Big day of firsts for us two! First ever field trip for Archer and first time chaperoning for me!

His class and the chaperones loaded up on a bus on a chilly morning. We were cold on the drive. Broken window latches let that frisky winter air inside.

But hey, no biggie. We were on a trip after all!

These two little guys were my charges for the day. Enough adults had volunteered to help out, so everyone got 1 – 2 kids to keep an eye on. So much for my late-night sweats about babysitting a dozen 5 year olds in a giant fish museum.

We learned about freshwater jellyfish (found only in our very own Lake Powell!)

Learned about bug vision:

Obviously this is false news because flies can see me coming with a swatter a mile away.

Saw some Nemos:

The penguins were a huge hit!

(Don’t let Archer’s face fool you. He’s not a big fan of getting his picture taken. 🙂 )

The stingray and shark tunnel were pretty incredible to see:

As a kid, I had a dream to “be the scuba diver that cleans out the shark tank at the Georgia aquarium”. As an adult, I am deeply disappointed in myself for not pursuing that dream a little harder.

I appreciated this subliminal reminder:

Of course, we couldn’t pass up the physical endurance test: the rope bridge in the reptile room!

These little boys were so brave and nervous to cross the net. Little hands trembled and white knuckled the ropes all the way across. But they were SO proud when they made it safely across! Good job guys!

The aquarium was such a neat place to take the kids. Archer really enjoyed touching the starfish (or whatever they’re called these days). I thought the piranhas were dope. There was SO much to learn about our desert and about aquatic animals across the world. (Technically, land animals, too, since they had a leopard exhibit. ??? )

We had a wonderful time. Hopefully I can bring all my kids back this summer. (Maybe for one of our Grammy Field Trips, Mom?)

Thanks for being my little boy, Archer. I had the best time with you! xoxo