Ketchup (and a trip to the Zoo)

Dear Parker,

Today we went to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago with your Grandparents and Uncle Eric. You had a good time and enjoyed seeing the animals that we don't have at the Indianapolis Zoo. However, I think the thing worthy of writing about today, has nothing to do with animals.

Ever since you were about 6 months old, you have had a security type attachment to these terry-cloth burp cloths. You don't care which one you have and we have even gotten new ones, but you still sleep every night with your 'cloth' and will request it in the car or when you are tired or sad. Ever since we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house you have been carrying around this red, Matchbox type car. You have been sleeping with it (as well as your cloth) and carrying it with you everywhere. We even had to take it into the zoo today (but we kept it in your bag.)

Well. At lunch, you had some french fries with 'dip.' There was an extra ketchup packet and you wanted to pretend to open it and dump it on your plate yourself. Then you just kept carrying it around. At one point, you dropped it and were so distraught that I had to backtrack to find it. You clutched it (and you cloth and your car and the gorilla that Uncle got you) all the way home. You are now playing Little People with Grandma, but the ketchup packet is right by your side.

I hope you don't want to sleep with it tonight. I don't want you to roll on it and have it explode everywhere!

Here is a picture of us at the zoo today. You were pretty done by the time we took the picture, so you are kind of unhappy, but it's an ok-ish picture.
I love you,

Mommy