Thursday, July 5, 2012

More Boston Fun... New England Aquarium (and more shopping)!

I've managed to do these entries totally out of order but I suppose as long as they make it up, that's all that counts, right?  So last week we managed not just one, but two trips into Boston.  The first with my parents to the Childrens Museum and the second with the goal of New England Aquarium.

However, the Spanish Marcus family has trouble getting their butts out the door at a reasonable time.  Sure, I was up with the sun at 5, but after a run, doing some work, some laundry and just having a lazy morning, we barely made it out the door on time and then forgot we had to make a stop on the way.  So by the time we met up with Michelle in Boston it was almost 11:30.  So much for our original time of 10! 

Normally this would not be an issue but due to lots of holiday festivities and the Tall Ships being in Boston, the aquarium was PACKED!  Like a 40 minute line to get in and it was already 11:30.  I could already envision walking in and the boys saying "I'm hungry" within 5 minutes.  And so I abandoned ship and said let's get lunch early and then go to the aquarium.  Ahhhh, thank god for American food times.  Because unlike in Spain, everything was already early even though it wasn't even 12.  I will admit, it felt a bit obscenely early to be eating lunch before 12 which just goes to show that Spain has had at least a little influence on me!! 

After lunch Michelle actually had to head out for a wedding so the kids and I went (much to their dislike) shopping!!!  Yes, more shopping.  And in my defense, it was pretty much all for them except for a few gifts to bring back to Barcelona.  We hit Build A Bear (because we absolutely needed to have more stuffed animals!) and GapKids and after that we went to the aquarium.

Fanueil Hall

More Fanueil Hall

I have absolutely no idea why there was a giant macaroni here bu the kids loved it...

Hooray!  Build A Bear!!

Giving the heart some love....

I probably should have had him hold up the dog rather than the box but you get the idea, he's happy!

You are the greatest mom on earth (ok, he didn't really say that but I'm sure he was thinking it)

Of course by then, they were pretty much done with Boston.  We were going to skip the aquarium and go back a different day but Liam absolutely insisted that he wanted to go and why doesn't he ever get a turn to pick?????  So we went.  And he was in meltdown mode most of the time. 
Look Mom, it's a penguin!!

New touch tank - the boys loved it!

Aidan touching a ray

Jellies

Penguins

Seadragons

So I thought these were whale shark bones and told Liam they were because he loves whale sharks...only to get to the aquarium and find out that they are not whale shark (and I've already forgotten what type of whale they are) - he was downright pissed off that I was wrong!

The other touch tank

85 year old turtle

Liam and the turtle

The divers doing a feeding

Ice cream after the aquarium

Mmmmm ice cream....

But they still loved it and the cool thing is that the aquarium had done some upgrades in the last year so there were some things that were new to us... a nice treat!  Within an hour though, they were done.  And so off we went for some ice cream and then to do the long rush hour drive back to Easton to my parents.  It was a great, though exhausting, day and a much needed free evening of rest for us all.  As a matter of fact, Liam fell asleep on the way home and didn't get up again til the morning - I think that says it all. Apparently we have been partying just a wee bit much...but hey, go big or go home...

Besos,
Julie

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