Today was the kind of day where...

I wanted to drop my kids off at a drop in day care and pick them up, oh...next week. Maybe??

The rational side of me says ''Shannon, you've been traveling a lot. Things are changing, they're young, each going through new challenges and phases...you're going to have bad days''.

And the other side says: "Geez woman, your kids are nuts''.

I mean seriously. Today they were the whiniest, greediest, over the top complainers and we did FUN stuff today. You would have thought that I had locked them in their rooms, gave them only the crusts off of bread and then left them in the dark. (Don't worry, that may be on the agenda for tomorrow). Ahem.

But no, we went to SEA WORLD today. Granted it's not the "funnest place on earth" but it's Sea World. They got up, played, ate breakfast, got dressed, played and then hurriedly cleaned up. We loaded up the van, stopped and grabbed lunch. They complained about lunch and that we didn't let them play in the play place. I felt like screaming ''WE ARE GOING TO SEA WORLD. DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH COOLER THAT IS THAN CHICK-FIL-A???" Then I made them drink Gatorade instead of Root Beer. How the humanity? How could I possibly force them to drink something that wasn't full of carbonation and sugar!?

We finally get to Sea World, get through the gate and pick up the double stroller I had rented ahead of time. Pooks immediately starts saying he's too tired to walk. "Really, cause we can go back to the van?" and suddenly he's fine.

 We walk TEN feet and the ''I'm starving. I'm so hungry my tummy hurts. Can we get popcorn?" starts. Seriously!? I tell them that at the Sea Lion show I will get them popcorn if they stop asking for it. So I ride the Shamu express with Bubba while Ron takes the 3 littles on the carousel.

 By now we gotta hurry toward the Sea Lion show. Oh look the Count and no line? Totally need a picture...

would have been perfect if she hadn't blinked!

All of us wanted to see the sea lion show because it's the only show we had never caught...well, we saw the Christmas version and they loved that, so we were hoping they'd like the regular Clyde and Seymour show too. Which they did, once they finally had popcorn.

Sissy however, loved it without the popcorn. I think she stood on mine or B's lap the entire show.

After the Sea Lions we headed toward Shamu's show. While we have seen Shamu twice, I really wanted to see the new show ''One Ocean''. Yeah, that didn't happen. The boys didn't want Shamu, they wanted cotton candy. And Elmo. They wanted Churros and the playground.

Dude, I can buy you a freaking churro at Costco and we have a playground less than a block from our house. Sea World = Shamu.

Nevertheless on my way back from the bathrooms, I get them their damn cotton candy. And less than five minutes into One Ocean....''I don't like Shamu. I want Elmo.""Can we go play now?""I'm too tired.""I need Pepsi". "Can we just leave?"

So glad you asked because yes, yes we are. Sorry I'm the mom and we never get to actually do anything that I *want* to do. But I will not sit here and let you ruin the show for the people around us by your whining. So I grudgingly remind myself that they are just little kids. The newness has worn off and that I won't be seeing Shamu. I look at the map and the Elmo show starts in 10 minutes, so we head over there.

Sissy is immediately in LOVE with this. She's out of the stroller. She can walk around. She can dance!? Actually, Bubba, Peanut and Sissy were all in love with the Sesame Street show. Pooks however? Not so much. "Dey just fweak me out and I don't want to see Elmo!" Well, too bad kid. Too bad. I wanted to see Shamu but that didn't happen. Now you have to see Elmo (which keep in mind he was ASKING for 5 minutes earlier).

"But they just freak me out". 

And yes. My four and a half year old sat in that stroller for the entire 15 minutes show. Peanut was mesmerized but didn't want to get too close. Sissy and Bubba? Couldn't get enough.

Bubba, after he high-fived Elmo"

After the show the characters come out for pictures, high fives, hugs...that sort of thing. Sissy was over the moon excited for Abby Caddaby. When we went up near the stage during the song, she was grinning and trying to get her hair. When we went to her to get pictures she just had this permanent little smirk and couldn't stop staring at her. She just loved it and it was by far, the best part of the day.

After that, it all went down hill again. Pooks started saying he was hungry. Again. Conveniently just as we passed a dippin' dot stand. So not happening today. He was still riding in the stroller at this point. Bubba would not hold my hand so he kept getting 10 feet behind us (and we were sloooooow, peanut was walking!) then would come running up with tears in his eyes saying we were leaving him behind. At this point it looked like it was going to ran, B and I's patience were beyond thin and we called the whole thing done. Got to sea world a little after 12:30, gone by 4:00. I am so glad we have season passes and didn't forfeit the cost of a ticket for that little 3 hour jaunt!