The Aquarium

The house is a wreck, but the first week of school was great. Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. If you've been there, you know how dark it is in most of the rooms and you aren't supposed to use flash photography. Most of the pictures turned out poorly, but you get the idea. (We snuck a few flash photos. tsk-tsk.)


Turtles! We saw so many different and funny looking turtles. Bronwen really took to them. Noah made a game of counting as many as he could find in any one tank. They both went through most of the day wide-eyed. Noah couldn't wait to see "Nickel" the sea turtle we saw last year. She was severly injured in the ocean when she was hit by a boat's propeller, slicing through her shell almost to her spine. This injury causes her to swim head down and tail up. She would not have made it if left in the ocean, but someone rescued her and now she lives in Chicago! She's huge . . . I think she grew since we saw her last.

Bronwen was so intrigued with the fish. I thought she might be scared by some of them, but she wasn't. She really enjoyed seeing everything up close.

It was crazy to see sharks swimming right by her head and seeing fish that were so much bigger than she is.

The dolphin show was amazing and all three were all eyes. Later, we went below and saw the dolphins from under the water. It was floor to ceiling blue and those beautiful beings were shooting through the water around us. I was in awe.

This is a leaf gecko; I think he looks like a cartoon. He amuzed the kids.

From the top he really looks like a leaf and when he was on the trunk, you could hardly see him. From the underside, it looks like he's made out of silly putty!

<-----bearded dragon

chamellion ----->

Leapin' Lizards!

Annabelle didn't sleep much all day (which made for a long night for me.) She was taking it all in and didn't want to miss anything.

Yea! the Komodo Dragon is still here!

He was so still, it's hard to believe how dangerous they are.

By the time we were through with the lizards, we were all very tired and hungry. After closing the museum in the gift shop, they finally decided on a little something to bring home. Noah bought a stuffed penguin and named him Pinguini and Bronwen picked out a blue rubber lizard - currently without name - to commemorate their day.

The picture on the left was taken last Sept.

They've grown so much in a year!

Afterward we went to the Rain forest cafe (appropriate, eh?)

We sat by the elephants. Occasionally they would trumpet and thunder would rumble while the lights flashed on and off. This really frightened Bronwen who has recently become afraid of storms. But by the time dinner was over she was telling the elephants to shush.

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