Iris, Unicorn Warrior Princess!

Hey everybody, Iris here! I had the craziest, zaniest and most funnest Saturday! Mom woke me up and had my breakfast waiting - an egg, yogurt cup and fresh watermelon. After I finished eating, I got dressed and we headed out the door. I knew something fun was in store! We drove a long ways, and while we drove I took a nap. When I woke up we were in Rapid City! Soon we arrived at Old MacDonald's Petting Farm. I have been there before, but last time it was foggy and cold and rainy. Not to mention I was a bit scared of the animals last time. This time I had no fear - and you will see what I mean!

We got out of the car and went inside. Dad stood in line and mommy took me potty. I had held it the whole way and pottied like a big girl in the big girl bathroom. Mom was so proud! Then after we showed the lady our pass, we went out to the farm. First, we went to see the baby cows, and I gave each one of them a big kiss! Then I chased some chickens, that was so cool!We went into the chicken coop and I got to pet a baby chick, "baaay-bee" I said as I patted it gently with one finger. Next we wandered around and looked at the mini horses, turkeys, bunnies, piggies and llamas. One llama was especially silly, rolling around in the dirt! Finally we made our way to the nursery where the baby sheep and goats live. That was the busiest place of all - I guess babies are always big attention getters! While I was intimidated by the sheep & goats last time, this time I was chasing them all over, petting them, and giving them kisses! At one point I ran into the barn to see if I could find any MORE baby animals, and a whole herd of sheep followed me in - sheep are like that I guess! We spent quite awhile at the nursery, then left for the goat pen. There were lots of pygmy goats that love to be petted (and smooched!)I even got to see a baby goat drink milk from it's mama!

Our next stop on our adventure was a place called "Reptile Gardens". It's a bit like Jurassic Park only not on a faraway island, and with crocodiles, snakes, frogs and alligators instead of dinosaurs. When we first walked into the gardens, there were flowers in every direction! Straight ahead was a dome-shaped building with a roof made of glass. We went inside there and through a little door. The center of the dome is all open and it is like an indoor rain forest! Giant cactus, huge palm fronds, brightly colored parrots, little birds flitting around - I was in awe! After working our way down the path we came upon a nice lady who was holding a snake. She asked if I wanted to pet it. Of course I did! I reached out and grabbed it a bit too tightly in my excitement. Mom, dad and the lady all started hollering about squeezing too hard and I let go. Feeling bad that I might have hurt it, I bent over and gave the snake a kiss. You heard me right. I KISSED a SNAKE. I think mom about had a heart attack! We finished our tour of the indoor rain forest and then walked the perimeter of the dome (on the inside still). Here is where they keep the alligators and crocodiles. These things were ginormous! I was very glad they were locked up behind glass cuz I wouldn't be more than a cheerio-sized snack to one of those hungry fellas! We went upstairs to see the snakes - the really bad snakes - they too are behind glass. Dad and I stood in front of the bones of a giant sea turtle and mom snapped our picture, see how big it was?! That reminds me, we actually saw giant land tortoises before we went into the dome, I got to pet one's shell. I think he was probably three times my size and a jillion times older than me! FUN FACT TIME! Giant tortoises are believed to be the longest living animals with an average lifespan ranging anywhere from 120-200 years. The exact lifespan of giant tortoises has never been properly documented though most species in captivity have been observed to live over 100 years and more often outliving several generations of human beings!

Whew! We had quite the safari and all before lunch! Daddy's tummy was starting to sound as menacing as the crocodiles we saw, so we hopped in the car and zoomed across town to the mall where a delicious lunch at Fuddruckers awaited us! Mom brought me some milk that was funny colored - brown. Dad poured it in my cup and I warily took a taste. It was CHOCOLATE! Oh wow, best stuff ever! And I had my favorite, a grilled cheese sammich & french fries, yummy!

I did my business on the potty again and we did some shopping. Mom shopped for clothes at the mall, then we went to Toys R' Us. I broke free of dad and ran willy-nilly down the aisles, stopping long enough to grab a giant koosh ball that was bigger than my head! When dad finally caught up with me, he didn't look too happy. He picked me up & I squirmed because I wanted the stuffed Hoho monkey from Ni Hao, Kai Lan - I reached for it and cried. Instead I got a new book called "B is for Bear". It is my favorite kind of book, the touchy feely kind! Then mommy made a quick Walmart stop, while dad and I waited in the car. She said her shoes were hurting her feet and that she needed some comfier ones. After all the shopping we were off on one last adventure!

"Storybook Island" the sign said. I immediately knew this place was right up my alley! I love parks and I love storybooks, and this place seemed to be both! We walked through the castle and into a magical land! I saw Snow White, Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmations, the Cat in the Hat, Miss Muffet, a whale, a lion, Mary and her little lamb - everyone you could imagine was there! I slid down slides, swinged on swings, and became a world famous racecar driver! It was the most fun I have ever had! Then, it happened...

I had just finished galloping across the land on my beautiful, magic unicorn and had decided to go sailing in Noah's Ark when disaster struck. I was holding my dad's hand, happily strolling to the bridge that lead to the boat when a pushy little girl ran up behind me. Startled, I tripped and fell face first on the concrete. Daddy scooped me up and mommy ran over. They both began checking my knees and elbows for scrapes. Mommy brushed some dirt off my nose, and said something about time to go home. If this wasn't bad enough, I felt something warm pour out of my nose. About this time I noticed my mom turning white as a sheet. She snatched me from dad's arms and took me to the bathroom. She washed the blood from my nose and lips, and tried to clean it off my new dress. She kept asking if I was ok. Other than my nose being tender, I seemed to be fine. When I finally stopped bleeding, mom took me to the car while dad followed after us. She tucked me into my seat and we headed down the long road home. I read my book for awhile but soon drifted to sleep, exhausted from the events of the day and my recent sidewalk spill. I slept pretty soundly, despite the pouring rain and rumbling thunder. When we pulled into the driveway, I was glad to be home.

And that is the tale of the craziest, zaniest, most funnest Saturday I've had yet. I was a sheep herder, a snake charmer, a cowgirl, a crocodile wrangler, a racecar driver and a unicorn warrior princess. But you can call me "Iris".