A Visit with Fishes

In the summer, we determined that Kal's spirit animal was an otter. We watched videos of cute otters and their babies, and I promised Kal we would make a trip to the Living Planet Aquarium and see actual real live otters. We've planned to go several times, but Mikayla's pain levels have been super high lately, so we haven't gone. This weekend, Gary and Gail were planning on having the Johnsens for a sleepover and Gail asked Mikayla if they could take them to the aquarium. Mikayla asked how I felt about the kids going with Gary and Gail, not me, and I said I would like to take them. Gail purchased tickets without hearing back from Mikayla, so I decided we would crash their party and all go together. We like Gary and Gail and they like us, so we all went together. Brandt wanted to bring Ruth and Isabella wanted to bring her friend Alec, so our full car met Gary and Gail's full car and we all visited the fishes (and otters!) together. 

We all had a marvelous time. We began with the otters, but we saw everything. Some of us lingered longer at spots so we were sometimes separated. Even though we were seven big people to five little people, we lost a little person or two several times. Most everyone liked touching the creatures when we could, and we wished we could touch more creatures, like the otters. Everyone was hungry well before we were finished, but Gary and Gail had planned well with snacks, so the small people could hold out. I didn't bring any snacks for my big people, but we stopped for lunch on the way home so everyone survived. It was a really great outing. 

Everyone looking at the camera except Freya

Everyone looking at the camera except Cora

The otter is right above Freya's head

Thea looks like she's feeding the otter

Two otters in one picture!

Brandt said, "This fish looks 'special'" as in "retarded."

I said, "You look special."

We watched the penguins for a long time.

They had their names on their flippers and several of them came right up to the window and looked at us looking at them.

We stopped for a story time and heard Eric Carle's

The Very Busy Spider.

Then we got to see a red knee tarantula.

Look but no touch

Freya, Kal, Gary, and I walked into the Amazon Rainforest section.

I said, "It is warm in here."

Freya said, "And it stinks."

Neither of us was wrong.

Snack time rest

I wanted everyone on the turtle, but Isabella and Alec had become separated.

Turns out, Isabella got a picture on the turtle on her own.

    

A series of attempts to get five children to look at me simultaneously.

Success to a greater or lesser degree.

Brandt took this picture of me taking a picture of Thea --

the picture below.

I think that's Kal standing in the middle.

Brandt sporting Thea's earring.

While the rest of us were looking at sharks,

Isabella and Alec explored the gift shop.

A second series of pictures wherein we try to have everyone looking at the camera so we can get one complete group shot.

Again, success to a varying degree.

Kal was having a pout because he couldn't get what he wanted in the gift shop.

We had a great visit and then had to pass through the gift shop to leave.

The whole visit was ruined, at least for Kal, because he didn't get an overpriced toy that would break before they got home.