Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Sunday in Monterey

Last weekend we braved the rain and headed down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with Taki's mom. Linda got us annual passes to the aquarium this year so we want to try and get in as many visits as possible!

While the jellyfish exhibit has officially ended, they still have some impressive displays.

Olive, looking suitably unimpressed.

Nikos in September 2008 - a little more impressed - of course, he was also 5 months older than Olive is now.

Back to the present - Nikos with a school of fish behind him (I really need to read the camera manual!)

Olive did enjoy the new seahorse exhibit. She kept following them around with her finger.

In one of the hands-on areas the kids play with whale tails.

Nikos practiced with one of those rubbing things (not sure what they are called?) of a humpback whale.

Nikos loooved this "inside the wave" vantagepoint while Olive wasn't so sure.

N&O in the clam shell.

Flashback - cousins in the clam shell in September '08. Kira is the same age in this shot as Olive is now. (Apparently the age is big is transfixed by the shell itself and unable to tear their gaze away for a photo.)

Nikos playing inside in the kids water section.

Family shot with Nikos giving the camera the stank eye. My arm is soaking wet from holding him - we let him go a little crazy in the water play area (figuring it was raining so he was bound to get wet anyway.) Luckily we had a change of clothes for both kids in the car. Next time I will bring one for me as well.

So people are always telling people that Olive looks exactly like me, which I don't really get that much. I basically think it is because Olive has dark hair, added to the fact that Nikos doesn't really look like me. But I see it in this shot - fun!

On the way to the car I saw this cute little stone bench and wanted to take the kids photos on it. First I took some of Nikos and then I plopped Olive down and asked Nikos to sit next to her and watch her in case she wanted to jump. Well - we are in swim lessons again where we are practicing Nikos jumping into the pool and he also jumps off his changing table ever time we change him (into our arms) and we catch him. So after I tell him that he should watch her in case she wants to jump he immediately jumps off the bench (the shot below catches him mid-action) and kneels in front of her with his arms out and says "Jump, jump. I'll catch you Olive. Don't be scared." SO CUTE!

It was much cuter than when, at the end of the two hour drive home, he smacked her in the head with one of the Yo Gabba characters that always seem to be littering the car.

3 comments:

Brenda B. said...

Great pictures! We want to take Drew down there bad. You may have inspired me :)

Linda said...

Every time I look at Olive I see you. That's why I call her "little Heather" and it's not just the hair.

Bill and Cindy said...

The Aquarium looks so neat. We'll have to tag along sometime.