I know I shouldn’t be, but I am really surprised at how quickly the girls have taken to this mermaid project. Whenever we get in the car now, the question from the backseat is no longer, “Can we have a snack?” but “Are we going to see some mermaids?”. Don’t get me wrong, the snack requests still persist, but their attention has been diverted at least for a split second.

Trying to get both Mo and Co to look in the same general direction with at least a slight modicum of happiness on their faces has proven difficult. Really, it’s like herding cats. I try to take at least three snaps before their attention is taken by a bird flying by, a dog taking a leak across the street, or the overwhelming interest in their own inhalation and exhalation. They know that when you see a camera, you’re supposed to say “Cheese”, but I’m trying to get them to say other things because their “cheese” elicits these stretched out grimaces. And of course, the volume of “Cheese” is so high, people several blocks away think some dairy goodness is being offered up to the masses. They come rushing out bearing crackers and toasted bread only to be sorely disappointed.

Anyway, we have had much success spotting mermaids in our outings around town. We’re going to try for a record of 7 tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s what we’ve found:

Sea Shimmer on West 21st Street