Before our little trip, I checked out Curious George at the Aquarium from the library and we read it over breakfast on Saturday morning before leaving.
Ummmm... this is for one overnight. Ridiculous. Umbrella stroller behind everything, pack 'n play because our hotel said "a request isn't a guarantee" and I wasn't risking it, travel high chair (which we only used in the hotel 'cause we really didn't eat out any place, but was still super helpful), duffel bag for me and the kids together, duffel bag of the same size all for Craig. He told me, WHILE he was packing: "I am totally over packing..." (in a disappointed, whiny sort of way) and yet he didn't cut any of it down.
We planned to leave around 9 a.m. in the hopes that Sophie would take her morning nap in the car. It's a three hour drive to Cincinnati and I had slim hopes that Will might even doze too. In reality: Sophie only napped maybe 45 minutes... like this...
...and Will didn't sleep a wink...
I packed a plethora of substantial snacks for the kids 'cause I had no idea what to expect of our plans and meal arrangements. I knew we'd arrive around lunch time in a big city with crazy-busy roads, and the aquarium does not allow outside food to be brought in. I packed a thermal lunch bag with a freezer pack in it with: a cottage cheese/sweet potato combo for Soph, grapes, bell pepper slices, baby carrots, cheese sticks, a couple yogurts, a small container of black beans for Soph and a small knife just in case. I also packed a reusable grocery sack with some activity items for the hotel room and drive as well as: a box of Nutrigrain bars, a snack bag of graham crackers, a snack bag of peanuts and mini pretzels for Will, and some cheerios. Let me just say: I am SO GLAD I came prepared. They ate pretty much all of it and it may have been a disaster without it. So I ended up squeezing between the two car seats in the back as we finished the latter part of our drive down and passing pieces of food to each kid and spoon feeding Soph the cottage cheese. Thankfully, our hotel room had a mini fridge so I was able to then store the yogurts overnight for breakfast the next morning and the other half of all the fruits and veggies for lunch the next day.Okay, so we arrived in Cincinnati, crossed the Levee River into Newport, Kentucky and immediately got in the sorta-long line outside of the aquarium. It was muggy and hot and sort of overcast, but thankfully it didn't rain as predicted.
While Sophie and I stood in line for tickets, which I had the option of ordering online but just figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal to get them at the gate (BIG mistake!), Will and Craig walked a short distance to the balcony overlooking the river banks and downtown Cincinnati.
Once inside, it was air conditioned but extremely crowded. The website (which I read through carefully), warned that strollers are not permitted until after 4 p.m. due to large crowd volumes. So we brought Sophie in the Ergo and Will walked with Craig.
Will WAS enthralled, but also tired as we arrived right around nap time (1:30) and so he had a hard time following directions and therefore several mini-tantrums ensued. Nothing major, but we knew he probably would have gotten more out of this visit if he were rested.
Sophie was probably tired too, but was fully content riding along on me and always found her thumb to suck when she needed it. (This behavior has suddenly started to increase recently... uh-oh... but for now, it is often helpful.)
This is a prime example of how Will looked multiple times throughout our approximately 1.5 hour visit. I know if we'd had the stroller, he would be content to sit calmly and just chill and look around. But with the freedom of walking, and the impatience and stubbornness that inevitably comes with sleep deprivation, Will was... a handful. Here, we are just inside the rain forest exhibit.
Lorakeets, I believe? (sp?)
Next stop: the Frog Bog. Will wasn't all that interested in seeing the real frogs themselves, but he did enjoy climbing all over the large frog sculptures (this was permitted and expected by the aquarium).
My sweet husband did a great job keeping his cool with our oh-so-difficult 3-year-old. It was tough. 
At this point, Sophie got down to check out the frogs too and we decided that Will would take a turn in the Ergo on my back just so he would chill out for a bit.
So Craig carried Sophia and I put Will on my back. He wasn't thrilled about it, but it did the trick. He seems to listen better to me when he's "tantruming", and he did stop a lot of the whiny behavior and instead just look around as we'd hoped. I'm also pleased to report that at just over 30#, he's still very comfortable to carry in the Ergo - one of the best child-gear investments we've made!
By far the coolest thing about our visit were the tunnels. They had several aquarium tunnels where the fish just swam all around you - over head and on either side. So cool!
Sophie was amazed.
It's like you're in the tank with them!
The shark tunnels were our favorite.
Wild, huh?
Okay, a short while went by with calm kiddos and then Sophie wanted me to hold her again. She would whine and reach for me, and so I just held her too! LOL :)
Isn't this background awesome?
LOL - look at Will. :)
This was a special area where you could "pet" the sharks. They were little and not dangerous, I guess. We didn't touch, but it was cool to watch.
There was also a swing-type scale where you could sit and it would compare your weight to that of several types of sharks. You can see the listings on that board on the wall. Great Whites are 500+ pounds! The kids and I together fall under the category of Juvenile Shark Ray (100-199#).
Last stop: the penguins. They were marching around on the rocks. Apparently, if you arrive right at 9 a.m., the aquarium has a "penguin parade" and you can pet a penguin.
Okay, so here's my opinion. I know I'll probably sound like a downer, and I think I will surprise a lot of the people who recommended this place: I don't think it was all that great. I know it could have been a totally different experience with rested (and perhaps, slightly older) children, but I just expected so much more... though I don't really know what. I simply didn't think the amount of things to see and do was worth the steep price of admission. Sophie was free and I printed a coupon online for $2 off each ticket. But even with $6 off, it still cost us $53 for that 1.5 hours and I just don't feel we got our money's worth. Plus, when we entered, it was absolutely PACKED with people. If I were chlostrophobic, I probably would have turned right back around. In some areas, it was just tank after tank after tank, and just lines of people waiting to walk by. Overwhelming to say the least. Plus it's dark (which is hard to expect otherwise) and so it was a bit hard to keep a careful watch over your stroller-less child amidst the crowds. 
My guys. Are they two of a kind, or what?
Craig was trying to show Will how to make a "hang loose" hand sign.
Walking back through the shopping district, Will spotted a man on stilts making balloon animals for kids. The many kindly asked Will what he would like (he gave several suggestions) and what color. Will picked a "red puppy dog".
Finally, after retrieving our car, we made it to our hotel to check in and relax for a bit. Sophie and Will both loved climbing all over the beds (AFTER I pulled back the comforters!)
Then we went downstairs to take a refreshing dip in the pool.
You can see how much Sophie was enjoying herself (she's not quite the water baby I thought she'd be - haha), so she sat with her daddy while Will and I enjoyed playing "motor boat". Made me think of my grandma doing that with me when I was little.
Back upstairs, both kids got baths and jammies. I continued feeding Sophie stuff I'd packed (oh, I also had a few pieces of quesadilla leftover from our dinner Friday night that Sophie ate) and Will just became a zombie on the bed while Craig ran out to get us something to eat.
Love this seat. I don't regret anything I packed. (I think Craig does - wink, wink. I wonder if he'll ever learn?)
Will did munch on some fruits and veggies and crackers while he waited. But he started to fall asleep MID-BITE of a graham cracker and I COULD NOT keep him awake! Sophie finished and I gave her some toys in the pack 'n play and when Craig arrived we were able to get Will to wake up just to eat a little bit of dinner.
This trip brought a lot of "firsts" for our little family:
Craig woke me at 8:30 and we watched some TV before we both went to sleep around 9:30 or 10. Wow! That's the earliest either of us has been to bed in a very long time! But it had been a long day, and we really didn't have a lot of options, given our arrangements. What a day!
While Sophie and I stood in line for tickets, which I had the option of ordering online but just figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal to get them at the gate (BIG mistake!), Will and Craig walked a short distance to the balcony overlooking the river banks and downtown Cincinnati.
Once inside, it was air conditioned but extremely crowded. The website (which I read through carefully), warned that strollers are not permitted until after 4 p.m. due to large crowd volumes. So we brought Sophie in the Ergo and Will walked with Craig.
Will WAS enthralled, but also tired as we arrived right around nap time (1:30) and so he had a hard time following directions and therefore several mini-tantrums ensued. Nothing major, but we knew he probably would have gotten more out of this visit if he were rested.
Sophie was probably tired too, but was fully content riding along on me and always found her thumb to suck when she needed it. (This behavior has suddenly started to increase recently... uh-oh... but for now, it is often helpful.)
This is a prime example of how Will looked multiple times throughout our approximately 1.5 hour visit. I know if we'd had the stroller, he would be content to sit calmly and just chill and look around. But with the freedom of walking, and the impatience and stubbornness that inevitably comes with sleep deprivation, Will was... a handful. Here, we are just inside the rain forest exhibit.
Lorakeets, I believe? (sp?)
Next stop: the Frog Bog. Will wasn't all that interested in seeing the real frogs themselves, but he did enjoy climbing all over the large frog sculptures (this was permitted and expected by the aquarium).
My sweet husband did a great job keeping his cool with our oh-so-difficult 3-year-old. It was tough. 
At this point, Sophie got down to check out the frogs too and we decided that Will would take a turn in the Ergo on my back just so he would chill out for a bit.
So Craig carried Sophia and I put Will on my back. He wasn't thrilled about it, but it did the trick. He seems to listen better to me when he's "tantruming", and he did stop a lot of the whiny behavior and instead just look around as we'd hoped. I'm also pleased to report that at just over 30#, he's still very comfortable to carry in the Ergo - one of the best child-gear investments we've made!
By far the coolest thing about our visit were the tunnels. They had several aquarium tunnels where the fish just swam all around you - over head and on either side. So cool!
Sophie was amazed.
It's like you're in the tank with them!
The shark tunnels were our favorite.
Wild, huh?
Okay, a short while went by with calm kiddos and then Sophie wanted me to hold her again. She would whine and reach for me, and so I just held her too! LOL :)
Isn't this background awesome?
LOL - look at Will. :)
This was a special area where you could "pet" the sharks. They were little and not dangerous, I guess. We didn't touch, but it was cool to watch.
There was also a swing-type scale where you could sit and it would compare your weight to that of several types of sharks. You can see the listings on that board on the wall. Great Whites are 500+ pounds! The kids and I together fall under the category of Juvenile Shark Ray (100-199#).
Last stop: the penguins. They were marching around on the rocks. Apparently, if you arrive right at 9 a.m., the aquarium has a "penguin parade" and you can pet a penguin.
Okay, so here's my opinion. I know I'll probably sound like a downer, and I think I will surprise a lot of the people who recommended this place: I don't think it was all that great. I know it could have been a totally different experience with rested (and perhaps, slightly older) children, but I just expected so much more... though I don't really know what. I simply didn't think the amount of things to see and do was worth the steep price of admission. Sophie was free and I printed a coupon online for $2 off each ticket. But even with $6 off, it still cost us $53 for that 1.5 hours and I just don't feel we got our money's worth. Plus, when we entered, it was absolutely PACKED with people. If I were chlostrophobic, I probably would have turned right back around. In some areas, it was just tank after tank after tank, and just lines of people waiting to walk by. Overwhelming to say the least. Plus it's dark (which is hard to expect otherwise) and so it was a bit hard to keep a careful watch over your stroller-less child amidst the crowds. The tunnel tanks WERE very cool and I'm glad we got to go, but it just wasn't the best value.
Okay, so back outside the aquarium, there was a whole outdoor shopping/dining area all above the one main parking garage that we parked in. It was very nice and classy looking. Plus, there were walking paths and street vendors all along the river. Here's a few more shots of us in front of the city skyline.
My guys. Are they two of a kind, or what?
Craig was trying to show Will how to make a "hang loose" hand sign.
Walking back through the shopping district, Will spotted a man on stilts making balloon animals for kids. The many kindly asked Will what he would like (he gave several suggestions) and what color. Will picked a "red puppy dog".
Finally, after retrieving our car, we made it to our hotel to check in and relax for a bit. Sophie and Will both loved climbing all over the beds (AFTER I pulled back the comforters!)
Then we went downstairs to take a refreshing dip in the pool.
You can see how much Sophie was enjoying herself (she's not quite the water baby I thought she'd be - haha), so she sat with her daddy while Will and I enjoyed playing "motor boat". Made me think of my grandma doing that with me when I was little.
Back upstairs, both kids got baths and jammies. I continued feeding Sophie stuff I'd packed (oh, I also had a few pieces of quesadilla leftover from our dinner Friday night that Sophie ate) and Will just became a zombie on the bed while Craig ran out to get us something to eat.
Love this seat. I don't regret anything I packed. (I think Craig does - wink, wink. I wonder if he'll ever learn?)
Will did munch on some fruits and veggies and crackers while he waited. But he started to fall asleep MID-BITE of a graham cracker and I COULD NOT keep him awake! Sophie finished and I gave her some toys in the pack 'n play and when Craig arrived we were able to get Will to wake up just to eat a little bit of dinner.
This trip brought a lot of "firsts" for our little family:1) First of all, it was our first "trip" as a family of four, even if it was brief.
2) It was the furthest distance we've driven with both kids.
3) Our first stay in a hotel room all together.
4) Not to mention our first time all sleeping together in one room!
I reserved a room with two double beds and Will got one all to himself. As tired as they were (and Craig & I too!), they did pretty well going to sleep. We were all laying down with lights out at 7 p.m. if you can believe it. Sophie fussed for a bit, so I layed on the bed with Will beside the pack 'n play and then she settled down. Will kept whispering to me so I turned over towards him and played with his hair and rubbed his back. (He always plays with his own hair when he's sleepy and I used to do that for him on occasion when he was a baby.) Apparently, I dozed too and I had no idea Will fell asleep with his leg over me like this: (LOL)
Craig woke me at 8:30 and we watched some TV before we both went to sleep around 9:30 or 10. Wow! That's the earliest either of us has been to bed in a very long time! But it had been a long day, and we really didn't have a lot of options, given our arrangements. What a day! 
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