For Christmas, Zachary was given a gift of two days in Chattanooga and he could bring any friend he wanted with him. He chose McKinney. We went during the week after Christmas. The boys had a blast.
We spend day 1 visiting the Tennessee Aquarium. The boys enjoyed every second of the Aquarium.
They loved running around on the grounds outside the building.
They loved pretending they were being attacked by sharks.
They LOVED petting the Sting Rays - even though McKinney's face doesn't look that way in this picture.
And most of all, they enjoyed every new fish that they discovered. We didn't go more than a minute or two without hearing "Hey! Look at this one!" coming out of one of their mouths. They found themselves racing to be the first to see the next beautiful creature.
On day 2, we went to the Creative Discovery Museum in downtown Chattanooga. This was the ultimate indoor playground. 100% interactive yet educational at the same time. Surprisingly, the boys took about 5 minutes to enjoy a few books in a quiet spot they found. It didn't last long, though.
They quickly discovered that they could move the sand around just right and suddenly they are archaeologists discovering dinosaur bones. 
As quickly as they became archaeologists, they just as quickly became monkees. They spend nearly an hour playing in the huge indoor playground. There were three levels and it was very easy to lose them if you didn't pay attention. For a while, we had to separate and plant ourselves at the two doors of the room so the boys couldn't escape to another part of the building without us knowing.
Once the playground grew boring, they moved into the musical wing of the building. Xylophones, kettle drums, and whatever this is in the picture never knew what was coming. They couldn't make the noises fast enough.
In the end, we spent almost 5 hours in the Children's Museum. They may have enjoyed that more than the Aquarium.
As quickly as they became archaeologists, they just as quickly became monkees. They spend nearly an hour playing in the huge indoor playground. There were three levels and it was very easy to lose them if you didn't pay attention. For a while, we had to separate and plant ourselves at the two doors of the room so the boys couldn't escape to another part of the building without us knowing.Once the playground grew boring, they moved into the musical wing of the building. Xylophones, kettle drums, and whatever this is in the picture never knew what was coming. They couldn't make the noises fast enough.In the end, we spent almost 5 hours in the Children's Museum. They may have enjoyed that more than the Aquarium.What an amazing trip that neither boy will forget for a long time. Marty and I were thrilled that we were gone for 36 hours and Zachary and McKinney didn't fight once. We all had a great time and are very thankful for the opportunity to take quick trips like this as a family several times a year.
