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Walking Among the Fishes
Avey is turning 8 years old this week, which calls for much celebration.
She decided what she wanted to do most of all was visit the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. We had also wanted to check it out, so we all loaded up in the Ricksmobile and trekked into the city. It was a beautiful day for it. Luckily, we were able to slip past the long line and go in through the ADA accessible entrance (thanks to 2 strollers). We stepped in to see all sorts of creatures.
We saw everything we had hoped, including seahorses, an octopus, sharks, and even starfish! We were surprised to learn about all kinds of underwater animals we had never before known.
Kira and I got to touch some sturgeons in a tank. The kids put their arms in, but were a little too short, and a little too nervous to actually touch the large fish.
Hakan was pretty interested in the exhibits, but more than anything he just wanted to run around and have somebody chase after him. He, like his older brother, loves chasing games like nobody’s business.
Since we moved to Illinois, and maybe a little before, Carver has been playing an interesting game of pretend. He will tell us all sorts of stories about his “new family.” He starts out mentioning his new house or new dad, and all of the really cool things that he does or has at his new house. It is clear that he is not talking about our current home, because he makes up the most elaborate tales. Kira and I can’t help but feel a little concerned about his fantasy of a different family – we wonder if he’s not happy with us or something. After he mentioned his new dad today, I asked him if his new dad were cooler than I. Carver, still in story mode, said, “Yeah.” I asked if his new dad were more handsome than I. He didn’t even hesitate, “Yeah.” Then he went on to talk about why his new dad is handsome. With a jovial smile and a bit of a chuckle, he explained “…he just has this shirt with a guy on it, and the guy is like, ‘hey, what’s goin’ on here?” He then laughed at the thought of such an hilarious shirt, and sighed. It looks like my wardrobe and I have some serious competition with Carver’s imaginary dad.
Hakan is talking more and more. One of his favorite words this week is “No.” He understands the power of it, too, because he often will throw whatever he is refusing as he says it. My favorite word of his right now is “bread.” He, like most kids at this age, has a rough time with the letter “r,” so it doesn’t quite come out right. Instead, it sounds a lot more like, “blah.” What’s great is that he loves bread, so whenever we offer it, he gets really excited and shouts “Blah!” It’s exquisitely adorable.
Avey has all sorts of plans for her birthday. She has a favorite meal of macaroni and cheese planned, along with three desserts. More than anything, though, she is looking forward to having visitors in a couple more weeks for her baptism. The fun never ends here.