The key to understanding is communication?

Recently, I received a free pass to the Pueblo Zoo, usable until August, and I was sharing this information with my husband when Tootie, our three year-old daughter, walked in. Being a great fan of the zoo, she wondered when we would be going to see the baby giraffes. Well, it just so happens that the free pass is for a different zoo than the one we frequented last year, where the baby giraffes were. But it was a challenge explaining this to a three year-old who was more interested in getting her point across to us than listening to what we had to say!

"I want to see the mommy and baby giwaffes," Tootie let us know.

"Well sweetie, this is a different zoo and they don't have any giraffes, but there are zebras, kangaroos and camels. Does that sound fun?" says the mommy.

"Can we get cwackers to feed the giwaffes, Mommy? There are new baby giwaffes," Tootie replies.

The daddy jumps in and says, "Honey, this is a different zoo where they don't have giraffes. Kangaroos will be fun to look at, don't you think?"

"But the giwaffes will be there, too," says Tootie.

"Honey, we are going to a new zoo in Pueblo and you've never been there. The giraffes are at the old zoo. I think we will have fun at the new zoo," says the mommy, hopefully.

"OK, I go get dwessed," says Tootie as she buzzes upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs, she turns around with an excited smile on her face and says, "I'm putting on my giwaffe-zoo cwothes!" And with that, she twirls around and runs into her room.

Perplexed, the daddy and I look at each other and smile. So much for achieving understanding through communication!