Emma: Speaking of...story goes over to you kids. Ask everyone if they're ready. ;)

Little Mick: Okay! Evewyone weady? :)

Shelly: Weady! :)

Mike: And real worried...

Peter: Where did you kids go? :o :(

Lauren: Why did you wander off?!

Micky: You're scaring the crap outta us. :P

Little Mick: You see! *grins* :D

(The group of kids walk as quickly as they can past various animals looking for the adults, to the tune of "Gonna Buy Me a Dog." They see otters perform tricks and swim in the water. They see a joey pop out of his mommy kangaroo's pouch. Little Mick chases after a peacock...who finally chases HIM back the other way. The kids stare up...and up...at girraffes. Buffalo wander past them; noisy wild turkeys scare the twins and Katie, who starts crying again. They pass a noble-looking pack of wolves as they round the corner to the concession stand and the music ends.)

Shelly: Aminals NOISY. :p

(Katie continues to fuss.)

Little Mick: Loud! :P

"Shelly: Did you have to get the blue birdie with the pretty feathers mad, Mick? He could have bitten you!"

"Little Mick: I thought he was pretty! I wanted a closer look!"

Coco: Okay, we're at the concession. *looks around* Now we just have to spot the grown ups...

(The concession area is a round concrete circle at one side of the zoo near the entrance. The center is filled with plastic tables and chairs. A long, curving stand lines the sides. Another, smaller stand announces "Lost and Found." The adults are just walking over to the "Lost and Found" stand when Micky catches sight of the kids first.)

Micky: *points* Guys, they're over there!

Emma: Kids! Katie! (She runs over to them, followed by the others, and takes Katie in her arms)

Mike: Oh, man, are you guys ok?

Lauren: Thank goodness! *picks up Shelly*

Shelly: Mommy! :D

Coco: We're fine! :)

(Shelly gives her mother a hug.)

Mike: You're also in trouble.

Peter: You shouldn't have run off like that! You scared us! :(

Micky: *picks up Little Mick; slides the little boy's sunglasses on* Poor guy, the sun must be terrible! :P

Mike: We were just about to ask someone to page all of you!

Coco: *frowns* Well, you were all arguing, and we wanted to see more animals. We thought we'd make it back before you even realized we were gone.

Emma: (Shakes her head) You should have waited for us to finish, or gotten our attention. We thought you'd been hurt, or... (Emma trails off, tears forming)

Mike: We thought...someone...mighta made off with you guys.

Micky: *nods* We were really worried.

Shelly: We sowwy! :(

Lauren: I'm just glad you're all okay.

"Shelly: (Burries her face in her mother's chest) Oh, Mommy, I'm so sorry! I'll never run off like that again! :(("

Little Mick: Sowwy!

Lauren: Awe... :)

(Katie sighs.)

Emma: I think that means she's sorry, too.

*Little Mick wraps his arms around Micky's neck.*

Mike: (Sighs) Next time, why don't we make a list of everything we wanna see BEFORE we come to the zoo...or any big place we're not familiar with? That way, we'll know what we really want to do, and what we can do later.

Emma: It'll make the day go faster and lessen fighting.

Micky: Good idea.

Mike: (Turns to Micky's sisters) You guys should have known better, though. Especially you, Coco. You should have waited for us or gotten our attention.

Coco: I know. *frowns* I'm sorry. :(

Emma: Just ask the next time you want to go somewhere in a big place. Your mother would have our heads if we lost you!

Micky: Mom would have MY head if something happened to you. :P

Peter: (Puts his hand on Coco's shoulder) You feel really guilty and ashamed, Coco. It's ok as long as you know you did something wrong, and you won't do it again. You're not quite an adult yet, and the zoo is a big place. :)

Coco: *nods* I've learned my lesson! :)

Peter: Good. (Smiles) Why don't we all get something to eat? I'll bet these kids are hungry after wandering around the zoo all afternoon! :)

Little Mick: Food! :D

Shelly: Ice cweam! :D

Mike: Have these guys even had lunch yet?

Coco: We were too busy looking at the animals.

Emma: (Sighs) I'll have to feed Katie when we get home. This is NOT the place to do that. :p :">

Mike: Why don't we pony up some grub for the young-uns, then? ;)

Peter: I don't want to eat a pony, but I'd love some lunch! :)

Emma: (Sighs) Oh, Pete. :)

Micky: I'm starving! ;) :D

Lauren: So what else is new, Mick? ;)

"Shelly: I'm hungry, too! :)"

Shelly: Lunch!

Little Mick: Want lunch! :)

Mike: (Grins) In that case, let's go eat, gang. ;)

Emma: Who's gonna go get our food?

Mike: Not Mick. The food won't make it back to the table. ;)

Lauren: I was just gonna say that. ;)

Micky: Thanks for the vote of confidence. *sticks his tongue out* :P

Emma: Lauren and I will get the food. You guys stay with the kids.

Lauren: At least the food will still be intact. ;)

Shelly: (Tugs her mother's sleeve) Me go!

"Shelly: I wanna help. It's the least I could do after scaring you!"

Lauren: No, Shelly. Stay with Daddy and your brother. We'll be right back. :)

Shelly: Ok.

*Lauren kisses the top of the little girl's head, then Little Mick's. Little Mick grins widely.* :)

"Shelly: (Joins her brother) I love Mommy. :D"

"Little Mick: Me, too! :D"

Micky: Both of you get to hang out with me while Mommy gets our grub. :)

(The pair watch their mother and her best friend go up to the stand.)

Shelly: Ok, Daddy! :)

Little Mick: Hang out! :)

Mike: (As he and Peter pull two tables together for the big group) So, what did you munchkins see while you were out and about? :)

Little Mick: Jungle!

Shelly: Monkeys noisy! Scare Katie! :p

Mike: Aw, the monkeys scared Katie?

*Little Mick does a quieter howl.* ;)

Peter: Poor Katie!

Micky: I bet the little howler, here, didn't help, either. ;)

Shelly: Micky scare Katie! :p

Peter: He probably didn't mean it, Shel. He just got excited. :)

*Little Mick sticks his tongue out.* ;)

Lauren: Shelly, your brother is just LOUD, anyway. He doesn't know his own vocal strength. ;)

Mike: You girls gonna go get the food now? The kids gotta eat. ;)

Emma: (nods) Come on, Lauren. Your husband will die if he isn't fed. ;)

Lauren: We can't have that, now. ;)

(The girls start off again.)

Micky: She forgot the money. ;)

Peter: What else did you kids see? :)

Shelly: Pink birdies!

"Shelly: They were so groovy, Unca Peter! They could stand on one foot and not fall over! :D"

Little Mick: Stand on one leg!

Shelly: Me too! (Tries to stand on one leg...and ends up falling again)

"Shelly: I'm getting better! :)"

*Little Mick scrambles down to the ground and tries to stand on one leg again...and falls again*

Mike: Ok, guys. You ain't birdies. ;)

"Little Mick: I am, too! :D"

Micky: But it's good for their balance. :)

Peter: What else did you see in the jungle?

Shelly: Big apes!

Debbie: We saw orang-u-tangs!

Little Mick: Snakes!

Shelly: Snake eat egg!

Gina: Whole.

Micky: Wow, he must've been hungry. *waggles his eyebrows* ;)

Coco: I thought of you when we saw that, Curly. ;)

"Shelly: I think we all did. ;)"

*Micky sticks his tongue out again.* :P

"Little Mick: I know I did! ;)"

Peter: Even Micky couldn't manage a whole egg in one gulp!

Mike: Pete, you've seen him eat sandwiches twice that size. ;)

Micky: Thank you, Mike. *grins proudly* ;)

Mike: Don't try it when you get home, though. Raw egg can make you sick. :p

Micky: Nahhh. I like hard boiled. ;)

Shelly: Spotty kitties!

Debbie: We saw cats called ocelots. They weren't as big as the panthers, but they had spots!

Coco: They were really cute-looking. :)

"Shelly: I wonder why the oc-e-lots had spots instead of just plain black fur, like the panthers, or stripes, like the tiger?"

"Little Mick: They like polka dots? :)"

"Shelly: Guess they aren't into stripes. :)"

(The girls return with two trays laden with fries, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, drinks, and a veggie sandwich and iced tea for Peter.)

Emma: Dig in, everybody. (Puts down two wrapped bundles as Micky and Lauren put the twins in seats) Here you go, kids. Kid-sized corn dogs and drinks off the Cub’s Menu. :)

Lauren: *hands Micky the change--a penny and a quarter* I hope this is enough food for the masses. That's all the change I had left. ;)

Shelly: (Holds up her corn dog) What this?

Emma: That's a corn dog. It's a little hot dog with corn bread wrapped around it. :)

Little Mick: Corn! :)

Mike: Those are tasty. You guys'll like them. ;)

Micky: They're REALLY good! :D ;)

Emma: It's not corn like you eat in the summer, though. This corn was ground up and baked into bread they put around the little hog dog. :)

Peter: (Picks up his veggie sandwich and sighs) Yum, they even put ranch dressing on it! :D

"Shelly: How come Unca Peter always eats vegetables and we eat meat?"

"Little Mick: I think he's a veg... veger...a person who really likes veggies! :) "

"Shelly: But I like veggies, too, and I eat meat!"

"Little Mick: But Unca Peter doesn't like meat, I think."

"Shelly: Maybe he thinks it'll bite him?"

"Little Mick: Maybe!"

"Shelly: (Nods at her father) Wow, look at Daddy eat! He's already had two hamburgers and is starting in on a hot dog! :o"

"Little Mick: Wow!"

Emma: Mick, slow down. It's not going anywhere.

Mike: Yeah, we ain't gotten you a hot fudge sundae yet. ;)

*Micky pauses long enough to glare at them.* :P

"Shelly: Hot fudge sundae? Why would a hot fudge sundae go anywhere besides someone's tummy?"

"Little Mick: I don't know."

"Shelly: Look at Daddy slurp his soda! He's even eating the ice! He's REALLY hungry!"

"Little Mick: Ice? Didn't the girls mention a prank with ice earlier?"

"Shelly: Yeah! They did something to him with ice at the zoo! :D"

"Little Mick: They put the ice down his pants! :D"

"Shelly: (Grins) Wanna have some fun? ;)"

"Little Mick: *also grins* Yeah! ;)"

"Shelly: Do you wanna do it or should I? ;) >:)"

"Little Mick: We could both do it! ;) >:)"

"Shelly: Ok! (Slurps the last of her drink) I'm ready!"

"Little Mick: *slurps the last of his drink* Let’s get Daddy!"

(Shelly and Little Mick hop off their seats. They run over to Micky, who is still slurping his drink, and both dump ice down his jeans at once, then run back to their seats giggling. ;))

Micky: *jumps up* Ahhh!! :P

Mike: What the...

Lauren: *tries to not laugh* Shelly!Mick!

Peter: (Nearly spits out his iced tea) Oh, man! :))

Emma: (also trying not to laugh) Kids, that wasn't a nice thing to do to Daddy.

"Shelly: No, but it was FUNNY! :))"

Micky: *trying to shake the ice out* Coco! X-(

"Little Mick: REALLY funny! :D"

Mike: (Gaze turns to the twins) Not this time, Mick.

Coco: *looks guilty* Uhhh...

Micky: I know the twins did it, but I also know WHERE they got the idea from. :P

Mike: (Sighs) Look, kids, your aunts shouldn't have done that to Mick, and you shouldn't, either, no matter HOW funny it seems to you.

Emma: Just because your laughing doesn't always mean the victim is!

*Micky is grumbling, still trying to shake the ice out.* :P

"Shelly: I still think it was funny..."

"Little Mick: Me, too..."

Lauren: I think Daddy would rather have ice in his drink, not his pants. :P

"Shelly: Oh, man. I'll bet Daddy's pants are all wet now. :("

"Little Mick: We didn't think of that. :("

"Shelly: We didn't really think at all. :("

Micky: I'm gonna find the bathroom. See if they've got one of those hand drier things. *trudges off for the restrooms* :P

(Both twins now look guilty.)

"Shelly: Poor Daddy. He's going to be wet all day."

"Little Mick: Yeah. We owe him a BIG apology. :("

"Shelly: We'll tell him the moment he gets back. :("

"Little Mick: Yeah. :("