Aquarium = Not So Fun

...me thinking it would be a great idea to take Kate to the New England Aquarium. We were all set. Michael was to be in conference meetings all day and I thought it would be cool and empowering to tackle Boston, just me and Kate. Things were looking good as we arrived at the aquarium via a $16 cab ride. When we first walked in we visited the penguin exhibit. Little did I know this would be the climax of good moments for the outing. We watched penguins, walked like penguins, and talked to penguins for 15 minutes, which in toddler time is an eternity.


BUT...it was all down hill from there. There is a massive aquarium tank with a walkway wrapping around it. As we made our way up the ramp I quickly realized Kate was not super excited about approaching the tank. I thought if I held her up to it so she could really see the fish it would encourage curiosity. Boy was I wrong. Just as I held her up to look in the tank a 10+ foot shark swam by. She began to shake and really, to be honest, didn't quit shaking until we were back hotel. We looked around the aquarium a while longer. The only thing she really cared anything about were the seals, which to her were just swimming puppies.


We only stayed at the aquarium for just over an hour before I decided to head back to the hotel. I was feeling confident in my ability to navigate the city so I decided to take the subway and train back to Copley Square for $2 as opposed to the $16 cab ride. I also hoped it would be quicker. The solo subway experience started out pretty well. I was familiar with subways and trains from our trips to San Francisco. However, I had not tackled one solo with a stroller. IT IS A MUCH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH A STROLLER. The first leg of the trip went well, thanks to the help of a man I am certain was a member of the mob but since I am not from a warring family in town he was kind enough to help me. I got off at Government Center with no problem and was feeling pretty good about carrying Kate, the stroller, and diaper bag up the 2 flights of stairs to catch the green line. However, Kate began to melt when I put her back in the stroller after the climb. I was spent and whenI realized I had to tackle more stairs to get on the train I was done. How could I possible get all that on the train by myself in the approximately 5 seconds the doors were open.
I pulled the plug on my bold, "I am woman hear me roar," moment and decided to head up to street level and get a cab. My despair was growing, as was Kate's. It got even worse when I saw how many more stairs I was about to have to tackle with all of our stuff. Luckily a nice man carried the stroller up for me. We got to street level and I realized this was not an area cabs typically frequent. I thought, "Okay, you can do this. You almost have your Ph.D. You can walk until you find a cab." I was ready. Kate was not. She was DONE with the stroller. So I began walking, carrying Kate, and pushing the stroller, to find a cab. And then...well then it started to rain. It wasn't bad but it was just enough to make me want to cry. I finally found a cab piloted by the most unhelpful driver ever. Do you know how hard it is to empty a stroller carrying supplies for the day, manage a diaper bag, fold a stroller, put it in the trunk, and keep a toddler from running into the street? Luckily, the nice man running the near-by news stand helped with the stroller. Not 2 minutes after getting into the cab Kate was asleep on the seat next to me. It was a quiet ride back to the hotel and I was okay with that. I managed to pay the cab driver, get Kate out of the car, and push the stroller into the hotel, all while Kate was asleep on my shoulder. "That's it," I thought, "I'm home free. I'll just carry her to the room and put her down for a nap." WRONG!
The second we walked into the elevator with the mirrors on the walls Kate opened her eyes and saw a very pretty baby in the mirrors. She was awake, I was tired, and we both needed to eat. Michael saved the day by helping get lunch to the room. We ate and quickly got in bed, sent Michael off to more meetings, and did what she should have been doing all day. We cuddled and napped in bed for 3 hours. Next time I'll just turn on a movie, most likely Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and cuddle.