zoo days

OOH i had a fun day yesterday. Call me childish, but there's something about going to the zoo that just brings out the big kid in you...

and let me tell you - i was no exception!!! :-)

So i knew it was gonna be a good day when i woke up to clear blue skies and it was already pretty hot. checked the weather and it was set to top 29degrees. HOLY HEAT! Now i dont know about you, but when its scorchio outside, the only thing i wanna do is lie in the garden and not worry about what i look like or what im wearing (this usually means i like to be by myself, since its pretty hard to feel body-confident in recovery!) But alas, this was not to be the day... i had to get my booty to school to round up 2 yeargroups worth of kids to schlep to the zoo. Let the games begin! 

When we arrived at the zoo, we split into our groups and headed off into the park... Initially we were worried we might not fit it all in (its a big old zoo!) but my partner teacher is a proper organised military drill sergeant stylee, so we saw EVERYTHING!! 

Oh yes, we saw penguins and sealions... (no pics of these, sorry. but the penguins had this cool underwater tunnel that you can walk thru and see them swimming around. it also had the effect of making you feel like you're drunk. tres amusing!) 

Monkeys, Chimps and Baboony things... 

check out the booty on that big daddy!!

There were some (compare the) MEERCATS!!!!! - sorry... i hate that advert, but it had to be said :-p

A sleepy tiger or two...

Yup, we were truly powering thru, but it was when we got to the "Out of Africa" part that i got majorly camera happy and smiley. I love this part of the zoo... seriously, it feels like you ARE in africa (and with yesterdays heatwave, we might aswell have been!)

I found me some of these beauties...

Some rhiny rhinos...

And my faves, the GEEraffes. theres something so graceful about those long necks... and the way they move... its hypnotic :-)

What is your favourite exotic animal?

Do you think zoo's are a good way of conserving endangered animals or do you think they deserve to be in the wild, even if there chances of survival are slimmer?

This zoo in particular is considered the best in europe, the animals are treated superbly by their keepers and it even has its own conservation project in Africa, where it re-homes animals into a safe natural habitat... POINTS!

Anyway, we hung around africa for quite a while! Even managed to catch feeding time!!

But it wasnt quite as fun as feeding time for our little animals!

cheeky monkeys :-p

All in all i think it was a highly successful day... Luckily the heat actually worked on our side, cos not only was it gorgeous to be outside as opposed to stuck in a classroom, but it also meant that the pupils were all quite subdued by the heat and therefore there was suprisingly little 'getting into trouble!' However, it did mean that come home-time, the kids were very tired and there were a few sunburned/sunstroked victims... Sleep it off over the weekend guys! Im SO glad we didnt have school today, i was pooped when i got home!

And i would have slept like a baby had i not had my sister home for the night :-(

As im sure you'll know if u follow my blog - me & my sis have a somewhat difficult relationship at the moment.... She has some serious anger issues and frequently takes them out on me or my mum. Its not pretty.

But anyway, even tho my therapist advised against having her back at home, as it nearly always ends in me slipping back in my recovery because she puts me so much on edge that  i find it really hard to et with her around. BUT she had an appt and had to come back, so there wasnt much i could do. I just had to try and get thru it.... I did ok lastnight, her and mum didnt get back till late, so id already eaten and was all set for an early night after my zoo shenanigans, but after a 'not-so-bad' evening of watching big brother etc. the sh*t hit the fan, again....

It wasnt at me this time tho, altho i did feature in a few 'choicely' worded comments! But mum bore the brunt of it, and im ashamed to say i stayed out of it.

I lay in bed listening to the abusive comments and screaming and thought...

Was this selfish of me??? 

I dunno, i just sometimes feel like i make it worse when i stick up for mum, cos my sis always thinks she's being 'ganged up on' even tho she's the one who initiated the fighting.... and plus, i dont actually LIKE confrontation!!!

Does anyone else try to avoid confrontation rather than fuel the fire?

Does this ever make you feel guilty?

Anyway, not to dwell on that too much, cos i hate to admit... i did have a freakout. this morning i just couldnt take it all and i got really upset. I hate feeling like every time i move forwards, something like this will happen and i feel like im back to square one. i AM getting stronger, the past couple of weekends up in london have proved that. But im just so frustrated by this setback, i wish i only had to worry about recovering, not this aswell... but its all so tied up together, that its almost impossible not to let it affect me in some way. I just have to be brave!

It has got me thinking about the possibility of IP over summer tho. My therapist brought it up at my appt on thurs. Its something im mulling over at the mo. but ill post more about that tomo, cossssss.... I have the weekend off work!!!! woopwoop! yup, the shop is being painted tomo so i dont have to go in. While mum and my sis are sweltering in traffic on the drive upto london right now. Im chilling out with my laptop and my poochums (who had a lovely walk earlier and pooed RIGHT in the middle of the road as we crossed at the traffic lights.thanks!)

So i will be back with you demain, mes amies.

till then. take care and dont swear! 

xx