2nd Annual Underwater Parks Day Event!

As many of you know, we were invited to attend The 2nd Annual Underwater Parks Day celebrations at SEA LIFE Aquarium by Legoland ;)

Let me start by telling you that it was a wonderful experience. 

We arrived on time, yes I know, it's not normal for us to arrive on time, but we did it!  We were so excited to go, we had never gone to the SEA LIFE Aquarium before.

We walked up to the entrance and we were greeted by the "ticket-taker" as my son called her lol.  She spoke to the kids, and got them even more excited.  She showed the kids some scratch off cards that they have at the entrance, she told the kids that as they go through the entire Aquarium, there are question areas for them to read, and answer on their scratch off cards.  She told them that at the end of their tour, if they turn in the card at the gift shop, they get a special "expert" badge if they get all of the answers correct.  WE all got excited, lol.

You then have to wait for a group to form and you are all let inside to a "holding area", the kids were so excited  because it just has you anticipating what's next.  In the section we went into, there is a video that plays where you are welcomed and it shows you some great clips.

The doors opens and WOW!  there is a slide and a bridge and a wall aquarium tank

The kids had so much fun, they didn't want to move along, lol.  Once I got their attention with the first trivia question, they rushed to read it, it was very nice to see them helping the little ones with the answers. 

We moved along through different sections of the Aquarium, Izeah which seems to be "soothed" by water or sea life, was just loving every single display.   They have these plaques called "Fin Facts" they teach you something about a specific sea life fact, I loved them, lol, I was so excited to find every single one throughout the entire aquarium ;)

The kids got to make a take-home habitat for an animal of their choice.

All the kids loved the different places where they can pet the different sea animals, but I think Izeah was EXTRA happy about that, he was asking tons of questions and he pet every single thing he could.  He stood there for almost an entire hour just petting a seastar.

Our local ocean conservation organizations that were there: Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, Coastkeeper, I Love A Clean San Diego, Ocean Discovery Institute, San Diego Oceans Foundation and San Elijo State Beach.  They had booths and activities for The Underwater Parks Day event at SEA LIFE Aquarium.  They gace all of the kids a paper at the antrance to the booths, and if you got a stamp from all of the booths, you turn it in at the desk for a prize.
The kids got to make a button to pin on their shirts, see animals in jar and the effects of pollution, they got to make it "rain" on a plastic mold of a city so they can see where trash and hazardous materials end up.  They did learn, and they had a great time.  At the end of it, they cashed their stamped card for a sticker, and a bookmarker that when they are done using it, they can plant it and it has flower seeds embedded inside.  AWESOME!!!

EVERYONE LOVED the underwater tunnel, even Daddy....

They found The Lost City of Atlantis!

WE ALL had a WONDERFUL time, The entire day was a learning adventure.

When we were done inside of the Aquarium, which by the way was almost closing time, time flies when you're having fun ;)

The kids turned in their scratch off cards at the gift shop for a "expert" badge.

I can not express enough the fun the entire Family had during this event.

Want to know my Favorite part of the whole day?!?!!?

Izeah, (which if you read the sidebar, has autism) had a wonderful time, his ADHD and anxiety were completely under control that day.  The water is his "zone", staring at the sea animals for hours is so therapeutic for him,

While he was sitting here, watching the Lost City of Atlantis, he said

'Mommy, I LOVE it here, this is MY dream come true"

I just cried, he had never "loved" a place as much as this before!

If you have not visited SEA LIFE Aquarium before, please do so, I HIGHLY recommend it!

The price is extremely affordable, even for our large family, the things the entire Family will learn will last for years to come, The best part, is the wonderful memories you will have.

The SEA LIFE Aquarium definitely has my Seal of Approval!!!!

My Family received admission tickets to enjoy the festivities.

when is too much, too much?

(a post from my other blog)

i am dealing with my depression, that lately has become very bad.
this week i have been busy with the girls costumes for their dance performance, but have been dealing so much with me.

i just have not been able to get myself up and at it. i cry out of no where, and i just am so down, yet i try to keep myself up for the kids.

as i have stated before, my 6 yr old is going through a lot of testing to have a full diagnosis. he has b een diagnosed with ADHD and childrens bipolar disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder, its been so incredibly hard on me dealing with that.

it wears me out so much, emotionally, and mentally, and physically.
a few days ago, the ymca after school program called me and told me that he is not going to be able to be in the program anymore because he is too much for them to handle.

calls from the principal, teacher, and now the ymca staff is so hard on me mentally.

THE WORST yet.....

today the principal called me and said something happened and I needed to go to her office.
i got to the office and sat down.
after talking with her and my son, i got the whole story.
it seems, he got upset that his behavior card got changed colors, so he turned aroung and told one kid "if you dont stop laughing at me i am going to cut you with a knife, i would make you bleed and make it look like a bloody acident"

what?!?!?!?!? omg!!!! i was hurt, upset, embarassed and everything else.

after speaking with him, he said he heard that from "the cat in the hat movie"
i am not sure, because i havent watched the movie, but even so it was so wrong.
they sent him home, and have banned him from recess for the rest of 2009 (a week)

i just dont know what to do anymorre!!!!

i am tired, worn out, and just sick of it. i made him an emergency appointment for tomorrow, at child phsyciatrist, and see whats gonna happen.