Monday, May 31, 2010

Mystic Aquarium

Pete had plans to go kayaking today with his dad.  There was no way I was going to stay home with the trio all day and let them drive me up a wall.  So we got ourselves dressed, packed up a few things, called my sister and niece to come over - and all of us headed to Mystic Aquarium.  It was a great trip.  Not much time for pictures as we were very much out numbered and the place was mobbed full of people. 

Surprisingly enough there wasn't any traffic going down there (it's near the shore so we figured there would be a ton of beach traffic).  We left around 10:45 and got to the area around 11:30.  The girls were hungry since it was lunch time so instead of eating at Mystic we stopped at McD's and ate lunch there.   After lunch we went right over to the aquarium and didn't get very far at all before the questions started. 'Wow - are they triplets?'  'Are all 4 of them yours?'  'That's a cool thing - where'd you get that?' (the wagon).  My sister even commented about how it was going to be a long day if this kept up because we weren't even in the door yet. 

We got a good groove going where my sister was walking with Christina and the girls were in the wagon.  But when they wanted to get out to see something my sister and I would pick them up so they could see and then put them back in.  Although Hannah spent a good amount of time outside of the wagon today - and Emily didn't want to get out of the wagon at all (too many people for her liking).  

One thing really irritated me.  And I'm going to write a letter to Mystic and let them know I'm not happy about this.  At one point we were walking over a bridge (very long bridge).  All around us was a pond full of fish and huge bull frogs.  So I pulled the wagon as close to the side as I could while still managing to be able to pull it forward.  All the while people are getting by just fine and the girls are enjoying seeing the biggest frogs they've ever seen...or heard!  But at one point I hear a guy say something along the lines of "It's not all it's cracked up to be huh?" I looked up and saw an employee standing behind the wagon.  I thought to myself 'nah...he couldn't be talking to me' so I didn't reply.  Then he said directly to me "It's cute to you but people can't even get around you."  My immediate reply was 'We do the best we can and we're here enjoying the day like everyone else.' That was it.  He waited and waited and waited until a break in 'traffic' when he finally went around us huffing and puffing.  Here's the thing.  He was (and this is by no means any exaggeration...if anything it's an under estimated weight) about 350lbs.  The guy was simply huge.  So of course he couldn't get by!  He took up the whole friggin' bridge!!!!!!  Here's what bothers me about this...1 - he works there.  He should have been nicer, maybe offered a suggestion on how to make this easier for everyone around.  And 2 - he NEVER would have said something of that nature to someone in a wheelchair.  He certainly didn't say it to any of the other moms pushing strollers....double WIDE strollers.  People - we don't take up that much space when it comes to width.  I stay in front of the wagon while pulling it and I'm very conscious of those around me (I could easily take off a few toes along the way if I'm so inclined).  Why can't people just keep their opinions to themselves? 

I think it's just that it's something 'different' and people don't like things out of the ordinary.  I'm still writing a letter to Mystic.  This wasn't called for - and I'm not standing for it.  We're not a freak show and we won't be made out to be one by an employee of the places we visit.  We also won't be made to feel any less privileged due to how we travel.

Moving on....we make our way through the aquarium seeing lots of neat things like penguins, sea lions, sharks....and whales.  The end of the exhibit is the underground view of the whale tank.  This is where I took pictures.  Not because they were whales - but because of what happened.  I wanted to keep the girls out of the way of others that were looking in the tank.  So I pulled them up to an open window area where there weren't any people (and the whales were elsewhere...).  But then - a whale swam by, caught a glimpse of the girls or the wagon or something and stopped, turned around - and came face to face with the girls while putting on a little show!  It was amazing!  It didn't take long for a crowd to form either.  I decided the girls had seen enough and I'd move to let other people in (everyone was now letting their kids JUMP over the girls to get in front of the window so they could take a picture with the whale in the background).  We moved down to another window - no one around and again...no whales.  Not even a minute later the same thing happened.  The whale swam by, saw the girls in the wagon and put his nose right up to the window on the tank as if to kiss the girls (or eat them....they are scrumptious looking after a few snacks of their own).  It was simply amazing, baffling, mystifying...what caught their eye?  What made them stay right there and just keep looking at the girls or the wagon or...who knows what?!   It was a great ending to the day.

We drove home with no traffic.  Played, waited for Pete to come home, had dinner and then it was baths, pj's, teeth, books and bed by 6:00 tonight. 

Now it's time to clean!

Here's the link to the girls blog - pics of the whale!
http://luccotriplets.blogspot.com/

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