One of my favorite trips ever taken was with my sweet pea to the Seattle Aqurium. Although it was a 3 hour trip there, then back, I think she liked it! It started in the morning about 8:00, and trying to get her up and going without telling her why we had to get up and get ready wasn't easy. We got dressed and ready, did our morning Sponge Bob, eat, went to the bathroom, (which wasn't the last but always a good start!) then loaded the car.
"So where are we going daddy?" I told her it was a suprize, "the duck pond", I could tell she was excited about the duck pond, but today was not the day for the duck pond. We couldn't take a detour for that now, it was in the other direction and we had to get going on the road.
"Nope, somewhere even better", what could be better then the duck pond, um, hello, an aqurium!!! "So we're going to Chuck E Chesse!!!!!" It was at this point I knew I was good and there was no way she was going to guess it. . . "nope, not today." I had a smile from ear to ear as I finished filling up the car with gas. She came inside with me to get a snack and a bug juice, one of her favorites she tells me.
Back in the car, seatbelts on, sun glasses on,(which is another story I must tell, remind me a bit later. . . )music in and playing and off we go, headed to Seattle! A pictuer before we really get out of town.
"I was giving you bunny ears daddy, can you see it?" She was laughing and I had no clue why tell she told me that. Yes, it was going to be a great trip! I could hardly keep it in where we were going, and she wasn't going to stop asking. . . she would do it right after singing a song, so when we stopped somewhere for a bathroom break. She was good, but daddy was deturmind to keep it a surprize.
We made it to Seattle around 11:45, found a parking garage, and walked around. We grabbed a bite to eat, and started walking to the port. She was so excited when she saw all of the water and boats. I told her the best part was inside that building, that's where we were going. "Okay, then let's go, come on. . . " How can you not laugh at that? So cute, so onward we went. There is a big glass wall of fish just inside and she was loving it.
"Look at that one, oh, and that one. What is that daddy?" I had no clue, but I was loving the moment and had no interest in letting it end. "Let's go sweet pea, there is so much more, we haven't even made it inside yet."
"Woo, really, okay, yeah, let's go, but then we'll come back and look here again, k." Yeah, she knew I was going everywhere she wanted to go. Let's just face it, she has me like no other person can! LoL
So around the corner was a splash tank, which scard her at first, so we didn't spend too much time there, but when we made it to the main lobby, oh yes, there was soo much to see and do, and see was going to see it all!! First, there was a couple of touch ponds. All kinds of star fish and what not you could touch. She needed some comforting and daddy went first, but after that, she was touching everything. Laughing a ton and a smile the whole time! Tring to get her to look and me and do it for a pic was a little bit harder, but we managed whith what we got.
There were cut outs of different animals, and she wanted pictures in each of them, so first we looked at the octipus, then she wanted a picture as one. So to complete it, I had a few more in mind, what do you think, does a daddy know or what. . .
There is a new shark thing going on there in the main area, they are looking for sharks in the port, and I guess they are having good luck because we saw one on the camera, then we had a picture next to the one on the wall just to see how big they are. "Wow, they are really big, hu?" Another smile on my face, she doesn't even have to try. "They sure are, bigger then me aren't they." With a wide eyed look came, " Oh yeah, I bet they are even bigger then anyone."
We started to walk through the big fish exhibits, of course, Dory was there and I was required to get a picture of her. Which I had no problem doing, as I did, one of my favorties came swimming by. I had a few extra pictures to take for myself. It is one of my dreams to swim with sharks, I can't wait till it happens, and it will! As we continued on, we got to see the otters eat and seals play and eat. They were all very playful and not very camera shy, which Britney loved. I think she was want to join in and play with them.
So as our visit was coming to an end, we ended up in the gift shop, get place for an aqurium to have the exit. We looked around, got a few things, and poor Britney had a sad face as children do when they don't want to leave, so being the daddy that I am, I asked, "you want to sneak back in and go through again?"
"Can we? YES!!!" and so we did. I know I have it bad, but I just couldn't help myself. We went through one more time, touching, laughing, and just watching. Afterwards, we grabbed something to eat in their cafe'. Britney grabbed an octopus cookie, she thought that was the greatest thing. As we made our way back to the car, she asked if we really had to go back home. "I'm not tired or anything daddy" she told me. I had to explain that we had to go back because of the time, not because she was tired. So we got into the car, and by the time we made it out of the city, she was fast asleep. It was a great day, a great trip, and I will always hold that memory close to my heart. Enjoy the pictures and the memory!
