Kittens and puppies and tigers, oh my.

We went to the Marion mall today - Illinois Centre Mall to be exact (which Andy and I insist on pronouncing with a poor approximation of a French accent) - because it looked like it was going to rain and they have a pet store with puppies and kittens.

Ari's love of animals has set in hardcore at this point. I imagine a career as a circus performer, veterinarian, or trainer at SeaWorld... though I'm sure there are many more she will think of that haven't even sprung into my mind yet. She truly loves them - more than people I think - and any kind of animal will take her focus as well as a promised Hershey's kiss or the temptation of a brownie with sprinkles.

So... we went to Illinois Centre Mall and were walking toward the wing with the pet store - and right smack dab in the middle of the food court was some kind of crazy petting zoo where you can spend 8 minutes with two baby tiger cubs... for $25.

Needless to say, Ariana desperately wanted to play with the tigers. I told her we'd have to talk to Daddy about it first, and we went on to see the regular, domestic, and (luckily) still exciting animals at the pet store. Yet, on the way back out, we had to pass the tigers again - who are there as part of some kind of crazy magic show/petting zoo/merchandise up the wazoo kind of traveling business run by someone named Joe Exotic who looks slightly reminiscent of the man who ran the reptile farm in MO who Chloe, Rachel, and I happened upon September 11th (2001... but that is another story).

Anyway... she got caught up with tiger-play longing once more and was highly reluctant to leave... pitching a fit as I attempted to get her into the stroller without hurting her or getting bitten; after which I drove home surrounded by whining and petulant pleas for help, mixed in with requests to pet "grrrs."

I love that my daughter loves animals. I love that she is so passionate about something already, and how much happiness it seems to inspire in her to interact with any living creature that is not human (she likes them too, but it's really not the same). But today was the first day I felt the pangs of living within a very strict budget - and a sense that this interaction was the first among many where Mommy has to explain not everything can be purchased just because we want it. That there are limits to how much we can spend as a family, and things we buy have to be discussed and considered together before we can commit to them.

Not that it's a bad thing. Overall, I think it will ultimately be a good thing for her to experience as a member of our family. But, as a parent, there is a small little achy part of me that eagerly wanted to say yes and to watch her little face as we played with baby tigers. I think she probably would have squealed and giggled.