Christmas at the Aquarium

This morning we had reservations for Breakfast With Santa at the aquarium. So we had to get an early start. Marina decided to wear her mermaid scales dress. Ainsley wore the same dress as last night. Fortunately we didn’t run into much traffic and we arrived right on time.

We met more friends for breakfast. We had a bit of a wait for our table and when we were finally seated we were very disappointed with our table. It was a booth that was too crowded for all of us and we couldn’t see the tank at all. We asked for another table but were told they didn’t have one. So breakfast wasn’t as fun as we hoped. Santa came by our table when we asked, so we got a couple for photos.

After breakfast, some of us decided to go through the aquarium. We’ve been many times, but we all still enjoy it. One of the tigers was pacing around and the stingrays were friendly in the touch pool. After we went through once, we decided to go back and see the mermaid show.

We hung around for the mermaid meet and greet, then we headed for home.

Winter in the Tropics

The butterfly museum was having a “Winter in the Tropics” event with Moana and we wanted to be there for it. Marina wore her tropical Mickey Mouse dress and a yellow flower in her for the occasion.

We arrived a bit before the event, so we looked around the insect area. Marina held Rosie the tarantula and got a sticker. Then we looked at the aquarium area. She always likes looking at the fish. She even decided to touch the sea stars on display.

It was time for the Moana meet and greet. It was in the butterfly exhibit – our favorite. There were more butterflies than I remembered seeing there before. Some of them were the size of small birds! We walked around the perimeter to where Moana was. She remembered us from the Christmas concert.

After spending a few minutes with her, we wandered around the exhibit. Several small butterflies landed on the flower in Marina’s hair. She was thrilled. One was so determined that a volunteer had to remove it. Another large one landed on both of our clothes. The butterflies were very friendly today!

We went into the invertebrate section where Marina refused to see the glow in the dark scorpions, which were really interesting. The other bugs there grossed her out as well.

We went back into butterfly exhibit for a Moana concert. The ground was damp, so Marina shared her jacket with two other girls to sit on. After the concert we said goodbye to Moana, went through the insect area one more time before heading home.

Fishing You A Merry Christmas

Marina and I have been going to the Aquarium Breakfast with Santa for six years now. Marina decided to wear a new Ariel costume, the dress she wore on her tour of the countryside. She looked really pretty in it.

We were given a table with a great view of the tank and more space than most. It was perfect. We were all hungry so we went to the buffet right away. Marina ate lots of eggs and bacon as well as a waffle.

We had a great view of the mermaids while they were swimming. Santa made a brief stop at our table before her went in as well. Marina spent much of that time interacting with the smaller children who came to the tank to watch.

After breakfast, we browsed the gift shop for a little while. Then  Marina and I went into the Aquarium. It had been a year since our last visit, so it was nice to see it again. Marina even posed for a few Ariel themed photos for me. We made sure we were in place for the mermaid show and at the end of the show we waited a little while to made sure we got a photo with the mermaid as well.

After going through the Aquarium, we went to the 4D theater for a show. The next movie was Coastal Predators, and Marina thought that would be good. We ended up waiting for quite a while, so the movie attendant said we could stay and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as well. We were happy to do that! The theater has been revamped and had some surprising new features – including being poked in the back and feeling like little fish were at our feet. There were some sprays of water. After each show we were laughing.

Once the movies were over, we decided to go home.

Santa in the Water Room

Breakfast with Santa has been a tradition for us every December. Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy also enjoy going with us. We made plans to go this morning with them and we invited Michelle to join us.

We arrived right on time but it appeared that the table they planned to seat us at wasn’t ready, so we were led to the Water Room – a small space set apart from the dining room with perfect views of the tanks. We were thrilled to be sitting there!

We went to the buffet line and loaded up our plates, then we sat down to enjoy our spectacular view. As we ate the mermaids swam in the tanks. We could see them in the tanks in the dining room. Soon they swam into the tanks in front of us, it was like a private show!

Santa stopped by our tables last. We took photos before he headed into the tanks for his swim. Once again, we got a personal viewing of the water show.

After breakfast, we encountered some animal meet and greets. We saw a coral snake and two rats. Marina was happy to pet them all. We bought tickets for the aquarium and went inside. Michelle used to go to the aquarium often when she was little, but it had been years since her last trip. She enjoyed seeing it all again.

We passed by the Archer Fish who were being fed. Michelle and Marina each took a turn. They held a live cricket over the tank and the fish squirted water at it to get them to drop the cricket into the water. It was funny to watch!

After we made went through the Aquarium we went to the 4D theater to see The Polar Express. It was a festive way to end our day.

A Day With Mermaids

The aquarium had a Mermaid Breakfast this morning. We invited Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy to join us. Naturally, Marina wanted to wear her Ariel costume.

We met Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy at the aquarium and went right in for breakfast. We were seated right next to one of the tanks. Before we got our food Marina had her picture taken with two mermaids who were near the entrance.

By this time, Marina was starving. So we went through the buffet line and filled up our plates. While she was eating, Marina lost another tooth! It took a little while for it to stop bleeding.

After breakfast we watched an animal demonstration outside the aquarium. It featured turtles, a hawk, a bearcat and a macaw. Then we got our tickets for the aquarium. Marina seemed to be in a hurry to get through the exhibits and I constantly had to ask her to slow down. We caught the end of the mermaid show and actually ended up with a great view of them in the water.

While going through the aquarium, Marina completed a scavenger hunt. So when we finished going through we went to the classroom for her to pick out a prize. There were also a few activities for her to try.

Once outside the Aquarium, Marina rode the carousel and we watched the 4D movie. Then we went back inside where Marina had her picture taken with the mermaids and got into the face painting line. She chose to have a black cat on one arm and a grey one on the other!

Once we were done with all that, we were ready to go home. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home with the cats.

Mermaid Birthday

This year, Marina wanted to swim with the mermaids at the aquarium. We met her firends and their families there for the party. The girls amused themselves until the party planner showed up to start the swimming.

First, the girls changed into their swimming suits. Then we went up to the top of the tank where they would be swimming. They were all fitted for wet suits, flippers and masks. As they waited to get in, we got to watch the mermaid show before they got into the water.

Marina got into the water first, she was able to fit her mermaid tail over her wetsuit, so she wore it into the water. She needed a bit of help to get there! After they were all in the water, I went to see them from inside the aquarium.

Another mermaid show went on when I got there and I could see the girls’ legs in the background as the show went on. We could also see Marina’s pink mermaid tail. Many of the people around me thought it was one of the aquarium mermaids! When it was time for them to get out, another mermaid show was beginning.

Once the girls dried off and dressed, we went into the restaurant and had lunch. We were all really hungry by then. We all enjoyed lunch followed by birthday cake.

After lunch, we took us on a tour of the Aquarium. Of course, we’ve been there many times, so it was all pretty familiar to us. At the end of the tour, the mermaids were having a meet and greet, so we got some pictures with them outside the water. The girls pet the stingrays for a little while, before we collected our belongings and left. We were all pretty tired by then.

Friends, Fish and Festivities

Marina and Ainsley woke up fairly early this morning. That was a good thing because we had reservations for Breakfast with Santa at the aquarium. The girls decided to wear Ariel dresses for the occasion. I also put sparkly makeup on them.

At the aquarium, we met Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy. Our table was near one of the fish tanks and the food buffet. We quickly got into line for food. Sharkey, the Aquarium mascot, came up behind the girls as they settled in and scared them. Then he stayed for photographs.

While we ate our breakfast, the mermaids started swimming in the tanks. Both girls got up to get a better look. Once they were done, Santa came by our table for a short visit. A little while later, Santa and one of his elves went swimming in the tank. Marina and Ainsley didn’t watch that for very long. They were more interested in finishing their breakfast.

Next, we all went into the Aquarium. Ainsley was taking pictures of nearly every animal she saw. We had missed the mermaid show but arrived in time for the meet and greet. We also spent a while at the stingray pool. The stingrays were acting friendly and the girls were able to touch quite a few of them.

We went back through the exhibit mainly to see the mermaid show. Ainsley didn’t seem too excited until it started. The girls were right up by the glass and had a terrific view of the show. Ainsley was quite impressed. Once our second trip through the aquarium was done we headed out for our next adventure.

Christmas in the Ocean

One of our favorite Christmas activities is the Breakfast with Santa at the aquarium. We haven’t been to the aquarium in a while, so it was an even bigger treat.

Marina surprised me by wanting to wear her Ariel costume today. The last time we went she didn’t wear it. It was a chilly day, so Marina wore layers underneath but she still looked like a mermaid! She also brought her Marina mermaid doll.

Once we were seated in the restaurant, we immediate went to the buffet line – we were both ready to eat! While we were enjoying our food, the mermaids made their appearance in the restaurant tanks. As usual, Marina was delighted to see them.

Shortly after the mermaids showed up, Santa made his appearance. He made time to stop at every table and visit with the children. Once his rounds were over, he and one of his elves took a swim in the tanks. Marina even gave him a high-five.

Once we were finished with breakfast, we headed into the Aquarium. We visited all of our favorite exhibit but made sure we were on time for the mermaid show. After the mermaid show, we saw a swimming tiger demonstration. Once we saw all the exhibits, we stopped for a meet and greet with the mermaids.

Once we finished our tour of the aquarium we headed home. 

Fish and Fun

Marina and I had trouble deciding what we wanted to do today. At the same time, we both thought about the Aquarium. Marina decided she did not want to wear her Ariel costume. Instead she chose an Ariel shirt and took her Ariel plush doll with her.

On our way in, Marina tripped and fell, skinning her knee pretty badly. So after we got our tickets, we found the first aid station. A very caring employee cleaned and bandaged up her knee. Marina even got a sticker that said "I love the Mystic Mermaids." Once she was cleaned up, she hobbled into the Aquarium.

The sea otters put on a show for us and it seemed like the fish were more active than usual. We missed the mermaid show, but we caught up with them at the meet and greet.

We went into the restaurant for lunch. While we were waiting for our food, we got to see the mermaids swim. March got to see them pretty close up. Once their show was over, our food arrived and we sat down to eat.

Lunch took longer than we expected, so we hurried into the area for the next mermaid show. It was already packed and Marina had a hard time just finding a place where she could see.

We wandered through the aquarium but it was so crowded we couldn't look at everything as we would have liked to. So we watched the 4D movies which bumped us around quite a bit. Then we headed home.

Christmas Fishes

After a wonderful Breakfast with Santa at the Aquarium last year, we had to go again this year.We invited our friends Chuck and Judy to come with us. We were all looking forward to it.Marina, as usual, chose to wear her Ariel costume. We even added body glitter and sparkly eye make up to her ensemble. She topped it off with her pink princess Santa hat. She brought Saige along in her mermaid costume as well.

We arrived a bit early so we all had settled into eating our delicious breakfasts before Santa arrived. We were all amazed at how much Marina ate. First he made the rounds to all the tables. Just like last year, when he arrived at our table the mermaids showed up in the tank behind us. We had a wonderful view of them swimming. Chuck and Judy were especially thrilled.

After visiting each table, Santa and one of his elves took a dip in the tank as well. We had a huge group of kids around our table for quite a while. But it was fun!

After breakfast, we went on a trip through the Aquarium. We missed the first mermaid show, but halfway through we saw the mermaids being wheeled out to their meet and greet location. At that point, Marina didn't want to do anything but see them. So, we quickly went through the rest of the exhibits to their spot.

When she got her turn to pose with the mermaids, they all loved Marina's costume and looked Saige's outfit over closely.

We had tickets for the 4D theater, so we headed to see the shows. They were showing short films based on Ice Age and The Polar Express. Marina loved them.

We went back into he Aquarium. The sea otters and the tigers were quite active, so we watched them for a while. Marina took video of several of the exhibits. We also got to see the mermaids' holiday show.

After we finished our second trip through the Aquarium, we were tired and ready to go home. It was a great start to her Christmas break!

Swimming Celebration

Every time we go to the aquarium, Marina points out to me that you an sign up to snorkle or scuba dive in one of the tanks. So she was very excited when she was invited to her friend Brianne's birthday party. The party was at the aquarium and they would be swimming with the fish in the same tank the mermaids use.

The girls spent much of the morning getting dressed and learning how to snorkle. They were told not to touch the fish but that the turtles tend to be friendly. The equipment they had did not allow them to dive into the water, so they had to stay near the top.

After the morning mermaid show, the girls got their chance to swim. Marina waved as soon as she saw me. Some of  the other girls did as well. Marina didn't explore the tank as much as some of the other girls did. She seemed to be doing as much socializing as swimming. After a while, she didn't put her face in the water much at all. She told me later that she swallowed a lot of water and it made her feel sick. After she got out of the water, she took her fins off - then they both fell into the tank! It was  funny to see them slowly sink to the bottom.

After the girls dried off and changed their clothes, they each got a t-shirt that said, "I Swam With the Sharks." (apparently there were a few nurse sharks in the tank with the fish.) Of course, they all put them on. By then they were all hungry, so they quickly settled in the restaurant for lunch.

I think that's one item Marina can check off her bucket list!

Fish and Family

Many of our Florida relatives are still in town, so we all decided to meet up at the aquarium. We haven’t been there in a while, so Marina was excited to go. Of course, she wore her Ariel costume.

We arrived fairly early and there was a huge line to get in. We made lunch reservations for everyone then waited to get our tickets. Once we were through the line we only had half an hour to go through the Aquarium. We went through somewhat quickly and we caught the end of the mermaid show. That made Marina happy.

When we reached the end we had just enough time for Marina to have her picture taken with the mermaids. Then we headed to the restaurant to meet the rest of the family for lunch.

After lunch, we went through the Aquarium again. When we reached the tank where the mermaids swim, Marina sat down to wait for the next show. The family found seats as well. We’d been talking so much about the mermaids that they wanted to see them for themselves!

We were a bit disappointed that we missed the meet and greet with the mermaids afterwards. But everyone seemed to have a good time. Our Florida relatives went straight from the Aquarium to the airport. We’d had a lot of fun with them. Hopefully we’ll get to see them in their state soon!

Before we left, Marina rode the carousel. Then we checked out the kids play area – one we didn’t even know was there!  Marina had a lot of fun climbing around on the sea creatures before we headed home.