It was easier with 30 kids...

I have always had fond memories of the Baltimore Aquarium. When I was teaching, that was always where we went on a Friday afternoon in early March for our big field trip of the year. This was an awesome gig for us teachers because we always made sure to have enough parent chaperones present to ensure that none of us actually had any students to watch in the exhibit. All we did was walk around chatting up the parents and students as if we were circulating a party, and then we high-tailed it to the food court to enjoy a leisurely lunch while the kids drove their parents crazy in the gift shop. I did this for four years in a row.

Funny how in all of those four years, I never noticed that there weren't any strollers in the aquarium halls. Had I noticed this small detail, we might have had a more enjoyable family trip last Friday. As it were though, upon our arrival at the aquarium, we were herded into a tiny little room to check our strollers and gather our belongings along with fifty other flustered parental types. All of that commotion caused Mr. Chase to become frazzled and cranky and forget all about how excited he was to find Tulley the Turtle. He eventually calmed down enough to stop his ear splitting screaming, but the excursion never became overly enjoyable for anyone but Amaya who was quite content to ride along in the aquarium provided baby carrier. Now, if you ask Chase about the trip today, he'll gleefully tell you all about the turtle, the divers and the owl completely leaving out the temper tantrums and refusal to walk parts. Only you and I will know the truth: Given the choice between escorting 30 third graders or one irritated two year old to the aquarium--I'll take the bus full of eight year olds. As long as those third graders come with 10 able-bodied adults that is.