Aquarium

We took Isaac to the Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday, and on the way we drove along the coast in Pacific Grove. The sun was blazing, the ocean was blue, and the waves were crashing dramatically on the rocks. I remarked that maybe we should pull over for a moment and go down to the beach.

"I don't like to go down to the beach," Isaac said.

"Oh?" I said. "Why don't you like the beach?"

He paused for a moment. It is true that Isaac didn't like getting too close to the ocean when we last went in December, and I think it was because he didn't like the noise of the breaking waves. So I was expecting him to say it was too loud.

Instead he said, "There are too many clams."

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He loved the aquarium, despite the clams there. We went a year ago, and although Isaac certainly found it interesting then, this time he actually understood what was going on. Last time he seemed most intrigued by a big yellow "Caution: Wet Floor" sign. Understandably, there's a big cognitive leap between 17 and 29 months.

He enjoyed the kids' playroom, where he made crayon rubbings of various sea creatures, and where he said he was working in an office; he even pretended to shred his drawings. But I think his favorite was something we called "the fish house," which was a little glassed-in alcove that let you sit beneath a big tank representing the habitat of the rocky shore. (I'll post a picture of us sitting in it soon.) Not only are the fish, starfish, and anemones all around, but you can look up and watch a wave break above you.

Isaac pointed enthusiastically at the exhibits he found appealing and said they were "really cool." And periodically he did a little dance and said, "I excited!"

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Also different from last year: we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the aquarium's restaurant. (My mother and sister came too.) The elegant table setting came complete with white tablecloth, ceramic plates, and binoculars -- we sat right against a window with a view of otters playing in the Monterey Bay. Isaac was a pleasant and happy dining companion, which also wouldn't have happened at 17 months.