:: portland aquarium ::

 Larry was home a short time this last homecoming just for a few days.  Let me tell you it sucks but it is what it is at the time being.  I took Tuesday afternoon off cause I worked Monday and we made it a fun afternoon after both whomps were out of school.  They had no clue what I had planned for them.  I suggested it to Larry a few days before and he was game we were finally going to check out the Portland Aquarium!  I have wanted to take the whomps but I wouldn't go on the weekend too many people and this was perfect it was the weekday in the afternoon!  I picked up the whomps at mom's after working in the morning and told them we were going to go see some fish and celebrate them passing their swimming lessons!  They were thinking we were going to buy new fish for our tank (totally different topic and too sad to post) but I told them nope we are going to see fish at a secret place and it would be fun!  We waited for Larry to get back from the doctor...he was in the ER the morning before for chest pain and is fine thank goodness but needs another stress test (that is another story but will not happen until he comes home again) and we meet him at our secret place!  The Portland Aquarium!  It is in Milwaukie in the building the Black Angus was and it was so weird to be there and not have it a resturant I can tell you the last time I went to this place was with my girlfriend and her boyfriend when we were all dating and now we are married with kiddos!  So crazy.    We had a good time and it wasn't crowded at all, thank goodness!  We ventured out and put our fingers in the water and Larry and I touched a stink ray and I think Hunter might have too, not sure he was scared cause I was like oh my goodness they have sting rays!  And I think my tone scared him cause all I could think of was the animal guy who died from one.  But I touched probably 4 of the slimy sting rays!  We feed them fish and we touched star fishes and feed more fish! 

 

 

 We had bought bird food for the birds and let me tell you when we got to the bird room it was fun!  Their was a jungle gym for the kids to play in and I watched the birds in the bird cage.  Then came bird drama!  They put in a male that they had to take out yesterday cause it caused such ruckus with the female birds and they had a brawl about it and they were going to try to introduce him in there again!  I have never heard so much bird screaming and cheerping in my life!  Those girls did not like him one bit!  There was another male in there that had a girlfriend who layed eggs and that male was not having it and he didn't like the alpha male bird in there.  I saw birds flying at each other and one bird was taken down and fell on its back and 2 birds were so stressed they had to spray water from a water bottle to calm them down.  I watched this for a good 1/2 hour it was like a very loud soap opera and I got to hear all about it from the bird people it was kinda fun but no way was my kids going in there yet so they kept playing.  Finally, it quieted down and I was the brave one to go in with my kids.  Larry didn't want to get pooped on and neither did I but I already touched a sting ray so I was on a roll.  I am not a big fan of birds in a cage with me.  I will feed the outside birds and love to see them but I am not a fan of birds if one comes flying my way...

So with that said...here I am holding a bird with my Buddy

 

 I hope this video comes out but I have 2 birds feeding off my hand the food we had bought (after I just watched bird drama) and one bird lands on my head and the bird person takes it off and then another lands on my shoulder.  I am trying so good to be cool with it since my Grace is watching me.  She thought it was so funny that a bird flew in my hair.  The things we do for kids.  When I was in the bird cage with my kids and Larry was outside he yelled "Al" I looked at him and he pointed up and of course their was a bird above me and I moved to the side I so didn't want it to poop on me.  I made it through the bird exhibit poop free and had fun watching the bird drama and hope there is peace in the bird cage with the males and females.

 

We were all set to go and I saw on the hand out we got that Roxie the octopus would get fed in 3 minutes so we checked her out again and she was amazing.  She is only 2 years old and has a couple more years left.  They make her try to figure out puzzles to get to her food.  Today it was a craw dad in a plastic box with a tube.  We watched for 15 minutes and she and us gave up it was too tough of a project to get to the yummy food.  I hope she did get it eventually.

 

We had a great time as a family and I was glad we went!  They are going to have otters and puffins in the spring!