Mom of 2 Boys: Newport Aquarium

After J1’s doctor appointment we met my MIL at Fred Meyer for lunch. The mister and I hadn’t eaten breakfast because we were going to pick something up on the way but didn’t have time. Apparently my fault because we didn’t leave when he said we should. Here is the scene: Me: running around trying to get the kids fed and dressed, make sure they have food for the trip, get dressed myself, change diapers, pack the diaper bag, gather my cameras etc. - The mister: lying on the couch watching TV. Par for the course. So as we are driving and he mentions that we should have left at 9 instead of 9:15 I asked him if it would work if I just gave him instructions on how to help me get ready. I made sure he knew I wasn’t being snarky, I just really needed to know. He said, “I guess”. My BFF and I have talked about this many times as it isn’t new and she has been saying I need to just give him directions. Even things I have read say this but I have been hesitant because I don’t want to be a nag. I guess there is a line between soliciting help and being a nag and I need to locate it so that I am not coming off as a martyr which is annoying. Anyway, we were starving so we went to Freddies because the mister’s friend works there and they also sell the fishing license that he needed to go fishing with said friend tomorrow. We loaded up on food and then headed to the Aquarium.

They have a couple of places where you are allowed to touch the sealife – skates, sea anemones, starfish and fish. Both boys really enjoyed that but I don’t know if it was just playing in the water that J2 liked. Then J1 and the mister watched them feed the otters and then on to the seals and sea lions. They also have an octopus but the only thing I have ever seen of that is part of one leg and this time was no different. They have an aviary but it was closed. I’m not too into birds anyway so I didn’t really care. The coolest exhibit they have there is the Oceans of the Deep which is a tunnel-type walkway that has fish 360 around you. Very cool! There was one floor “window” that was pretty clear and J2 found himself standing on it. He came to an abrupt halt, stared down for a minute and then very carefully stepped off. It was pretty funny. After that he made sure to steer clear of that area. That is really the last exhibit so we walked a nature trail to the kid’s play area and hung there for a while. Oh, we also stopped at a gift shop where Gramma bought each boy a prize. I tried to get J1 to get a stick with a track inside and with small BBs that rolled down it – I figured he would like it as a light saber (or light "saver" if you are 3), a gun and a ship – the three things he makes out of anything that even remotely looks like a stick. No go – he was torn between a stick with a shark head on the end and a diver guy bath toy whose flippers move. He chose the diver guy because “he flies like a superhero”. Well, he played with it for 3 hours and just now came up and told me he is done with the guy and now wanted the shark head. “We have to go back to the zoo and get it,” he says. Fickle boy - and funny he thought we were at the zoo! J2 got a stuffed clown fish – I liked the frog but he apparently preferred the fish. Oh well, it wasn’t for me. I did get an aluminum water bottle – red with the Oregon Coast Aquarium logo on it – very nice. We are back at the house now just chilling. The mister is headed back to Newport early to go fishing and we are stuck without a vehicle and no park so it should be interesting. My MIL has her friend so they are busy, understandably so. Oh well, we often stay around the house but at we do have a backyard with toys. Tomorrow night the mister and I are headed to our anniversary dinner at the Blackfish Café and the Grammas will babysit. Good times.