Fish

Today Alyce touched a shark. And a stingray. And then she tried to pick up a starfish.

Having visited the aquarium before, Ishaan explains to Alyce that it's a Hermit Crab. It's good to know people.

We were lucky enough to be invited to join some friends today at the aquarium in New Jersey. Now these weren't just any friends. Ishaan was Alyce's best friend at school, a friendship sustained since February 2009 by kindness, fun, and just the right amount of bossy. We are grateful that Ishaan's parents suggested that we all spend the day at this fabulous aquarium, since we've found Alyce playing with and reading to an imaginary Ishaan more than once over these last four weeks that she's been out of school. Something tells me she's been missing her friend.

I told Matt that he could take me on a date here. It was sort of beautiful.

Clearly meant for each other.

Speaking of aquariums: Matt and I spent our honeymoon in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. We wanted to have a relaxing few days near the ocean, eat wonderful food, and generally wander around in the Maritimes. The Bay of Fundy was breathtaking, but for some reason we were hearing more about this great aquarium we should visit. Have you been to the aquarium yet? people would ask. We didn't want to waste our time in St. Andrews, so off to the aquarium we went. It turns out that by "aquarium" people meant "two large seals stuffed into a kiddie pool while being taunted by the vast Atlantic outside their window." We ran screaming from that place, feeling dirty. Don't even get us started about the Chocolate Museum.

Speaking of chocolate, for the past month Alyce has insisted on taking her pretend jar of chocolate icing everywhere she goes.

Today's aquarium was no kiddie pool, and we all had so much fun. I don't know what I enjoyed more--the jellyfish or Alyce and Ishaan holding hands all day long. I was also able to nurse Shira in a darkened amphitheater surrounded by circling sharks and stingrays, which was a first. And speaking of nursing, the aquarium also had a breastfeeding room that wasn't in or near a bathroom. It had a comfy chair and pillow, crayons and paper for older kids, and a floor to ceiling view of the water and Philadelphia in the distance. Shira and I thoroughly enjoyed the little break. She had been a little distracted by the sharks and was still quite hungry.

Alyce, Ishaan, and an enormous hippo.

Shira was also impressed by her nursing hideout.

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P.S. Thanks for all the good wishes last week. It was a long one and I needed to just cocoon for a few days. But things are looking up, especially since tomorrow is Monday.