Our Adventure started out as planned. We left home shortly after 8 bells. The Beauties were well rested, in great moods and raring to go. We had Mickey D's pan-i-cakes for breakfast, still all going well. The slightly less than four hour drive went fairly well. It ended up taking us a lot longer due to all the road construction. Jocelyn was ornery one. She would not sit still and has officially earned her escape artist title. We arrived and parked and walked to the aquarium. Everyone was "slightly" tired at this point, but still ready to see all the good stuff at Shedd. We paid and went in. Of course endured our normal bouquet of questions. "Are they triplets?" "How do you tell them apart?" and "Wow, you have your hands full." We went in the elevator up to the main floor, as the doors opened, we expected to see a sea of underwater creatures. What we saw instead was a sea of people! I swear I have never seen so many people in one place. We could not move. The stroller was horrible to maneuver through the crowd. People were so rude. Seriously. Family time is always wonderful, no matter where we are, but this was nuts. Grown adults were racing in front of children, stepping on them, knocking them out of the way. It was ridiculous. Matt and I kept telling the girls to wait their turn, and the were so patient and listened so well. So eager, yet patient to have their turns. So many times as they would have been next to view, some rude jerk would step right in front of them. I was appalled. We were unable to take the stroller into many areas of the aquarium. The staff told us they were not allowed. So we took the Beauties out and let them walk, holding tightly to their little hands, sure not to let go as we would never find them again if we did. This would have been fine, however when we went into these so called "no" stroller areas, there were strollers everywhere. Again I stayed patient, not understanding why. But dealing. The kicker was when I took my sweet Chloe to use the potty. Another woman, in the bathroom with her child, literally ran over Chloe with her stroller, intentionally, to get into the bathroom before her. I maybe would have understood if she had not been looking, but she looked right at her and then ran her over with the stroller. This was my breaking point. I glared and then picked up my child and went to the service desk, I broke into tears upon explaining the less than hour and a half experience we had just lived. The gal working the service desk smiled and offered to refund our $75.00 admission. I said that would be great and she apologized again. She gave the Beauties stickers and smiles. After talking with customer service, another friendly woman approached us and commented on how beautiful the girls were and how well behaved and polite they were. She held the door and said "bless you for being a good mommy." She said she couldn't imagine trying to do it with four, three the same age. She and her family were also leaving, said they had a similar experience, and couldn't believe how many rude people that were walking around.
Rude people aside, the girls did seem to get some enjoyment. They loved the penguins and the seahorses and the whales and Chloe got to see her beloved jellies! Maybe someday we will go there again...maybe not.
Rude people aside, the girls did seem to get some enjoyment. They loved the penguins and the seahorses and the whales and Chloe got to see her beloved jellies! Maybe someday we will go there again...maybe not.
