You Say Ketchup, I Say Catch-Up....Zoo

In June, the doctor group that I work with, ESPA (Emergency Services PA), sponsored a day at the Sedgwick County Zoo for all the ER staff and families at my hospital, Wesley Medical Center. It was so much fun! Not only are they exceptional physicians and healthcare providers, but they also know how to treat the nursing staff and make us feel appreciated. Either that, or they know how to butter us up! Because let's face it...if the nurse ain't happy, ain't NO BODY happy.

It was an all-day affair, but we decided it would be best for us to go in the morning after breakfast. Then we could stay for as long as the kids would allow before they suffered a complete breakdown from needing their naps. They did very well and lasted much longer than I anticipated. Probably because they had so many neat animals to look at.......or because the other zoo-goers treated my kids like they were the most popular zoo attraction. True story: We were standing behind a small crowd of people, waiting to see the grizzly bear exhibit. The small crowd caught sight of us in the Choo-Choo (patiently waiting to see the bear, might I add). They all turn around from the front row to look at US, while we're straining our necks to try to see the BEAR around them. AWKWARD! I wanted to say, "Why don't you let us in the front to see the darn bear, then you can get behind us and stare at us all you want!" It's hard being the circus sideshow sometimes. I felt like all we were lacking were a few clown-driving mini cars bleeping around us to make the scene complete. Oh well. Such is life with quads.

Pius getting jazzed about seeing REAL animals in action....not just his crazy siblings.

Laine doing his morning calesthenics. Gotta warm up before each public quad performance.

Forrest getting ready for the action. Sorry but there's no "Danna in her carseat" picture. She was still rear-facing at the time and in the back row. My camera angle was limited.

Here comes Super Dad and his quadlings. Speaking of Super Dad....Billy has taken our quartet to the zoo several times since this outing....SOLO! They have their little excursions on mornings when I work the night shift before. Isn't that so sweet? He loads them all up and gets them out of the house so I can sleep.

Danna acts like she doesn't care about anything that we try to point out to her. But we know she's paying attention because she'll say or do something about 10 minutes later that is related to what we were showing her. What a little "b"!


Danna, Laine, Forrest and Pius checking out the new Penguin Cove. It's hard to see in the pic, but there were penguins swimming back and forth right in front of them.


ESPA even provided a tented picnic area and served drinks and snacks. The Graf Quads were the 1st to arrive and they chowed down on bananas, animal crackers, cookies and juice....the good stuff!

Forrest is probably the most observant of the group. He could spot every animal every time. He'd see it and usually point to it (as seen above), or just start smiling. He's a smart one, that little guy. We knew there had to be SOME reason for his gigantic head!

Danna with the evidence on her face.....the bananas didn't last long around the kids.

Pius: "And that's all, folks! Check ya later, dudes!"

Moni