This week has been a most surreal mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, that I don't even know what to compare it to. When I first received word that our house deal had fallen through, I took it like a trooper. That entire first evening after hearing the news, I was somewhat disappointed but also quite surprised with my genuine, "Okay, we can handle it" attitude.
Then the next day, Wednesday, I woke up feeling like my emotional state had been run over by two speeding freight trains. I took on the glorious job of re-working our family's budget, again, and had to look our recently accrued new house debt right in the eye - knowing it was built with unwavering faith in our buyers (Heh, yeah, those ones that just took a hike.) I spent the entire day in a deep funk, wishing for something else, wondering why, and how long exactly we could continue on this way. It was just one of those sad, awful days.
Thankfully, we had made plans with Kevin's mom and aunt for Thursday to visit the Shedd Aquarium, since it was running the annual "Free Admission" week. There was no doubt that I needed a day of something to take my mind off the disaster we've got going.
(And just to put it out there, I cannot for the life of me figure out why there seems a trend in the blogosphere to discuss how incredibly lame and sooo uncool places like zoos, aquariums, and museums are. But, um, I don't get it? Educate your children? Hands on learning? No?)
We's come for you free fish, yah?
Neeeee-mo!
Doooo-rie!
We also got to watch a feeding time for the main tank fish, sea turtles and sharks, and the minute the man with the bubbling mask got in, Jack was all, "Daddy! Help me!" (Again, from Finding Nemo for all of you non-fanatics.)
And this takes us to the end of the free tour, no more than an hour into our visit.
Because of course, of course! those massively intelligent folks up there in the Aquarium Marketing Office aren't going to hand you cake and a fork and tell you to dig in. They know you'll get your kids revved all week about the dolphins and beluga whales and their baaabies, because hell, you don't know what's free and what's not. Then they position a very serious, very tall, very massive woman at the entryway to all of that fun, and she looks down at you from her six foot four towering frame of solid brick and demands, "Pink bands please."
House you failed to sell or not, Aquarium Marketing People know you're going to hand over fifty bucks, noooo problem. Because there's just something very non-fulfilling about checking out an hour's worth of fish tanks and heading home.
I don't have to tell you it was worth it to see jumping dolphins,
spikey iguanas,
penguin feeding time,
and baby belugas swimming with their mamas.
I also love the architecture of the aquarium, where the tanks were built to look like they flow right into Lake Michigan.
A fun, exhausting day for sure.
And the icing on the cake? Was our return home to news of two showings on the house scheduled for this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Fingers are crossed! Looks like a wonderful time!
Posted by: Becca | 18 January 2008 at 05:33 PM
Fingers are crossed and locked.
Good luck.
and I'm all for zoos and aquariums. Where else are kids going to see and learn these things anyways?
Lovely pics as always!
Posted by: crookedeyebrow | 18 January 2008 at 05:50 PM
and here we go again... wee! hoping and praying for your house... but mostly for you!
Posted by: Alissa | 18 January 2008 at 07:32 PM
Ok I was going to comment that I loved Shedd's Aquarium when I went waaaay back in 8th grade, but yah, I think I got the free tour, cause I know damn good and well I didn't see that or I would have remembered! How amazing to have something like that in your backyard!
Good luck on the showings.
Posted by: Erica | 18 January 2008 at 07:54 PM
I love seeing those pictures... I have run/walked/driven past the Shedd Aquarium so many times, but have never made it inside.
Fingers crossed for the showings...
Posted by: Operation Pink Herring | 18 January 2008 at 09:43 PM
I love all things Zoo and Aquariums! And I would go and go and go and go - even if my kids didn't want to. I love them that much.
My fingers and toes are crossed for you guys for this weekends showings. Good Luck.
Posted by: SJ | 18 January 2008 at 11:07 PM
I've lived in the Chicago suburbs my whole life and have never gone to the Shedd Aquarium! Stuff like that is great for your kids! And for you!
(fingers crossed) (eyes too, but that's not on purpose)
Posted by: BetteJo | 18 January 2008 at 11:41 PM
The old bait & switch!
Pssst! Hey you with the kids...look at the cute little fishies. You wanna see something REALLY cool? Cough up the $50!
I would have done the same thing; that place looks fabulous. We're getting an aquarium here next year and we all can't wait until it's open.
Posted by: Laylabean | 19 January 2008 at 10:07 AM
I hadn't heard people were putting down zoos and such. We love to go. our kids love to go. win-win.
I love Shedd's Aquarium!
Fingers crossed, toes crossed, everything crossed!
Posted by: cpa mom | 19 January 2008 at 11:36 AM
What nice news to take the sting out of $50 at the aquarium! I hate that those places are so expensive, even on so-called "free" days. I love taking my kids to the zoo and museums and the like. Education and exercise all in one.
I hope your showings go well!
Posted by: Elizabeth | 20 January 2008 at 01:17 AM
I agree with the notion of hands-on education...that's one of the great joys of these institutions, that they offer so much and ask for so little.
I also agree that the architecture of the Shedd Aquarium addition is stunning...those beluga whales on the verge of that great inland sea of the Great Lakes is breathtaking to say the least.
Also related to fish is the fact that, from that beluga auditorium, you can see my smelt fishing spot near the Planetarium.
People catching fish in the sight of looking at people looking at people looking at fish...grand, no?
Mais, oui.
Pars'que j'ai votre ami, je suis desole que votre famaille enjoi les exibitions des poissions.
(This French exam could NOT come soon enough).
Take care.
Posted by: Alexander Pavlovich Romanov, Autocrat of All the Russias | 20 January 2008 at 02:13 AM
That last pic of Jack is the sweetest!!!
Also, in the first pic, loving that you also have some random child in the family picture!
Posted by: Rachel | 21 January 2008 at 09:05 AM
It's really hard to concentrate on this post after reading the one after it already. But I will. So, any news on the showings?
I did the same thing when I saw the pictures: "Neeeeeee-mo. Doooorie!" Let me quote a part of that movie that we have been singing all over my house this weekend: "We did it, we did it, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. No eating here tonight (whew!), eating here tonight, no no no eating here tonight...you on a di-et."
I love that movie. "A boat, hey I've seen a boat, it went this way...follow me." Love, love, love Dorie.
Okay, I'll shut up now.
Jack is cathing up on his sleep while he can. You know, before the new baby comes along. (squeeeeee)
Posted by: Hilary | 21 January 2008 at 09:18 AM