a day off of school

Maddy had a day off school in January so I took a day off as well and we visited the new Aquarium in Sandy. We had been to the one in the old grocery store several times while the permanent location was being built. We loved visiting there and were excited to see how things looked. Would it be a lot of the same exhibits? New things? I assumed the same animals and were correct. The new place is much like the old but I have to say, I missed the sting ray touching station. The old place had an area where you could reach in and touch them as the "flew" past. It was wet and stinky but fun to feel their silky backs as they swam past. The new aquarium doesn't have that feature unfortunately. Probably best for the creatures but something we will miss.

I loved the frogs! I am sure these are all as poisonous as anything and that's why they can be so pretty but I was fascinated by their bright coloring.

I think that it is a testament to kids' imaginations that it seems like the favorite part of the aquarium has always been driving the boat. She loves to pretend and I hope that she doesn't grow out of that too soon. So many of my memories of being a child are surrounded by imagination. Being detectives, playing house, acting out the Boxcar Children story, pretending to be Olympic gymnasts... I hope that she has those kids of memories of her childhood when she gets to be a mother and not just memories of watching TV or playing on a tablet.

Another favorite place in the museum is of course the penguins. Why do we love penguins so much? Who knows but we do, young and old alike.

And photo ops. Maddy always loves to pose for a photo op. What a silly girl.

My brave girl didn't want to touch this crawly snake. But she did. With one finger. And I was proud of her for doing something that made her uncomfortable - but that was not dangerous. I hope that she grows up with a spirit of adventure and with her father's confidence that anything can be accomplished and there is no quitting simply because it is not easy.

 

After the aquarium we stopped at our favorite date spot - Olive Garden - for our usual spaghetti with meat sauce and then we got girlie pedicures. It was a fantastic day off for both of us.

resolutions

 

January. The beginning of the year. The starting of 2015. The opportunity to recommit and to start again. I love this time of year and this time of recommitting. Unfortunately I often find myself hesitant to recommit to things (exercise, diet, etc.) because I have not been terribly successful in the past with resolutions. But I think the important thing is that we continue to recommit even after we are less than successful. So, I went into 2015 with plans to exercise more, to drink less Diet Coke, to eat more fruits and vegetables.

 

Here we are in April and I'm afraid the exercise more goal has been lost is the shuffle of life. I have been better at eating less sugar and drinking less Diet Coke however. So, I'll keep trying.

 

 

The biggest and hardest thing that I recommit to every day is being a good, patient, mother. Patience is hard. it is a quest that is ever present. But when you look into your kid's smiling face it's easy to recommit every day because how can you not!?!

for FHE we rode the train downtown and ate at the food court at City Creek

Maddy giving instructions to the ward choir

Got to meet up with TaraWendel Arnesen, one of my closest High school friends

Maddy and big baby with matching PJs

Jake picks his favorite "person"