Penguins!!!!!!

We're members at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach (aka, the "A-care-ee-um"), and Kyra loves it there! Ever since the recent "Frozen Planet" series on TV, she's been fascinated by penguins (or "pang-gins" as she calls them). We had been looking forward to the opening of the new Penguin Habitat at the aquarium, and we managed to get there for the first time last week, just a week after it opened. Kyra loved watching the "pang-gins" swimming around! There's a fun little cave area where kids can walk underneath the glass and see the penguins swimming and playing overhead.

Another exciting thing about this trip was that we finally got to see the enormous octopus out and about with all eight legs outstretched! In all the times we've been there (I lost count long ago), this was the first time I had seen the octopus come out of hiding! After the Aquarium, Kyra loves to walk over to Chili's for a fun Mommy-Daughter lunch. As we approach the restaurant, she yells, "Mommy, I see Chili's! I see Chili's!"

Earlier this week, we went back for a second trip to see the penguins! Watch for a follow-up post with more fun pictures from that trip (as if there aren't enough pictures shown below! But I can't help it - I want to include all the cute pictures since I print our blog into a book for Kyra at the end of each year to document our activities). I have no doubt that we'll be making more trips to the "A-care-ee-um" this summer. Kyra is looking forward to introducing her Daddy to her new "pang-gin" friends!