Weekend at the New England Aquarium

Orange is the new black!

Oh, so lovely. It's become quite challenging to dress Kasen now because he has his own independent thoughts about what it is he wants to wear. Don't get me wrong, I of course try to facilitate independent thinking early on, but when he refuses to wear any hoodie except the ones with dinosaurs on it, or says he wants to wear the skinny grey corduroys from Zara kids then insists on wearing the destroyed denim straight jeans from Gap Kids then finally decides he actually wants to wear Gap sweats because "I don't want to wear a belt!" I just throw up my hands and just let him choose entirely. He's wearing a striped long-sleeve from Gap, a Mini Boden Triceratops baseball shirt, his favorite dinosaur hoodie with the scales from the hood to the tail, and his Uniqlo orange puffer. He's been liking this more lately over his North Face Moondoggy puffer - I think it's just more roomy and and it's lighter. It's just a tad big for him now since it's a 3-4 but I think he's okay with it being baggy. He's also wearing his Nike hi-tops in gray/green. Surprisingly he chose those over his EMU imitation UGGs!

Chloe and Nike, an unlikely pair

As I knew I would be out and about, and while I always opt for flats I didn't know if the floor would be gross/wet, and the fact I wanted to be comfortable had me reaching for my Nike Free 5.0's. I got these from Net-a-Porter last month because the color made me so happy and just pops. My Chloe Marcie crossbody also made its appearance over the weekend since I wanted to be hands free. Combined with the must have Lululemon Fluffover Pullover in Inkwell, it's my quintessential Sunday Mommy outfit.

Kasen & Mommy

I decided to renew our aquarium membership - it expired in August last year, but given that Kasen has been asking to go I decided to give it a go again combined with our Franklin Park Zoo one. He loves the main Ocean tank the most as opposed to the exhibits. I also found out that our Patron membership provides for discounted admission for others, 2 IMAX tickets (that are digital), and parking is discounted through validation at several locations.

Look, ma! A big sea turtle!

While it will never compare to our experience at Atlantis (I would go again in a heartbeat), the sea turtles and sting rays and vast array of fish are simply amazing. And not to mention all of the penguins and sea lions and seals that live there! After being on a conference call last week that highlighted a manager's long position in Seaworld and the controversy surrounding the documentary Blackfish, I've become much more sensitive to it all and am happy to lend my support and teach Kasen sensitivity to the beauty that is around us.

Last thing I will note - as Kasen was drinking his milk in his stroller post lunch, I was appalled by the number of parents that scold/yell/scream at their kids in public. K and I were having a great time even while he was drinking his milk playing hide and seek with his stroller canopy. I understand the need to discipline your children but the outcome of kids saying things back to you like, "Mommy, I hate you! You scare me! I don't love you anymore!" breaks my heart. Remember that your kids are what you teach them to be, - maybe second think raising your voice that next time your kids don't do what you tell them to do.