plan is to major in zoology at Liberty University. The manager said she'll call in the early part of next week to let Nadia know if they will hire her or not. At the minimum, Nadia gained the experience of her first job interview. If she isn't offered a job this year, I imagine she'll reapply there next year and apply elsewhere for a job this summer. We shall see what the manager says next week! If I need to start chauffeuring Nadia to and from work there, I'll appreciate the short commute.