Part Two

One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to The Monterey Bay Aquarium.  It is one of the biggest and best in the world... the kids were in heaven. Well, most of the kids.  Norah loved it but she was so tired from all the excitement that we had a few mishaps...

Exhibit A: The Touchpools

If you look closely, in the back left of this picture there is a starfish, a live starfish.  Norah was enjoying herself, touching the seaweed and the abalone when she suddenly noticed a bright orange star that she just had to have.  If any of you have been to the aquarium, this one in particular, you will know that everyone there is very animal rights friendly, save the Earth and our Oceans, etc., etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that.  Is just makes it all the worse when the following occurs:

Norah picks the starfish up out of the water.

Me: (horrified because people are staring) "Norah, we don't pick that up- it needs to stay in the water.  You can touch it but please put it back."

Norah: "Nooooo!"

Me: "Put it in the water, Norah"

She tightens her grip on the starfish.

At this point I give up trying to talk to her and try to get it out of her hands. She does not want to let the it go.  We are wrestling with it when she finally decides that she will take charge and she proceeds to take it and hurl it on the ground!

I am mortified and people are giving me the "why can't that woman control her child look".  I scramble to pick up the starfish, hoping that it is still alive, put it back into the pool, grab Norah and book it out of there expecting security to stop me at any moment. Luckily we weren't arrested for a starfish murder.

That was just one of the many fun moments!

Emma and Norah

Norah and Jonas in the whale exhibit

The seahorse exhibit was one of the favorites!

The next day, Kassy and I took the kids to Dennis the Menace Park.  It is a massive park in Monterey with paddle boats and all the works- need I say more?

Where's Norah?

The roller slide was definitely the favorite

Still more to come...