We had a wonderful time with Doo Loe and his family at the MN Zoo on Saturday.  Per your suggestion, we kept the visit to just a couple of hours, and it was just right. We didn't really see all that many animals, but I think the people-watching was just as interesting to them!  I know the older kids could have walked & marveled all afternoon, but their little guy and our kids (Sophie, 3, and Frederick, 7 months) were pretty much done by after lunch.  

Since we wouldn't all fit in one vehicle, we sent David to pick them up at their apartment, with the plan that the kids & I would meet them at the zoo.  David texted me from their apartment, asking me to pick up a screwdriver for Doo Loe, who had been using a machete to tighten the screws on his prosthetic leg, for lack of a better tool.

The first thing that struck me when I saw the six of them getting out of the van at the zoo entrance was how EXCITED all of them obviously were.  Everyone was smiling, and they were instantly drawn to our kids.  We gestured and learned everyone's names.  I was impressed by how each of the older children looked me in the eyes with a smile and told me their name in turn, repeating it slowly so that I could get the pronunciation right.  

Logistics consumed more time than I would have liked at the start of our zoo adventure, but there were a LOT of people there.  It took a while to pay, to wait in line to check out a wheel chair for Doo Loe, to stash our bulky coats in a locker, and to give everyone an opportunity to use the bathroom before the fun began. I wasn't sure how they might communicate this, and I didn't want anyone to be embarrassed, so I pointed it out at the onset.  The whole gang nearly went into the mens room before I realized I needed to point the girls a different direction. :)

Kids really are the same in any language, and it was amazing to watch.  The whole family oogled over Freddy and made him smile.  The girls "adopted" Sophie, and nearly the whole day, she walked hand-in-hand with a new friend on each side.  It was actually really helpful that the girls corralled her, since David was pushing Doo Loe in the wheelchair, and I was pushing the double stroller with two littlest boys, and we were often pushing our way through crowds of people.  

We saw monkeys, penguins, the aquarium, and ended up at the dolphin tank just in time to catch the dolphin show.  Afterwards, I handed out water bottles and apples to everyone, which they drank and ate heartily.  I'd also picked up a "Lunchable" for each person, and David showed them how to stack meat and cheese onto the cracker to eat it all together.  We all laughed as they showed us how La Sell (age 6) had lost some teeth, but was still managing to eat her apple well!  

The kids are exceptionally well-behaved.  A few of my favorite memories of them:

- When I handed her a water bottle, the older sister Pop T Paw (age 9) said "Thank you" in clear English and looked me in the eye with a smile that said, "I did it!"  I was so proud of her and let her know it!  Both girls looked a bit uncomfortable drinking of a water bottle, like it was an unusual thing to them. All the little things we take for granted!

- Ya Se struck me as a very "typical" 10 year old boy.  He seemed apathetic about some of the things the younger girls were excited about, but a few things got a BIG smile out of him - the shark tank and the dolphin tricks that splashed water everywhere.  

- Sweet little La Sell (age 6) had a permanent smile on her face while we were there.  She just exudes joy, and Sophie loved her.  During the dolphin show, La Sell sat next to me and kept leaning into me so that I could give her a little squeeze.  

- Lah Poe Htat, who will turn two years old in a couple days, rode in the stroller most of the time and was very quiet.  He seemed overwhelmed and sleepy, but no crying meltdowns like I would expect (and understand) from a kid his age.  

We were really glad to have a wheelchair for Doo Loe.  He got up occasionally to stretch and to hold Lah Poe Htat up to see animals, but getting around is difficult for him.  His prosthetic leg doesn't bend at the knee, so it sticks out a bit awkwardly when he sits.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the language barrier didn't really present any problems.  There was lots of smiling and gesturing, and it was fun just to experience something new together.  I know the kids would enjoy seeing each other again, so hopefully we can arrange a time to make that happen.

Regards,
Kathryn