Started the day beautifully by making the classic mistake of mentioning Grunny to Boy. Let me set the scene: Girl in high chair munching porridge and blueberries for breakfast. Boy, having refused porridge, Shreddies, a tangerine, yoghurt and milk (and after me refusing him the meringue he asked for), happily sits colouring in some junk mail at the kitchen table. One crayon even snaps in two - whoopee! A new broken crayon for my collection! What a serene family scene. And then I make the ultimate mistake - "that's a great picture - shall we send it to Grunny?"
Three minutes later Boy is on the floor screaming, arms and legs pumping and bottom lip stuck out 3 inches. You see, In this house, if you are two, "Grunny" means Skype. Immediately. So I phone Grunny in Scotland, but she's not home. Thankfully Grumpy answers and agrees to do a quick hello on Skype. Another three minutes pass. Boy is purple in the face and sobbing and Girl is joining in the fun now too. The phone rings and Grumpy says he doesn't know the password. Aaargh. I'm not wholly convinced - it's no secret that Grumpy isn't a fan of Skype's jumpy video signal. In the end he says a few words over the speakerphone while Boy stares at it as if Grumpy's face will appear in the receiver at any moment. Finally Boy waves goodbye, which I explain to Grumpy who has become confused at the sudden silence. The tantrum is interrupted and I take the opportunity to bundle the kids into the car.
Today we are heading to Atlantaquaria in Salthill. Both kids are exhausted from all the wailing and are fast asleep by the time we get there. I take the opportunity to sit in the car for a few minutes and enjoy the peace. Soon Girl wakes up and I put her in the little pushchair and then wake up Boy. We bought an annual membership last year and it was definitely worth the money. We can pop in for a wee look any time we are in Salthill, plus I don't feel obliged to spend hours on a visit just to get my money's worth.
We meet my friend and her two kids and the boys have a great time running around together. The aquarium is very quiet so there aren't many people for them to annoy. They especially love the little submarine near the entrance, the large window where Eddie the Wreckfish and a truly giant white skate can be found, and splashing about in the starfish pool upstairs. The small babies love it too. Girl is looking all around, both at the fish and at the boys, while my friend's baby of 3 months is smiling and looking all around at the lighting. All the kids got a lot out of the visit and we all enjoy a cup of coffee in the cafe afterwards. By the time we get home both kids have passed out again, but this time it's after a morning of really good fun! Atlantaquaria is open 7 days, free for under 3s, and has fish-feeding times every day as well as special events for older children when school's out.
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