i REALLY don't like birds...

I'm not a huge animal person.  Never have been, probably never will be.  The way I see it, I'm doing good to keep my family and maybe a few flowers alive and well, I don't need something else to worry about...

That being said, I do love the zoo.  Probably because it doesn't require any direct contact with the animals- I can just look at them and admire our God who made them all.  We have a zoo pass and go on Fridays with John Mark a lot during the warmer months.


Yesterday was no different.  We left the house to check out the new children's zoo they had opened up inside.  It was a really cool place.  I highly recommend it to anyone with kiddos.  John Mark LOVED the petting zoo with goats and pigs and sheep.  You could climb up this rope ladder onto a bridge and go down a really big rock slide.  There was even an area with monkeys and in the middle was a big rope to swing on like the monkeys.

At the other end of the area was a bird exhibit- Lorikeet Adventures.  You could buy a little cup of bird nectar and take it in to feed the birds.  (I'm sure you see where this is going).  We bought the nectar and walked in the doors and heard the instructions.  Micah walked through the rope door first and went to put the stroller away.  I walked through with John Mark.

Within two minutes of walking into the bird area, birds started dive-bombing at me and landing on my shoulder, arms and hand.  You know that movie birds?  It was like that.

Immediately I begin to FREAK OUT.  I start crying, yelling "I HATE BIRDS!  GET THEM AWAY!  I REEEEALLY DON'T LIKE BIRDS!" and trying to get Micah's attention.  A lady behind us says "you probably shouldn't be holding the nectar"... (which makes perfect sense) so I start trying to hand the nectar to John Mark- who is also freaking out (because of me, I'm sure!) because a bird is on his shoulder. 

I finally make my way across the exhibit to Micah- who is standing there, watching the whole thing and LAUGHING AT ME!  I throw the carton of nectar at him and crouch down.  The birds all flock to him and I start to calm down (and calm JM down too...)

I look around the exhibit and realize that everyone in there is staring at me.  (I wonder why?) The zoo worker is just smiling behind his hand, probably trying to contain his laughter.  I was almost embarrassed... but not really, because I REALLY don't like birds.