Don't Visit The Aquarium

January 07, 2008

Don't Visit The Aquarium

Yesterday we decided to spend the afternoon at the London Aquarium. We were really looking forward it to and our trusty tour book for kids recommended it. We spent only 33 minutes (and over $50!) there - not worth the money in the slightest. It was a total rip off. So it will NOT be on any visitor's itinerary. Matt did snap this (not so lovely) photo during our afternoon. Our batteries ran out so we had one chance. We needed more.

Comments

Laura said…

Well, that stinks! I love aquariums, and it's so disheartening to hear about a bad experience.

January 7, 2008 at 5:03 AM

Ellen said…

that is a bummer - for time spent, but especially $50. we went to the newport aquarium (cincy area) this summer - and it was fine - but since we have a zoo pass - it just was a little anti-climactic to me. maybe i'm a party pooper. but when the zoo is free (sort of) adn it was $30 ish to get in - i think i was expecting fireworks!

January 7, 2008 at 10:02 AM

Anonymous said…

Oh how frustrating! The pic of you and Waverly is cute though (despite your comment!)

January 8, 2008 at 8:51 AM

Welcome to Holland

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland.""Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.