Furry versus Scaley

Every time we go to the zoo, it's the same thing. Alison is only mildly interested in the cute, fluffy animals, or the colorful odd-looking birds (by the way, aren't pink flamingoes supposed to be pink? These look coral...think I like this color better). But when we enter the Southwest Desert exhibit, she is frantic about finding the snakes. Once we're there, you can hardly pull her away. She wants to know everything about every snake. I know nothing about snakes, so the best I can do is read the panels and hope she doesn't ask too many questions. I never like to stereotype, especially when it comes to gender. All boys don't like sports, and all girls don't like dress-up and princesses. But my little girl does. She loves fancy shoes and painting her nails and Barbie dolls (ugh). She does tea parties well and wants to take ballet just for the tutu. Yet she has somehow found it in her very girlie girl heart to make room for snakes...and bugs. She has dozens of books about them and hunts for them in her backyard. When we found a little garter snake in our house once she talked about it for days, and I thought I certain look of longing in eyes - perhaps wishing for the snake to return? So once again at the zoo last week, the snakes were IT. Coral flamingoes, black bears, muddy rhinos, grazing giraffes - big whoop.