5 Rules of a Special Outing

Sissy inside the clown fish tank

Today Daddy took off work to spend a special day with us.  We packed everyone in the car and headed for an aquarium in a nearby town.   While the overall day was a success, many individual moments felt much more like failures.  Then I realized something… there are rules to a special outing, and you'll do better if you know what to expect.

Enthralled with the fish

1.  Your camera will malfunction.  I use my phone as a camera.  On the way to the aquarium I noticed that my phone wasn’t charged despite being plugged in all night.  Then it mysteriously shut off.  Despite several attempts, it never turned back on.  Of course on the way home it magically turned on and charged just fine. 

2.  Parking will be twice as hard as it should be.  We pulled into the parking garage in high spirits, so very ready to be out of the car and looking at beautiful fish.  We slowly circled… no spots, and circled… no spots, and circled… no spots, until we were funneled out of the garage.  The kind attendant didn’t make us pay the $1.75 we owed and apologized.  Apparently the aquarium won’t let them put up a FULL sign so we had toured the already at capacity garage for no reason.   She gave us directions to the next garage several blocks away.  We pulled out feeling a bit defeated.

3.  You will encounter an inexplicably rude mother.  In this case the rude mother had parked her double stroller in the entrance to the bathroom blocking most of the door.  Neither of her children was in the stroller of course, and all three of them were crouched in the remaining portion of the doorway.  I waited much longer than was reasonable for her to move out of the way.  Finally, I finagled the twins in my double stroller, Sissy and myself through the tiny space.  Once I was through, she yelled at my back, “This would have been much easier if you’d let me go out first!”  You don’t say. 

4.  At least one child will feel ill.  Both of the twins refused to eat, had upset tummies, diarrhea, and mild fevers.  They were both generally unimpressed we had taken them to a loud crowded place where they couldn’t even play.  

5.  One magic moment will make it all worth it… you hope!  There is one part of the tour where the aquarium is shaped like a giant tunnel and you are able to walk through shark infested waters.  It is a truly amazing experience, and all of the kids (and Daddy) stared in awe as bull sharks, saw tooth sharks, tarpon, giant grouper and many other fish swam beside and above us.  Of course we don’t have any pictures thanks to Rule #1, but the memory is magical enough. 

Happy summer!