Advent Calendar: Day 17

Day 17 was going to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Nobody goes to the aquarium during the winter so I thought I would surprise the girls with a trip there. We really should go more often, we have a membership after all but I'm not a huge fan of our aquarium, it's oddly laid out, isn't very accommodating for strollers and I think the exhibits are pretty outdated.

One of two Komodo Dragons we have. I was excited to hear we were getting them, every time I see a show about them on Animal Planet I watch, they are pretty fascinating to me but these don't seem so daunting, maybe because they're behind the glass..

Jumping up and down

Charlotte made a mini earthquake!

Jellyfish! Just like the ones in Ponyo!

Sea turtles

Tomistoma Crocodiles, a male and female. These guys are huge and kinda creepy. I always hear people asking if they are fake, I've actually wondered that myself a few times. I've never seen them move, I guess they can stay underwater for hours BUT, something remarkable happened the day we went, the female went up for air and it was AWESOME!!!!!

The Red Sea exhibit, it's one of those underwater tunnel walk-throughs, it has the most colorful fish in the entire aquarium.

This is what Charlotte was talking about the entire time we were there, she really could have cared less about anything else. The "fish rays" I have no idea why she calls them that but it's so cute I really don't want to correct her.

The aquarium trip was great, it's so much better to go during the off season than it is during tourist season. We were really able to take our time and not worry about anyone coming up behind us trying to see and I didn't have to worry about anyone pushing my babies out of the way, I even let Lexi run around like a mad woman which she's really wanting to do more often the older she gets.