Kevin had a conference in DC this summer, so we decided to take advantage of the free hotel and bring the whole family along. Knowing that we probably won't be in DC on someone else's dime again, we tried to see all the things. And by "we" I mean "me and the kids" (because Kevin had to actually attend the conference) and by all the things I mean " really we tried to at least see all the important landmarks in the blazing heat, on foot, with 3 kids (2 of whom have apparently developed no resilience or perseverance when it comes to heat, crowds, and thirst)"
So yeah, it was a great trip.
It really was a great time. Our 2 days were packed full of seeing all we could, even if we just walked by it. We did an awful lot of walking (some of it while we were a bit...lost), we survived on popsicles, snacks, and a roadside stand for lunch (and dinner at the hotel...for free, because they must have seen me trekking around town with the kids and felt sorry for me), and when we left I felt like we had checked off the proverbial childhood box for "see historical landmarks as a child that you will only really appreciate as an adult"
Viewing the White House from a distance. A lot of weird people hang out around here. Like a woman with a pig on a leash. And a man who painted himself in silver.
And we're walking...and walking...and walking
Yay! A monument!
Ada, probably reflecting on our nation's history and how this impacts her life today. Either that, or when we can get popsicles.
Kevin was with us for this first couple of hours before he had to head to his conference. Parenting in Washington DC is easier when there are 2 parents.
Oliver loved the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. It helped that right after this we got popsicles.
Really, the popsicles were more of a highlight than they should have been.
We went through the Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum. Oliver insisted on having his picture taken in front of every large animal.
Cambel can be such a sweet big brother
The Air and Space Museum will forever be the place in my mind where Oliver hit a wall and lost the ability to cope for awhile, and where, in my attempt to deal with his meltdown and still let Ada and Cambel appreciate the museum, I let them go off on their own...and failed to clearly state a return time. After Oliver had recovered it occurred to me that I 1. didn't know where my other kids were and 2. had no way to contact them. I panicked briefly as I imagined trying to explain to Kevin how I had lost 2/3's of our kids, but eventually they showed up unharmed and happy that they got to explore on their own. Bad parenting for the win.
We also got a personal tour of the Capital Building by the son of a friend our ours who works for a State Representative. I didn't have my camera for that, but it was pretty impressive building. Oliver thoroughly enjoyed all the things he should not have been climbing on.
On Sunday morning before we left we went to a church near our hotel--which was Teddy Roosevelt's church at one time. We practically doubled their attendance when we walked in and I spent most of the service trying to keep the kids from moving at all because everything echoed loudly in the old empty sanctuary--everything except for the pastor's voice which you had to strain to hear. The kids were so bored, but it made for a funny story later.
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