The Northern New York Zoo Fiasco 2010, Part I

While at Lake George last week, I decided to try and investigate fun activities for the girls. Normally we are there in the summer so we don't need to do anything other than swim... but there wasn't any of that after it got cold, so I needed some ideas. This attempt at fun will henceforth be referred to as The Northern New York Zoo Fiasco 2010.

We would have been better off taking Amelia's suggestion and playing in boxes all day:

Our first attempt was to visit the Gore Mountain Alpaca Farm:

http://www.goremountainfarm.com/

I am including the link so that you can be sure (if you care) to see why I thought it would be a good idea AND to be sure that you NEVER visit.
Reasons why I thought this was a good idea:
1. They have pictures of children with alpacas on their website.
2. They say they LOVE children visiting on their website.
3. They have a good looking website which tells me (I think) that they are more than just a random farm.

WRONG.

We arrived after a 45 minute drive and me talking to Amelia about how much fun we were going to have and how much she was going to love the alpacas. There is a HUGE "OPEN" sign out front.

BAD IDEA

We get out of the car. Anyone who has ever had a toddler and an infant will know what a production this is. Zoë is in her stroller and Amelia has her shoes, her coat, and her hat on. We are ready for what I think will be at least a half hour of fun outside.

WRONG.

We start walking towards the alpacas and the woman working there says rather snippily, "Can I HELP you?" In my head I am thinking I must be imagining that rude tone; this is a farm for kids... So I say, "No thank you were are just going to walk around." To which she replies, "We don't really encourage that." HUH? I just stood there with a dumbfounded looked on my face. Really? You don't encourage walking around? What about your freaking website, you stupid b!t#*.

No, I didn't really say that - I had Amelia, a.k.a. the sponge who repeats everything we say. "Uhhh, okay, well can we just look at the alpacas from the driveway?" She sighed like she was insanely annoyed and then walked into the caged area and started to feed the animals - who , by the way, were super cute.

Now I'm wondering, how do I let down this 2 year old who has been so excited to see the "llamas." So, I bend down and say, "Well, here they are, Amelia! I am sad that we can't get closer because that lady is not being nice; some people just aren't nice." To which she replies, "Why?" Ughhhhhhhh. I am not the kind of "make sweet stories up for my kids" kind of parent, so I always try to be honest with her. But this is the first time that honesty has meant she is going to be let down. I just want to protect her and make her world so happy - this was the first time I really felt like she realized that everything isn't always love and ducks.

I finally decide that I am super uncomfortable and that I need to listen to my "safety radar" and get the hell outta there. We go back to the car - I load up the girls - again, anyone who has ever had a toddler and an infant knows what an ordeal this is - and Amelia is screaming and I end up wrestling her into it and said, 'Mommy is very uncomfortable here and we need to leave.' She finally settled down and I peeled out of there faster than a Nascar driver...

Stay tuned for Part II. If you can imagine that there is a Part II... the car ride home was long and full of me having to explain over and over and over again that "sometimes people just aren't nice."