Aquarium Hell

We went to the aquarium today. Typically June is awful in Seattle but a downpour just after the first day of summer still gets you where it hurts. So, even though all of the summer clothes are at the top of the pile, you dig down deep, pull out the raincoat, pack up all the bags with everything but the kitchen sink, and push yourself out of the house. We did it with four kids though, and that is not easy even on a nice day.

These days, being in the car = snack time. When did that happen? Why does getting buckled into the 5-point harness trigger the pavlovian need for goldfish? and water, of course. Also, my two-year old is a total repeater "watey?, watey? watey? water?". Are all two-year olds this way?

All I remember from the aquarium was receiving the knowing smiles from other parents as they passed by our scene. Sylvie laying on the floor in utter desperation screaming at the top of her lungs to carry her snack-trap. I wanted to say something like "we are having a two-year old moment" or "it's just one of those days" but, and this was the highlight of my day, I realized that I didn't even have to. Most of the parents had older kids, so they already knew exactly what I was going through. I got alot of kind looks. There weren't alot of other two-year olds there, duly noted.

The worst part was having a kicking, screaming, going limp, temper tantrum child in my arms while pregnant. There really is no comfortable way to deal with that, as if there ever is. Oh yeah, on the ramp up to see the otters, my adorable daughter was screaming "I want booty" over and over as if she was in the middle of a marathon and her body could not survive without the popped corn cheddar air that is Pirate Booty (or baby crack as it has been called).

I literally ran by the toddler watershed play area. No way was I going to risk having to leave that place eventually, y'know what I mean?

It will be a long time before we go back, not because I don't love to see the otters rubbing each other on their backs, or the peaceful tropical fish stripped from their paradise home waters, but because it doesn't look that good as a big, watery, blur.