Here it is - chapter 500. It is a bit of very random family fun and I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you to all you readers who have made it this far.
:o)
...
The alarm clock sounded and Marissa's pale hand blindly reached out from under the duvet, fumbling around until it found the snooze button.
"We need to get up." groaned Bianca's sleep laden voice from the other side of the bed.
"Not yet." came the muffled reply.
Bianca however sat up and pulled back the duvet making Marissa curl up in disgust.
"Come on; we've got a long day ahead of us and a lot to do." Bianca insisted, yawning and pulling her arms up into a long stretch. "We can do my exercises before waking the kids, but we need to get up!"
It was concern that made Marissa eventually open her eyes.
"Are you going to be alright with today?" she asked. "There will be a lot of walking?"
Bianca gave her a wide smile and bent down for her morning kiss,
"We shall have to wait and see!" she whispered between kisses.
…
"Wakey, wakey… time to get up!" Bianca called as she pushed open the door to Miranda's room and turned on the light.
Miranda groaned and opened one eye, bewildered at why her mommy was waking her up so early on a Saturday!
And then she remembered …they were going to the zoo.
…
After a hurried breakfast, Bianca and Marissa's next job was to get the kids ready and wrapped up for the cold autumn weather.
"Okay, it's freezing out," Marissa called, standing in the doorway to the mud room. "So you need a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves. And if you don't think you'll want to wear all of that you need to bring your own backpack to put them in because I'm not carrying all your unwanted clothes… again." She finished under her breath.
There was the hustle of activity in the mud room but the kids were so excited about the zoo they were being silly rather than getting ready.
"Right" exclaimed Marissa as time ticked away, "The first one out and dressed gets to pick the first CD for the road trip… and if you aren't out here and dressed in two minutes I will being choosing all the music! And I'm in the mood for some Country!"
That got them moving.
AJ shot out first.
"Ready!" he exclaimed. He had his jacket all twisted, his hat on backwards and was wearing only one glove.
"I don't think so." said Marissa, giving him a hand to untangle himself from the knot he had made of his jacket.
Gabby came out next, holding her hands in front of her with a confused expression on her face. She had managed to put her mittens on backwards and so had lost her thumbs. She had also had trouble with the buttons on her coat.
"Come here sweetie. Let's get you sorted." said Bianca, sitting on the hall chair before pulling the mittens from her daughter's hands.
Miranda was the last to emerge, immaculately dressed; carry the three backpacks Marissa had requested, a hat for Gabby and AJ's other glove.
"It looks like Miranda is the winner." said Marissa as she squashed AJ's hat the right way round on his head.
AJ groaned.
"Not Justin Bieber… please not Justin Bieber." He muttered.
…
Miranda picked Justin just as AJ had feared but Marissa was only able to withstand about five songs before they agreed to turn on the radio instead so they could listen out for the traffic reports.
In the back seat, AJ had got back onto the subject of apes and monkeys and how great they all were …especially the chimps who were almost as clever as people. Gabby was trying to make a similar argument about how great rabbits were but Miranda and AJ were in agreement that rabbits were boring and there probably wouldn't be any at the zoo anyway.
"Mommy, there will be rabbit's at the zoo, won't there?" Gabby asked.
"I don't know sweetheart." said Bianca, "They've done a lot of work at the zoo since we were last there but I think they kept the pet's corner."
"But we're not going to the zoo to see rabbits." protested AJ, "Not when there are lions and elephants and snakes and monkeys to see! People don't go to the zoo to see rabbits!"
"I can if I want." said Gabby crossly.
"We are going to look at all the animals, big and small." said Bianca, in an attempt to break up the brewing argument.
"Do you know what I think we need?" said Marissa, also looking for a way to avoid squabbling in the back seat. "I think we need a sing-along."
And with that she started on the chorus of 'We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo…How about you, you, you…'
…
When they got to the zoo the parking lot was already filling up. Marissa parked and then turned around in her seat.
"Right," she said, "Are we ready to have some family fun on our family fun day?"
This got her a cheer from everyone.
"Great! Before we disembark just make sure if you aren't wearing your gloves or hat that you've got them safe in your backpack for when you get cold later! …And yes AJ, I'm talking to you!"
…
"Where do we start?" Miranda asked as she and AJ unfolded the map they had been given with their ticket.
"We are going to start in the café!" said Bianca. "After Marissa has been kind enough to drive us all this way I think she deserves a rest and a cup of coffee before we start, don't you?"
"And that way we have a proper chance to look at the map and plan what we want to see." suggested Marissa as they headed across the Rainforest Café sited just opposite the entrance.
"I want to see the rabbits." said Gabby, which earned her a groan from AJ and Miranda.
Marissa queued for the drinks while Bianca found them a table. Seeing the kids pouring over the map at all the animals gave Bianca an idea.
"I've thought of a way to make this trip to the zoo a little more fun." she said
"How?" asked AJ.
Bianca pulled a couple of pencils from her large purse and tore some paper from a notebook before explaining her idea...
…
When Marissa reappeared with the tray of drinks and three cookies to share, she found all three kids busy writing.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"I thought we could play animal bingo." explained Bianca as Marissa took her seat. "AJ and Miranda are writing down a list of five different animals for each of us to find. The first person to see all five on their list is the winner!"
"Is there a prize?" Miranda asked, looking up from her writing.
Bianca thought for a moment but it was Marissa who came up with a suggestion.
"I think the prize will be getting to decide what we have for dinner tonight!"
Miranda and AJ shared a grin.
"Pizza!" they whispered in unison.
"Gabby is writing her own list all by herself." explained Bianca proudly, stroking her youngest daughter's back.
Marissa smiled at the sight of Gabby writing slow letters with a look of intense concentration on her face.
The table fell into silence once more as the adults sipped their coffee and the kids were busy writing their lists.
"Can you tell people what you have on your list?" AJ asked after a moment.
"Only if you think they aren't going to try and sabotage you." said Marissa, with a wicked grin.
"We are going to play fairly." said Bianca, giving Marissa a nudge for teasing the kids.
"Mommy, how many 'f's in giraffe?" Miranda then asked, looking up from her paper.
"Two, Honey." said Bianca, pointing to where the word was written on the zoo map.
"Mommy!" called Gabby next, "How do you spell c-wocodile ?"
"Just write croc, it will be easier." suggested Bianca, but Gabby was still watching her expectantly so she went on to spell it for her. "C… R…"
"Kicking 'k'" Gabby asked, already confused.
"Curly 'C'… R… O… curly 'C'."
Gabby wrote the letters out carefully.
"Do they have crocodiles?" Miranda asked quietly.
"That's part of the challenge." said Marissa, "If you don't see the animal I guess it doesn't count! And the weather is so cold a lot of them might be hiding away in their beds"
This gave Miranda and AJ pause before they went back to their writing. It wouldn't be good to have a list with animals on it you can't see.
After a few moments both kids put down their pencils.
"All done!" proclaimed AJ proudly.
"Well then lets mix them up and see who gets what!" said Bianca, folding the papers and shuffling them around on the tray.
Bianca and Marissa let the kids pick first.
"Yes!" exclaimed AJ, "My list has all the most awesome-est animals on it!"
"Mine have the cutest." said Miranda happily.
Marissa and Bianca picked theirs next.
"So do we all share?" Bianca asked, reading through her list written out in AJ's spidery writing.
"No…" said AJ, "I think it would be better not to, so that mom can't cheat."
Marissa grinned cheekily.
"As if I would!"
"Gabby, do you want to tell us your list?" Bianca asked; intrigued about what her youngest daughter had written out all for herself.
It looked like, for a moment, that she wanted to say yes, but then a look to her older sister and AJ made her change her mind. Gabby decided she was going to play the game just like the big kids, and keep it a secret!
…
While they were enjoying a drink and cookie at the café, AJ was being very unsubtle about the route he wanted them to take around the zoo; clearly only wanting to take in the animal's on his bingo list.
Marissa took charge of the map as a little squabble erupted between AJ and Miranda about AJ trying to avoid the penguins.
"Guy's this is supposed to be a bit of fun!" said Bianca sternly. "We are just going to follow the paths and see where we end up. The only question is, do we start by going left to the new Big Cat/Little Cat area or right to the 'Plains of Africa'?"
"I vote right." said Marissa.
"Left." said Miranda just as quickly.
AJ took a little longer to decide. The animals on his list were clearly spread across the zoo.
"Where are the rabbits?" Gabby asked.
In the end the majority decided they turn left, starting at the elephant enclosure. Beyond that was the 'Big Cat/Small Cat' section which had lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs and leopards as well as endangered smaller wild cats from around the world like servals, caracals and sand cats. The kids found it all fascinating. Both Miranda and Gabby were in agreement that the Sand Cat 'Chester' was the cutest thing they had ever seen.
The rain started at that point, so Marissa and Bianca made sure that the kids were all wrapped up properly. The male lion they had been watching lounging on his platform seemed very unimpressed by the weather. It was quite funny when he looked heavenwards in apparent disgusts at the first drops of rain and then got up and sauntered to his den.
After the cats they moved on to the penguin enclosure and caught the end of feeding time. All the penguins were diving in and out of the pool grabbing the fish thrown by the keeper. In fact the Penguins seemed to be the only animals happy about the wet weather.
They then continued along the path, ending up, much to Gabby's delight, at Pet's Corner.
…
At Pet's Corner most of the animals were in stables and pens around a large courtyard or in the large barn where they were keeping the smaller animals under cover. Despite the rain, Miranda, AJ and Gabby were outside running from pen to pen, peering at the animals inside; ferrets, a Shetland pony, pygmy goats, and pot-bellied pigs. In the barn the smaller pens containing guinea pigs and a few spotted rabbits.
Gabby, excited by the bunny rabbits, ran up to one such pen in far corner of the barn. She froze as she stared in awe at the creature inside.
"Mommy!" she all but screamed.
"What's wrong?" cried Bianca hurrying over; Marissa and the Birthday twins close behind.
But it was a scream of excitement, not fear.
"Is it real?" she whispered pointing a trembling finger at the large animal in the hutch.
She was found an enormous blue-black rabbit, over two foot long - five times the size of a regular rabbit!
"Holy cow!" exclaimed AJ as he came over, "That's as big as a dog!"
"It can't be real!" gasped Miranda.
"He's real." said Bianca, reading the notice. "And his name is Oscar… The Flemish Giant is a domestic rabbit first bred in Flanders in the 16th century for the meat and fur trade. An adult male can weigh up to 10kg (22lb); roughly the same weight as a one year old child."
"Can I touch him?" Gabby asked quietly.
"If he'll let us." said Marissa, kneeling down beside the pen. The rabbit seemed very docile, lounging with his back against the wire sides of the cage enjoying the warmth of the heat lamp. Marissa tickled the rabbit's side through the wire with one finger, he didn't seem to mind.
"Just be gentle with him." advised Marissa as Gabby crouched down beside her and, with a great deal of care, stroked the rabbit's side.
She giggled with an explosion of excitement.
"He's so fluffy!"
Her outburst made the rabbit start, but it wasn't scared enough to actually get up from where it was lounging. Once it had settled again, of course AJ and Miranda also had to take a turn at giving the giant rabbit a tickle.
"I can't believe it's real!" AJ said in astonishment.
…
After Pet's corner they moved on to the shelter of the Reptile House, AJ took great delight in peering into the cases of tropical snakes, spiders, lizards and frogs, both he and Miranda refusing to move on to the next until they had spotted the creatures that were hiding amongst the greenery in each cage. Bianca was staying well clear of anything that might contain spiders. They also found Gabby her crocodile for her bingo list; a young African Dwarf Crocodile which had a large pool in the centre of the building. It was only a little bit bigger that Oscar the giant rabbit.
As they stepped out of the warm tropical interior of the Reptile House back into the cold wet October weather, Marissa could see that Bianca was slowing down. She was soldiering on but all this walking and standing was clearly beginning to take its toll.
"Right, I think we need to take a break from the animals." said Marissa checking her watch. "It is almost lunch time. I think we should head for the Noah's Ark so you guys can let off some steam."
The Ark was the main zoo restaurant, in the centre of the park, which had a large kid's soft play area in the middle of it.
The kids were given strict instructions that they only had half an hour before lunch. Marissa took all the hats, gloves and backpacks from them while reminding the older kids to watch out for Gabby. Then, once released, they raced off to go play.
Bianca let out a big sigh as she sat down on the picnic bench.
"This was a great idea." she said, clearly happy for the rest.
"I'll go grab us another coffee." suggested Marissa. "You put your feet up!"
Standing in the queue Marissa spotted a booth she hadn't noticed before, probably because she had never needed to… The perfect solution for Bianca's tired limbs.
…
Marissa slipped beside Bianca on the bench.
"Here you go!" she said, passing over the coffee. "How are you doing?"
"I'm coping." said Bianca determined smile.
"Well in that case, after the kids are done playing and we have eaten our lunch; our first stop is over there."
She was pointing to the booth she had noticed, the mobility centre with a row of electric buggies lined up in front of it.
Bianca shook her.
"I'm not getting on one of those!"
Marissa however was just as firm.
"You ride the 'buggy of shame' or we go home. I'd rather ruin the day than let you ruin yourself!"
Bianca looked to Marissa trying to see if she was kidding but it was clear she meant it.
"You never know, it might be fun!" said Marissa as a way to lighten the standoff.
Bianca gave Marissa a hard stare, but a smirk appeared on her lips at the same time.
"What I do for you!" she sighed.
"You love me really!" said Marissa, with a wrinkle of her nose. "It's for your own good!"
"What, loving you, or embarrassing myself on one of those contraptions?" Bianca asked, wearing a proper smile now.
"Both!" said Marissa assuredly.
She leant forward for a quick kiss which Bianca returned although she still didn't look completely convinced.
…
AJ, Miranda and Gabby decided that their favourite part of the soft play area was the wide bumpy slide. All three of them sat side by side ready to go down together.
"Three… two … one… go" cried AJ, before they all slid down, giggling as they went.
Miranda then noticed Marissa was waving in their direction and pointing at her watch. That probably meant it was lunch time.
"We have to go." said Miranda, "Mamma… I mean your mom is waving at us."
Gabby looked up at her big sister.
"One more slide?" she begged.
"Be quick." said Miranda. Gabby hurried off to scramble up the soft steps to the top of the slide one last time while AJ bent down to pick up his coat.
"You can call her mama if you want." said AJ. "I know she likes it."
Miranda looked embarrassed and shook her head.
"Reese was mama." she said.
"Well then call her mom." said AJ. "I know you want to."
Miranda just looked unsure.
"Would you ever call my mommy, mommy?" she asked.
AJ shrugged.
"I don't know." he said slowly. "She feels like a mommy sometimes but I kind of like calling her Binks."
Realising this was a question he wasn't quite sure how to answer, AJ decided to change the subject.
"How is your bingo game going?" he asked as he fastened his jacket, "I've still got three animals to spot."
"I've got four." said Miranda, disheartened. "I've only ticked off the penguins."
"How about you Gabby?" AJ asked as the youngest Montgomery slid back down to join them. "How many animals have you found?"
Gabby just shrugged.
"Do you want us to look at your list and help." AJ asked as he took the lead as they headed out of the soft play area and across the food court to their moms. Miranda followed with Gabby so she couldn't wander off.
Gabby pulled out her rather crumpled piece of paper from her coat pocket and handed it to him. Her list read as follows:
Radit
Cat
Dog
Frog
Croc
"Wow, okay." said AJ as Miranda peered over his shoulder as well to see. "Well you've definitely seen a rabbit and a crocodile and there were frogs in the reptile place too."
"And we saw lots of cats, big and small!" said Miranda.
"Gabby." said AJ not sure if he was impressed or disappointed. "You've only got one more to find and you've won. You need to find a dog."
"Where would you find a dog in a zoo though?" asked Miranda.
...
"Are you cheating?" Marissa asked as the kids came and took their seat at the table.
"No, were just working out how many animals we have left to spot. I've got to find four." explained Miranda.
"And I've got to find three." said AJ
"Well you are both very lucky because so far I haven't seen a single animal on my list." said Marissa.
"I've just got one to find." said Bianca modestly. "…Which is good because I really fancied pork chop for dinner tonight, can you picture it with mash potato, peas and gravy… mmm"
The kids pulled faces in disgust.
"You haven't won yet." said AJ, "Gabby only needs to find one more as well!"
"Well, what do you say we tuck in to our lunch," said Marissa, she had already gone and got them all sandwiches while the kids were playing. "And then we shall continue exploring the rest of the zoo. There is still a lot to play for and it actually looks like the weather is cheering up."
…
While they were eating AJ and Marissa were trying to work out between them which list Bianca had and therefore which animal she still had to find.
"I think she's got my other list." said AJ. "It had leopard, tiger, elephant, parrot and… and ostrich I think."
"Then she only has to spot an ostrich because we walked past the parrots by the reptile house." said Miranda.
"So where are they?"
"I think they are in the African Plains bit." said Miranda, pulling out the map, "But that is where most of my animals are too."
"Mine are all over." said AJ, "But I want to see the Monkey House."
"What about Gabby's dog?" said Miranda. "Would a wolf count do you think? Wolf's wood is just behind Monkey World. If we help her win we can ask her to pick pizza."
"I guess." said AJ, although he wasn't sure he wanted to help Gabby win. Because if he saw the chimps in Monkey World and the wolves in Wolf's Wood, he only had to find a bear and he would be the winner.
While the kids were busy talking they didn't see Marissa give Bianca a nudge and lean close to whisper in her ear.
"We'd better watch out, I think the kids are conspiring against us!"
…
After lunch, keeping her word, Bianca reluctantly followed Marissa to the mobility centre to enquire about hiring a buggy. The kids all thought it was a great idea, AJ wanting to drive one too.
There was an enthusiastic young man behind the counter who sorted them out.
"You look the sophisticated sort." the young man joked, "I'll set you up in the Jag."
The 'Jag' was a buggy decorated with jaguar spots.
He talked Bianca through the instruction on how to start, stop and steer. It was all very straightforward.
"… You can take the buggy into all the indoor enclosures except the Reptile House."
"We've already been in there so that won't be a problem." said Bianca.
"Great!" said the young man, "Did you see our new crocodile?" he asked, the question now more directed at the kids, all hanging excitedly to the side of Bianca's new vehicle.
AJ nodded enthusiastically.
"I must also add; I'm afraid you can't carry passengers, however tempting that might be." The young man explained, again looking at the kids. "It will risk the stability of the vehicle." AJ suddenly looked very disappointed "But there is plenty of bag storage under the seat and Velcro straps to fix your crutches behind you..."
The young man got Bianca to do a few circuits outside the mobility centre before letting them go.
"Drive safe," he called after them when they finally set out again, "And enjoy the rest of your day."
…
Bianca felt mortified driving slowly along in the noisy battery buggy. It was worse than the wheelchair, it felt like everyone was staring at her!
At least Marissa was right about the weather. The rain had stopped and now the sun was trying to come out.
"Where to next?" Bianca asked trying to put a brave face on this.
"Plains of Africa?" Marissa suggested.
"NO!" exclaimed AJ and Miranda in unison. Bianca couldn't win when they were only halfway through the game.
"Monkey World!" continued AJ quickly, "We want to see Monkey World!"
Bianca laughed at the kid's sudden terror at the thought of her winning.
"Monkey World it is then!" she said slyly, hoping that they'd think her last animal might be in there.
…
Miranda was happy for a chance to tick Gibbon off her list as they wandered through the hallway. Marissa found herself outside the orang-utan enclosure, hoping for similar success, but there was no sign of any of the three apes that were supposed to be inside. Very high up was a wide mesh net which she could see moving from time to time but the animal inside was showing no indication of revealing itself.
"Oh come on." Marissa cried. "Does it count if I know it's up there but I can't see it?"
"No you have to see it!" said AJ firmly.
"Can we just wait here a bit longer then?" Marissa begged. "I was actually hoping to see one before we invented this game!"
They waited five more minutes, but then even the net stopped moving.
"Looks like I lost already." said Marissa disappointed, but she let AJ drag her away.
The next big enclosure held the chimpanzee. They were all climbing and jumping about, wildly chasing each other around the large climbing frame in the middle of their enclosure. Whooping and screaming loudly as they went.
"I don't like it." said Gabby, stepping back from the glass to stand near her mommy. Miranda came to join her as well.
AJ was trying to be all excited about the chimps but even he was finding their violent looking behaviour un-settling. He tried to focus his attention on a calmer group sat in the corner grooming each other and then he saw something he wish he hadn't.
"Ew!" he exclaimed, "That one put his finger up the others butt!"
And as they all turned to look, the offending chimp then licked said finger…
"Can we go?" asked AJ at that point; utterly revolted and unnerved by the animals he'd been most excited to see.
Marissa put her arm round her son's shoulder.
"We can go."
…
AJ raced from Monkey World to the large wooded enclosure at the end of the path that housed a pack of Siberian Wolves. Maybe if he spotted them first it wouldn't count for Gabby! Only the wolves were nowhere in sight.
"But they have to be there." said AJ, peering through the trees.
"It says here they are very shy." said Marissa, reading the notice. "And the weather is so cold they are probably all a huddled up nice and toasty in their den."
"But I have to see them." said AJ craning his neck, "Or they don't count and I can't win."
Marissa patted her son's back.
"Now you know how I feel."
After a few moments longer staring at an empty cage they all agreed it was time to move on. The next pen was supposed to hold the Indian Sloth bear, another creature on AJ's list, which was again another no show.
"This isn't fair." He whined.
"Looks like it's gonna be pork chops tonight!" teased Bianca.
"You haven't won yet!" said Marissa competitively. "I may be out too but Miranda and Gabby are still in with a chance!"
They moved into the 'Plains of Africa' section of the park. This was a relatively new area where the zoo was displaying a selection of animals from all over Africa. The pen to the left of the path held two black Rhino, who despite the cold weather where actually trotting back and forth along the fence-line. It seemed they had timed their visit very well, the Keeper was up on the pathway throwing over pieces of fruit into the rhino paddock, while giving a little talk on the Rhinoceros, and why they are so endangered in the wild. When he had finished his talk he then asked for volunteers to help feed the last of the fruit to the rhinos. AJ and Miranda were straight to the front.
"You have to have a good arm." joked the keeper as first AJ and then Miranda threw a piece of apple over for the rhino's to eat.
While the rest of the visitors trickled away the Montgomery-Tasker-Chandler clan stayed and watched until both AJ and Miranda's apples had been eaten by the same greedy rhino.
"Well, that's at least one I can tick off my list." said Marissa happily.
Behind them on the opposite side to the rhino paddock was the zoo's 'African Plain', planted and crafted to look like an African savannah and home to zebra, giraffe, two species of antelope, wildebeest and ostrich. But at the moment not a single animal was in sight.
"No… I need to find a Giraffe and a Zebra!" cried Miranda.
"You might see one further round." suggested Marissa, things were getting a little tense now that victory was so close.
They carried on following the serpentine footpath between two huge fake boulders to a section of other plains animals. AJ was relieved that Bianca didn't look over her shoulder as they left because he just spotted an ostrich appear around the side of the distant giraffe house. He might not be in for a chance now because of the wolves and the bear but there was still a chance for Gabby to win if only Bianca didn't look back…
After the boulders they came to a large open enclosure on their left, also empty, that was supposed to house African hunting dogs and a smaller glazed enclosure on the right that held an amusing colony of Banded mongoose.
"Quick, quick, Gabby come here!" cried AJ beckoning wildly. He had wandered on from the mongoose and empty hunting dog's enclosure to another glazed opening further along. "They're sleeping!"
He had actually found a window into the hunting dogs den and there was a huge pile of them all asleep under the heat lamp together. It was hard to tell where one dog started and the other began.
"You've won!" said AJ with a grin. "That means Gabby won! She only had to find a dog!"
"Let me check." said Marissa taking the list from Gabby, while AJ and Miranda danced happily around the youngest Montgomery chanting 'no pork chops, no pork chops…' much to the confusion of the other zoo visitors.
"She got them all." agreed Marissa, "I declare Gabby the winner."
"Darn it!" said Bianca dramatically, although she looked more amused than upset. "So Little Miss Animal Spotter extraordinaire, what do you want for dinner tonight?"
Gabby bit her lip in thought .
"I don't know." she said eventually, ignoring the fact that AJ and Miranda were whispering 'Pizza… pizza… pizza.' in her ear. "Can we go to Krystal's so we can all have something yummy?" she asked.
Bianca and Marissa shared a nod.
"I think Krystal's is a great idea." said Bianca.
…
Now the game was over they wandered through the rest of the park at a slightly more leisurely pace. Bianca was also coming to terms with the usefulness of the buggy she was riding. She knew she wouldn't have made it this far on her own. It was comfortable, it was practical … still embarrassing as hell, but it was worth it for the chance to spend the whole day out with the kids
As they toured the rest of the zoo they spent ten minutes in the giraffe house marvelling at the sheer size of the beasts, spotted one solitary zebra in amongst about twenty antelope, discovered to AJ's delight there was a type of antelope called a bongo, and then spent half an hour in the zoo gift shop. Most of the time was taken by Gabby trying to decide which animal cuddly toy she wanted from the huge selection in the shop. Marissa solved the problem by finding a whole series of toy baby rabbits by the till, Gabby then spent ten minutes deciding what colour she wanted.
…
On the drive home Marissa sighed happily.
"I think was can all agree that the first, fortnightly, Montgomery-Tasker-Chandler family fun day has been a huge success." she said happily, "The question is what can we do next time to top this?"
She looked up into the mirror when there was no reply and realised that the kids were all sleeping.
"It looks like we wore them out." she said turning to Bianca, only Bianca was sleeping too.
"Well I think we had a great day." said Marissa, talking to herself now. "But you guys are really going to have to work on your stamina!"
She double checked they were sleeping before reaching into the centre console and pulling out a CD.
"Does anyone mind if I put some music on?" she asked the sleeping car.
"No..? good..!" she said, pressing play.
She wasn't lying this morning when she said she was in the mood for country and now there was no one to complain.
…
That night at Krystal's there was a lot of excited chatter about what they had seen and done that day.
"So what was your favourite animal of the day?" Krystal asked as she handed out the orders, pizza for AJ and Miranda, pork chop for Bianca, a salmon pasta bake for Marissa and a burger for Gabby.
"The giant rabbit!" exclaimed Gabby without a moment's hesitation. "He was huge and fluffy and brilliant!"
"Yeah, that rabbit was huge." agreed AJ holding his hands out wide to demonstrate.
Miranda nodded.
"I liked the rabbit best too. And the sand cat."
Krystal laughed.
"So let me get this straight, you spent the whole day at the zoo, saw hundreds of animals, and the best thing you saw was a rabbit?"
"It was a very big rabbit." admitted Bianca.
"It would seem Gabby was right all along." said Marissa, giving the youngest Montgomery a tickle. "Rabbits are the best! Who knew?"
…