So about three weeks ago the girls and I decide we wanted to go to the New York Aquarium, in Coney Island, that's out in Brooklyn, for those of you who don't live around here. It's about an hour drive from where we live, but we thought, hey,it would be better then spending a Sunday plopped in front of the TV. And since none of us had ever been there before, we packed ourselves a lunch, dressed warm, and off we went.

Enjoy, we did!!

Here 's the girls trying to spot the walrus.

Here he comes now, and he wanted to show the girls his little toy.

Look Daddy he's got a shovel, just like yours!!!

Rosie and the Mr Walrus bonding.

See you later new friend! Koo-Koo-kachoo!

Rosiebean taking a photo op with the Otters!

The EJ will not be left out, no way man!

Penguins!

No really look! Penguins I tell you!

Rosie and EJ being schooled.

Rosie and EJ being schooled with the flash on

Got Sturgeon?

Mmmmmm!! Sushi!!

This was one of the biggest Octopuses that I've ever seen before in captivity, There was that time with captain Nemo... but that's a whole different story.....

Mmmmmmmm!!! Calamari!!!

Rosie getting to know the sea horses.

Uhm? who's that?.... Look it's our friend... Mr. Walrus!!

Awwww! He waved!!

Here's Rosie cozying up with an enormous Lobster, that actually had a sea enenamy growing on it's claw! But really, this thing was huge!

Mmmmmm! $14.99 a pound!!!

They actually brought out Mr Walrus, to give the kids rides around the tank areas. Very nice of them. I was a little concerned about safety, but I trusted the kids would behave and not hurt him to badly!

To cute!

Feeding time at the penguin area. That lady's screwed she obviously hasn't seen the Madagascar movies

Shark tank, yeah!!

Hey isn't that crush from finding Nemo?

This Sting ray was another one of the colossal fish that you would never believe got that big! But, hey, he was. Probably a good thing since they keep him in the shark tank.

Here we are waiting for the seal show to start. It was a pretty groovy show. Lots of stuff about helping the oceans and the environment, and how can you not love anything involving a dancing seal? How could you not?

Here's the star of the show, a California seal, named Oswald.

Here he is giving my daughter a little smooch!! Rosie didn't get one and was very upset. She made me promise that we would stick around for the 4:15 show. This show started at 11:15. But I said Okay.

After a bit of wandering around and a stop to eat our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we happened upon a touching tank. In true Rosie and EJ fashion everything was touched.... and touched... and touched... and touched...

Let me roll these sleeves up so we can really get this show on the road!

They had a few thing to touch in the tank, but the girls really liked the horse shoe crab, which really isn't a crab at all, or a fish, or a horse for that matter. It's actually related to the spider. But did that deter the Gante girls? I think Not!!!!

The jackets eventually came off, I took a seat against the wall and the girls amused themselves for 3/4 of an hour. The staff actually let rosie recite some of the facts to new arrivals after awhile, since we had heard it about sixty times by the end. They were very good sports!

Hey little girl, wanna hear a secret?

 

Yeah..what? 

No way he can't be Luke's father, I refuse to believe it Mr. Croc!!! 

Tell me! Tell me!! Tell me!!! 

Muddy the Mud Skipper, in the house!!

 

This was one my favorite Parts of the aquarium, the Jelly fish!! Most of the displays were backlight, which gave the room a very surreal kind of atmosphere, but it helped you see the details of the jelly's wonderfully. 

The sisters Gante.

 

Got jelly?

Phone home....

Great Googlie Mooglie!! We found Nemo!!

A sea ynenamy 

Don't really remember what this guy (or girl) was but, wow!!!

This was one pregnant dude. Poor mr sea horse has to carry the babies and this one was ready to burst!

They call me mello yellow....

With a bit of time to kill until the 4:15 seal show, we decided to go for a walk on the famous Coney Island boardwalk. Ishowed the girls where hot dogs were invented over at the very first Nathan's, which was closed... damn it!! and we walked by the now closed down AstroLand (pictured) which the girls were bummed to find would be closed forever. They actually wanted to sit there and wait for it to open so they could go on the rides. And it was cold!!!

After the boardwalk, we went down to the beach. The wind kicked up and it became a barren wasteland type land scape. But did that stop my girls from having fun?? not a chance!

Back to the shark tank to kill some more time, me and my promises.

This Stingray really was enormous, just plain big.

Got teeth?

Smoochies!!!

They kept telling us that they were going to feed these guys, but after about twenty minutes we bailed to o catch the seal show

Oswald telling the croud what he really thinks of humans!!

Oswald remember me? from the 11:15 show?!?!?!

 

Seal butt!

Man this guy could sing!!

And sing!

 

Rosie finally get's her kiss!! and we could leave.

We decided to go home via Manhattan and grab a slice of Pizza at one of my favorite pizzerias over by third street  between 15th st and 16th st on the east side. On the way there as we were passing by NYU, when we saw this statue and I told the girls that that big statue could be pushed in a circle by people on the street. They didn't believe me, so naturally, I pulled over!

EJ starts to get it going!!

EJ don't squash the Rosie!

All in all it was a wonderful day filled with many wonders. The gils have made me promise that we would go back in the spring when all the out door attractions would be open and the beach would be more enjoyable and I do see that in our future. 

Gotta love the seal sticking out his tongue!!!!