A Very Exotic Cow

Our trip to the Botanical Garden this weekend included a stop we don't usually make.  Ellie strode out in front, and veered off our usual pathway to the Temperate House (which I like better than the Climatron, because the Climatron is kept hot and humid, and I spend most of my life trying to avoid places that are hot and humid).  She went in the door, and picked a route through down the stairs.  She seemed to have it all planned out, and I began to think that other, less firm people had been bringing her to the Botanical Garden.  As it turns out, I was completely right.  She led us unerringly to the play area in the bottom of the Climatron and made a beeline for the cow costume.  Because of course there was a cow costume.

Then she wanted art materials.  Lots and lots of art materials.  So she muddled around with those for a while, and then she needed to go to the bathroom.  Leo suggested that I finish adorning her mask, because we were going to move on, and she would be mad of Margaret had a finished product and all Ellie had was a mask with a few flowers on it.

So I did.  Quickly.  Symmetrically.  In a rigid pattern.  Because that's the way I am, and I can't change.

It was supposed to be a bird mask, but I suppose cows like to adorn themselves too.

Anyway, she hated my embellishments.  Every so often on our stroll around the garden, she would mention how she wished that I hadn't done that to her mask because she liked it before.  She wasn't angry, you understand, just a little hurt.

I'm blaming Leo.

When we got back to the car, she ripped all embellishments off the mask until it was a blank white plate half, and then asked me sweetly if I didn't agree that it looked nicer now.

Humph.