The Penguin Thief

Last night Mark and I met up with some very dear friends of ours for an evening that consisted of test-firing a couple of pistols, enjoying some wine, experiencing the trendy atmosphere of The Pour House, and an aerobic marathon session of intense laughter and epic stories. This evening will be a much-treasured memory for the remainder of my life.

Our friends, Karl and Becky, told the best "parenting adventure" story of all time that involved a mutual acquaintance:

My husband's high school classmate and his wife had taken their kids to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha this past summer. The three year old wore his very own back pack so he could tote his water bottle and various other things a young boy would find to be important. He enjoyed all the animal exhibits, especially the outdoor pond where some small penguins frolicked. The fence was low so he could easily see them play in and around the water. The penguins were one of the last things they looked at before leaving the zoo and making the two hour trip back home to Friend.

When the boy got home, he headed upstairs to his bathroom. From downstairs his parents heard him run some water. This was followed by the sounds of three year old giggles and laughter.

Curious, his parents went upstairs to see what their son was doing. They opened the bathroom door to see a penguin swimming around in the bathtub! Apparently the boy picked up a little penguin and put him in his backpack and brought him home. And somehow, his parents had missed the whole thing.

What would you say if your child stole a penguin? What would you do? I know one thing for certain: the next time we take our kids to the zoo, we will conduct thorough backpack searches before leaving the premises!