One Fish, Two Fish, I love you, Fish!

A couple months ago, I took Babykins to the Waikiki Aquarium.  She couldn't walk, yet, and while she enjoyed looking at each fish tank for a minute, she quickly got bored and was ready to leave.  So when we decided to go to the aquarium in Canada, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It turns out a couple months makes a big difference in the world of fish appreciation.  Babykins held our hands as she walked through the aquarium, pulling us from tank to tank.  When she found one that was especially exciting, she would push her hands against the glass and squeal.  At one point we even had to stop her from licking the aquarium glass.

This was fun to watch, but it got even better when Babykins discovered the "Please Touch Pool."  To her delight, Babykins was able to climb on the ledge of the pool and reach in to pat the starfish and sea anemone.  After a few minutes of exploring the sea creatures, we took Babykins back in to have another look at the fish. 

I put her down so she could stand next to one of the tanks, and she immediately dropped down into crawling position.  I stood back to see where she would go, and when she took off, I figured she was just crossing to another tank.  Instead she headed down the ramp leading back to the Touch Pool.  To my amazement, when the ramp bent to the right, she knew to follow it, and when it bent again, she turned, as well.  Seconds later, Babykins was crossing the floor of a new room and pulling herself up on the side of the Pool.  Who can deny a baby who put that much thought and effort into getting back to her favorite exhibit?

We spent a few more minutes petting the urchins, when Babykins discovered the most exciting part of the aquarium...the sink.  Usually Babykins fights getting her hands wiped after eating, but getting to wash her hands in a sink like a big girl is a different story.  By the time we were able to drag Babykins away from the sink, her fingers were wrinkly and she had the cleanest hands in the aquarium.

Babykins washes her hands at the aquarium...again :)

I'm pretty sure Babykins spent that night dreaming about beautiful fish and hands-free sinks.  She may not remember the aquarium when she gets older, but if she becomes a marine biologist or a compulsive hand washer, we'll know where she got her start.