Equal Opportunity Embarasser

The Gremlin proved his social prowess once again last night as he went from manipulating one crowd to trying to manipulate another. As active and charitable citizens, the Mother of the Gremlin is a member of the Woodland Park Zoo. She decided to bring the Gremlin out for a special trip to their Member's Night.

The Gremlin was enjoying his evening, partaking in the bouncy house, eating stick after stick of free cotton candy. And it was only when he was slowed by a line for his most favorite event of all - the inflatable obstacle course ending in a slide.

After his fifth time through, he and the MOTG found themselves in line next to a very nice, very well-meaning, but ultimately cataclysmic man in line with his son. After a bit of conversational chatter, he sparked the Gremlin.

"Too bad you're not in labor, then you wouldn't have to wait in line," the nice man's off hand comment made the Gremlin's eyes light up, and he turned towards his mother.

"What's labor?"

"It's when the baby is coming right now, so if you are out somewhere, sometimes you don't have to wait in line." The Gremlin sat quietly digesting this. That scary, quiet, thoughtful look came over his face, and the Gremlin stepped out to look down the length of the line.

He turned back to the MOTG, and there, a few feet out of the line, he screamed as loud as a 4 year-old is able to.

"Everybody my mom's having a baby right now so it's gotta be my turn RIGHT NOW!"

There was the sound of beer snorting through a man's nose as the drink of the gentleman behind them was propelled through his nasal passages by a quick laugh, but other than that a silence settled across the entirety of the Woodland Park zoo.

After the MOTG fended off seven or eight offers to call an ambulance and tried to stand in line as inconspicuously as possible, however the Gremlin was distraught.

"I don't understand why I didn't get to go next..."


Favorite Toy of the Week: Playmobile Pirate Ship

Antics and Shenanigans

The Mother of the Gremlin and I frequently enjoy chuckling at situations where the Gremlin acts more mature than his four years would usually indicate, like when he doesn't hit at the park when kids shove him or when he asks other kids to do his dirty work for him.

There are times the Gremlin will get his hands dirty, though - especially when attempting to create his legend. Such was the case the other day at the Woodland Park Zoo. The Gremlin waited for half of his party to go off in search of directions, and then approached the other half of the party (the MOTG).

"Momma, I need your bag. Thanks. Okay, now don't watch me."

He proceeded to hoist the bag over his shoulder and wait until the MOTG wasn't looking directly at him. The Gremlin then moved around the corner where he found the penguin exhibit, and where one of the curious tuxedo-wearing animals was sitting by the fence.

The Gremlin leaned against the barrier and let the bag drape open.

"Hey! Penguin! Hey, if you get in here, I'll give you M&Ms! If you do it quick, nobody will know. Promise!"


Favorite Toy of the Week: Black Seas Barracuda (I found my old Legos and put it together over last weekend)

Also, I found a video of the Gremlin playing Star Wars on the Xbox.