charleston part one: the aquarium

At the very end of June, P-dubs and I did something we rarely do with the girls--we had a little outing with just the four of us. I don't even know if we've ever traveled with them alone besides their first Christmas when we headed home to NH. {And that almost doesn't  count because they almost slept through both flights. Almost.} We go places with just the girls around Charlotte quite a bit but with both sides of the family living close by even those events are few and far between. We love it, really. The more the merrier and with two on the loose the more eyes/hands/people-in-general the better. {And these girls are surprisingly fast; so, really, it's the more the safer around here.} Plus, these kids are pure entertainment. I would want to hang out with them, too. Even if they weren't my children. 

Paul and I decided to leave a few days early for his family's annual trip to the beach so we could stop by Charleston and take the girls to the aquarium. We had been there once before and thought the girls were old enough to appreciate it. I'm so relieved to say that they did--otherwise it would have been a pretty horrific experience. Coming from the New England area where we were 'close' (in New England terms) to the aquarium in Boston, this was no New England Aquarium. {Except it really isn't all that different because fish are fish, right? And a one-year-old is going to think they're amazing no matter what.}

 

Notice the sweet curls on only one side of my child's head. Oh, that would be because she has taken to twirling her hair into some pretty impressive knots. Any tips to break THAT little habit would be greatly appreciated. Before she is bald.

 

Fedoras, anyone?

The jelly fish were a favorite. Fascinating little creatures. You'll notice a clear difference in our offspring's attention spans. Lo could have probably stayed at the jelly fish for twenty minutes, whereas, CG took note of all 32 of them in about 15 seconds and was ready to move on to the next most amazing thing she'd ever seen in her life. {This applied to all animals until the pelican. There was just something about that guy.}

A crab and a sargassum fish. {If you've ever taught second grade in CMS you would be fully prepared to bust out a nifty little poem about this crazy-looking fish.} 

THE PELICAN!!

Oh, this face. 'What?! He's just so...silly!'

They thought his splashing was the most hilarious thing they'd ever seen. It was pretty funny, I guess?

Lo ready to climb in with the sting rays. Umm no. 

She's so happy here because she was headed back over to Mr. Hilarious Pelican and was quite sure I was going to at least let her climb in the tank with him. Again. No. 

And CG wasn't ready to leave, for once, because what is he doing?!? 

The closest she got to a beloved sea creature. 

Birds are also pretty neat, though. 

And I'm pretty sure the SC Aquarium has got this on NE--an albino alligator. 

And that was that. Bye, fishies! Time for {another} snack. 

We loved the time at the aquarium and the time we had alone the next day but, I will say, traveling without the extra hands we so often have made the experience a little sweatier and produced really poor pictures. When you're trying to witness two reactions while taking a picture and trying not to lose a toddler, it gets tricky. 

Part dos of Charleston was not nearly as fun/smooth/rainbows-and-sea-turtles, let me just say. But those stories are often the better ones anyways. {At least, that is what I totally force myself to believe on a daily basis. I'm not the only one, right? Right?!}