Bet you think I forgot all about this list huh? Well, you’d be right. I totally 100% did. I also don’t blog quite as much as I used to. I always thought that when I started staying at home I would have more time for stuff like this. Nope. Two kids is a full time job folks. Heck, one kid is a full time job. I digress. So number 48 on my forgotten and neglected list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days was to take Carter to the aquarium. Even though I wasn’t physically there, I’m going to mark it off the list anyway because the goal was really for Carter to go to a big aquarium, not that I was the parent that had to take him.
Justin had a brilliant idea a few weeks back to pick Carter up from school on a Tuesday and drive to Chattanooga to spend the night. The next morning they would wake up and he would take Carter to the Tennessee Aquarium. This was just too much for a 6 month old, so me and Garrett opted to stay home. I also wanted Carter to have some one on one time with daddy. He is out of town so much and when he’s in town it’s great to be together as a family, but ever since Garrett came along, Carter hasn’t had much one on one time with me or with Justin. So I thought it was a great idea to make a trip all about him. It also just so happened to fall on my birthday. So they got to have fun at a super awesome aquarium and I got to stay home with the baby that sleeps 18 hours a day. Win win for everyone!!!
We really thought Carter would take a small nap on the way to TN after school but not so much. He was too excited. They got to the hotel and Carter even wanted to roll his own bag into the hotel lobby. He watches daddy roll his luggage around so much and I think he wanted to copy him. After they checked in they went to the room and Justin let Carter just sit on the balcony and look at the view for a while.
They walked around and ended up finding a little museum similar to the McWane Center here in Birmingham. Justin decided that after taking him to the aquarium he would take him to the museum since it was just across the street. They went ahead and got tickets for the next day just in case there were a lot of school trips. This way they wouldn’t have to stand in line to get tickets. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone with a three year old!
They came back to the hotel and Justin made up Carter’s bed. He’s only slept in the room with us one other time and that was at Camp Sumatanga. We realized then that when we’re in the room with him that he thinks it’s a party and he takes FOREVER to go to sleep. Eventually he did…with the five animals that he got to pick out from his bed to take with him. His love for the stuffed animals has STILL not ended.
The next morning they got ready and ate breakfast in the lobby downstairs. Fruit loops and yogurt for Carter!
And then they headed to the aquarium! I kid you not-it took 45 minutes for Carter to see the entire aquarium. That was all. 45 minutes. He ran so fast through each of the animals, likely because he was worried he was going to miss something, and 45 minutes later he was done! 3 year olds…
He really enjoyed the sharks. Justin told him that if he was good and obeyed him all day that he would buy him a stuffed shark that he saw in the gift shop. Sure enough we now have stuffed animal number 465 in his bed. His name is Sharkie. Kids are so original when it comes to naming things.
He was originally scared to put his head in that little hole to see the crabs so he made Justin go with him the first time to show him it wasn’t scary. Justin said the little tunnel he had to go through was teeny and quite suffocating. Clearly made for kids only.
That’s all the pictures I have of the aquarium. Justin barely had time to take more because Carter moved so fast through it! After the aquarium they went to the museum thing across the street.
Meet Sharkie.
Luckily, this little sucker was worn out and passed out on the way back home. He slept for about an hour of the ride.
Carter clearly had a blast because he is still talking about the aquarium and all the things he saw. And it’s been over a week since he went. Just this morning he was having a “conversation” with Gizmo telling her that when she’s older she can come with him to the aquarium so that he can show her the sharks and crabs. Love that little boy!
