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Willow's slithering good time at Zoo Tots

Willow and I attended our first Zoo Tots class at the Nashville Zoo on Wednesday, and Willow had a slithering good time.
Zoo Tots is a six-week, hour-long class for kids (18 months-5 years old) to spend time with their caregiver learning about the animal world. The class includes visits from zoo critters, crafts, stories, songs and a walk to an animal enclosure each week.
This week's theme was "Reptiles Rock!" I'm guesssssing you can gather from the theme that snakes and lizards played a big role in this week's class. (For ever-fearless Willow and me, it wasn't a big deal, but I noticed some of the moms and grannies in the room squirming throughout the class).
Willow and I started off the class coloring on the paper-covered tables, then we gathered with the rest of the group in a semi-circle to see the class visitors. This week the skink Victor and the sand boa Bonnie made the rounds. Both reptiles were calm around the children, and each kid got to pet the critters. Victor actually slithered around on the floor for a while (which the teacher claimed never happens), and Bonnie showed off her burrowing-in-the-sand trick (I'm sure to get away from the eager children).
I was anxious about the class because I though Willow might not be engage; I feared I might have trouble keeping her still and quiet. Quite the contrary. Willow hardly budged; she couldn't take her eyes off the other kids or the reptiles, and she LOVED petting Victor and Bonnie.
But what really caught me by surprise was how vocal she was answering questions. Willow can spurt out simple words and sentences, but mostly she speaks in baby-garble. That was no different here, but she sure sounded smart garbling.
The teacher, for example, asked why the Bonnie's tongue slipped in and out of her mouth.
"Blabblurb a dub da-diddy toy doh da!" Willow answered, though I'm sure only I and the adjacent caregivers could hear her explanation.
The visiting reptiles were only the highlight of the class. We also did a simple craft (most the kids made a lizard picture sparkle with glitter while Willow, being the youngest in the class, helped me play with stickers). The teacher read aloud a story about alligators, turtles and snakes. Then we headed out into the aquarium to look at other reptiles.
The day was far from over, though, when the class wrapped up. Willow and I went out into the zoo to play at the enormous jungle gym and to visit the other, warm-blooded, animals. By the time we got in the car and started for home, Willow was plum tuckered; she fell asleep before we had exited the parking lot.
I can't wait until next week's class.

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