Aquarium!

Our city is really big, but one thing we don't have is a zoo so I was really excited when I found out that we were getting an aquarium at one of the malls! I'd been meaning to take the girls for months when we got the notification that Bug's teacher was planning a field trip to there and it was on Lou's birthday! The girls were so excited! 

We talked Mama and Noni into joining us and on the morning of her birthday we headed to their house to pick them up. We walked in and the girls were instantly transfixed!

 

They have some really neat feeding opportunities there too! We all petted the sting rays, but Buggy chose to feed them. She got several pieces of raw shrimp and just had to lower her open hand into the water and they skimmed by and sucked it up like little vacuums! 

  

They say to pet them with two fingers so they don't get poked or grabbed. 

 

Buggy had to build up her courage to feed them. She was afraid she would get bitten or something. :)

What I didn't realize was that they had things other than fish. They have a bird habitat that you can go into and there are TONS of birds! I didn't hear how many but it was at least 100 if not more!

 

These birds are VERY used to people and were happy to sit on our arms, shoulders, heads, or anything else they could perch on. 

Ezri kept breaking the rules and trying to grab them...not just trying, she was catching some. Lol.

All of the girls were able to feed them.

But even once they ran out of food the birds still stayed. They were really neat...so colorful!

"Mommy dere's a bird on my head! Hahaha!"

After the birds we went and saw the reptiles. Peaches said the turtle was her favorite part of the whole thing. :)

Peanut used her other food token for the iguana. Apparently he bites so she had to feed him with these tongs. He ate some kind of cricket, and some kind of small worm.

Lou was overdue for her nap and exhausted, but Noni was able to get her to sleep.

Mama loves birds so when I realized they were there we had her get in line. It was a long wait, but worth it...she had so much fun!

I told her we found her new happy place!

 

Bird sitting on my phone. Lol.

So happy!

She sat there and talked to them and they just seemed to listen.

The girls held several different types of starfish, sea slugs, and anemones.

There was also a cleaner shrimp in that tank that would clean under your fingernails if you held your hand still. If felt so weird! The sea slug was the squishiest and slimiest though!

They had a cool tank of small sharks and jellyfish that were fun to watch.

They also had some fun play areas that the girls really enjoyed.

What a fun day! We definitely want to go back sometime!!