Seattle Aquarium

When we went to the Woodland Park Zoo a while back, I purchased a city pass--tickets to 5 Seattle area venues that are good (one time at each venue) until March 31st. Today we visited the Seattle aquarium. What fun! The kids loved it. Marine biology used to be a passion of mine. I've forgotten most of what I learned in the numerous classes I once took...but I still find looking at fish calming. Scratch that. There is nothing calming about watching fish while one toddler runs one way at top speed in a dark aquarium tunnel and the other toddler runs the other way at top speed. But--in theory--looking at fish is calming. I've always wanted to have an entire wall in a house, preferably my bedroom wall, as an aquarium. Not realistic. Instead, for Valentine's day the year after we were first married, Tadd bought me one fish. I named her Frances and took care of her for a year and a half until she died. Almost like a wall aquarium : )

This picture is out of focus but somewhat cool. We were watching scuba divers hand feed fish in an 18 x 38 ' aquarium. A million pounds of fish, water and scuba divers all held back by one foot of high quality fiberglass window. Ezra volunteered to give the diver a "high five" through the glass to show how thick it was.

It's hard to get too many good pictures while chasing toddlers and juggling a back pack and camera alone. But I did manage to take enough to make this post way too long. The kids had fun looking at the animals in these colorful paintings.

Octopus Caroline (and a small boy who wouldn't leave my photo, I assume no one knows him so his privacy is somewhat intact).

Playing with the sea life on the felt story board.

First you have to knock down all the animals, then start with a clean slate--er, felt.

We ventured upstairs for "toddler time". I'm not sure how many days a week the aquarium sponsors these activities--but I highly recommend them. It goes from 9-12. Call ahead to see when it is scheduled if you have toddlers. The room is filled with arts, crafts, books, stuffed sea life animals, a pretend fishing pond and real animals in small tupperware for feeling and learning about from aquarium staff. We had a grand time. First, the kids painted small rubber fish and then made imprints. These photos are not great. I was squished in a corner with a huge backpack on and couldn't move around for picture taking.

Caroline chose a skate to paint. And Ezra chose...um, I don't know. It's a fish.

The finished products hung on the wall to dry while we kept playing.

Then we went to the craft station to make paper plate sea turtles. So fun!

Ezra trying on a stuffed whale costume in the stuffed animal corner. He wrestled with some other boy's mother for this stuffed animal. She won (thankfully) and then later made her son give it to Ezra for a turn : ) Kids sure do keep me humble--and humiliated. Funny how one begets the other.

It was a fabulously gorgeous day. Clear and cold. The view of the city from the docks outside the aquarium.

She walks slowly, slowly, slowly...

And he charges ahead at full throttle "I'm going to run away from you!"

She had to touch all the exhibits. I know, there aren't many pictures of fish here. Funny thing--it's all my kids. How did that happen? I must be a mom. Plus, the coolest exhibits require "no flash".

After we paid the parking garage double the entrance fee to the aquarium, we drove back up the hill from the water front to 7th and Pike to visit daddy at work! Two different parking garages down town in just one day--lucky me! We stopped by Starbucks (they have a couple in Seattle) and bought daddy a love offering--a double short Americano. He has a new office we hadn't yet seen. Lunch in his office is much better than in the car.

Ahhhh, isn't he cute?

This is looking straight out his window. You can hardly tell, but in between the two buildings you can see a sliver of the water.

And that wraps up our day at the aquarium. We came home and napped (Caroline), refused to nap (Ezra) and tried to get chores done (mommy) before heading to the high school parking lot for a bike riding session. Whew. I'm tired, how about you? Night folks!