Bucket List

I had a few things on my bucket list before departing Florida (in 9 DAYS!!!), taking Mimi to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa was on it.  She frickin loves anything with an octopus on it lately, AND it's air conditioned.  Say no more, Grace, me, Mimi, Dahlia and 1.5 month old Ellie hit the road this morning and made a pretty impressive day trip out of it.

We left at 10:30 this morning.  The toddlers watched finding Nemo in the car on the way down, baby Elli of course was conked out as always, and we followed the website's impeccable directions right to the parking lot where we found a shaded spot right near the entrance. GOLDEN.  I decided to bring in my Maclaren volo (stroller I LOVE to death and will never part with).   I was surprised that Grace opted out of bringing hers, especially with the newborn, but it all worked out pretty cool.  We dumped the diaper bags in my Volo and she carried the baby in the Moby.  I used the stroller to cart Mimi to and from the aquarium parking lot and when she would disobey me and run from me in the aquarium she had to sit in it awhile to chill the frick out.

Overall the kids did amazing.  With only snacks tiding them over, and no naps, they wandered, watched, touched (sea creatures) and played at the water park until 5pm!  Minimal  whining, and only a few dirty looks from other parents when Mimi would run away from me.

We stopped for pizza after the aquarium and go back home after bedtime.  Mimi fell asleep as soon as her head hit her little fuzzy puffin pillow in her crib.

We picked up an octopus for Mimi's new bathroom in Austin.  What a great trip!