My rascal turns six...

As I planned for Cole's sixth birthday this year, it really struck me, how quickly the years are passing. It sounds so cliche but the fact of the matter is that time has literally been on a faster pace than I ever remember. I find myself watching Cole as he continues to digest the world around him and figure out his place in it. He loves to learn, ask questions, and constantly inquires about things he hears or sees. I love that he shares with me what he does during his school day. I treasure our late afternoons as I know soon enough, he will be dropping off his backpack and running out the door to ice skate or sled with his buddies or with the spring thaw, out throwing a football/baseball with his friends rather than with his mom.

Cole wanted to have his birthday party at the SEALIFE aquarium this year. We had visited several times since they renovated and re-opened. I have to be honest that I was skeptical that an aquarium located in Minneapolis far from salt water would be anything to impress. I was wrong. It isn't huge and doesn't have seals, otters or whales but what they have done with the space they have is pretty darn cool. They have the touch-me and the seahorse/jelly fish exhibits but it is the glass surround walk-way that ups the wow factor. It is shaped like a tunnel with glass overhead and on the sides. The sharks, rays, sea turtles and massive and tiny fish swim and glide inches from you. To see their underbellies as they cruise over your head makes you go "look at that" every few seconds..

SEALIFE's birthday package included a private party room (deep down in the bowels of the aquarium, you felt like you were on a ship), make-your-own shark tooth necklace, a behind-the-scenes tour and full access to the aquarium itself. So Cole and 8 of his friends got to see (and smell) the off-exhibit area where new or sick sea animals were brought and treated. They got to see what they eat (yuck!) and got to walk above the tanks where the animals swum about as the public walked through the tunnels below. It was a fun afternoon for this birthday boy!