New England Aquarium

After spending a leisurely morning with Grammie and Auntie Kim, the girls and I headed down to Boston to the aquarium. I had gotten on line before leaving home and purchased the tickets online. I highly recommend this should you go. We by-passed a huge line on a warm day and got right up to the reserved ticket window.

I lived in Boston for a year while I went to graduate school. However, I was a poor graduate student and definitely didn't have money to go to the aquarium. Not to mention I got around via bus and subway. I really had no idea how to get to the aquarium via car. You would think that knowing all this I would have printed out a map before leaving- you would be wrong. It made for an interesting adventure. It actually didn't take us too much time to get there. Despite my miserably poor sense of direction, the Big Dig having tunneled under any interstate highway I would have remembered, and my usual backwards attempt to find things (water..it is near the water..which way is the water). We made it.

The girls enjoyed the seals and penguins. They are always a big hit. The touch tank area is fun too. Grammie was able to brave the dangerous terrain and reach in to pull a crab up for petting. Leaving Chloe to brag, "My Grammie could do it."

We had lunch in the cafe. The hit the gift shop on the way out where the girls each picked out a new stuffed animal. That way they can join the mass of 50+ other stuffed animals in their bedrooms. Should those suckers ever organize in some kind of real life Toy Story adventure we are done for. The best for me was the check out guy at the gift shop who was rapping his way through each transaction. I admire people who can be upbeat and fun even at the most mundane jobs. The guy was a riot!

Everyone had a good time even though it was really crowded. We seemed to spend the perfect amount of time there. Not being one of those parents that feels like they need to drag their kids through each and every exhibit to get their money's worth (although I do appreciate those people- they help make my kids look like the well behaved ones). I am content to leave when ever the kids seem to reach the point where they are getting weary.


Unfortunately, my car seems to be rebelling against any traveling I do this summer. On the way out my check engine light came on AGAIN. I called and found a place in Manchester that can look at it in the morning. Considering all the work I just had done on it I am more than a little annoyed. I am going to run it in early and hope for the best. Grammie says she can watch the kids. Maybe this way I won't have my dog up in the car lift like I did the last time. Although it may have had them take pity on me.