Girls trip to Sea World

I took Violet to Sea World yesterday. It was the first time she'd been there since she was an infant. We used to have season passes when Jack was around her age, but we stopped going because he never wanted to do anything other than go on the Elmo ride, climb the nets, and have a smoothie. Considering I couldn't go on the ride or the nets with him once Violet was born, it seemed like an awfully expensive way to get a smoothie.

Violet and I went at a heavily discounted rate because our little Mommy and Me class was having a field trip. I'm so glad we didn't pay full price, because I would have felt cheated. Violet is always pleasant, but she didn't really care about the sea lion show or the penguins. The little kid area at the Sesame Street Bay of Play was closed, and they had put away all the sand toys in the sand pit.

The one thing that she thought was really exciting was that there were pictures of Elmo everywhere. Even though she has historically had problems with costumed characters, I thought I'd try to have her meet Elmo and have her photo taken with him.

We were the second people in line waiting for Elmo to come out. When he walked out, Violet got really excited and happy. But when it was our turn to take our picture with him, she started getting upset.

"No! No!" she cried, while vehemently shaking her head. "I scared! Scared! I don't want it! Don't want it!"

I tried to stand next to Elmo while I was holding her, but she kept turning her face away from him. She shrank back every time Elmo tried to wave at her or interact with her. I tried to get her to at least look at the camera, but she refused.

It's so funny just how complementary my children's neuroses are. For as high-strung and high-maintenance Jack was as a baby and toddler, he never minded costumed characters. But Violet has always hated them.

The rest of our visit at Sea World was unremarkable. I'm glad we got a chance to go, but I doubt that we will be coming back any time in the near future.