I Love D.C.

 

One of my Most Favorite Places Ever is Washington D.C. 
London is too. {oh my. i just love London}
And the place where my friend onehappymomma lives.
{have you seen her photos? just gorgeousness, i tell ya.}

Only.



I've never been to either of those places. Yet.       
But D.C. ? We are there alot.
And not just for lectures multi-media-events.


~ these never turn out for me. maybe i need happily cooperative participants...

I LoVe D.C.And the next time I go, I am going to buy one of those cool touristy t-shirts that cleverly communicates the intensity of my fondness.  It'll be all pink and say "I (big red heart) D.C." 
So original.   Next time. I say that everytime. But next time for real. I am getting that shirt.

Last March we attended a concert at DAR Constitution Hall.
{a free concert. we love free and are very good at it.}

When I was about 8 and 9-ish, our family attended a weekly travel series there with friends.  Half the fun then was the van ride. The other half was learning about faraway places and then the third half of the fun was deciding to go to the bathroom in the middle of it. Why? I don't know! and not by myself of course! My friend Sandy and I would gigglesnickergiggle our way out trying real hard to be very quiet.



It was alot smaller than how I remembered it {funny how that works.}
We heard The United States Air Force Band and their guests, the "Canadian Brass."
I sat there enjoying my little kid memories, patriotic pride and thinking about my Canadian friend Dawne.
I loved every. single. minute. of the music for at least the first 73 of them.
After that I could tell that my Inner Cultcher tank {spelling credit goes to my friend Sue, and besides, I am feeling all linky today} was full and starting to overflow.The overflowing manifests itself with uncontrollable restlessness and fidgeting. Even some talking. And it must be terribly hereditary. So I've noticed.




Another trip to D.C. found us at the Jefferson Memorial. It was the kind of early spring day, the sun all smiley and warm, where you could almost feel  the green leaves and flowers about to emerge. {i cannot wait for that again!}

What I remember most about this meaningful place was playing on the grassy lawn area... and that someone's 5 year old pulled out a bunch of those little warning flags that say, "Do Not Remove! Buried something or other! Dangerous!"   


         

And just a few of the other places visited in D.C. over the last year were;
                    
The American Meridian...
~ {yawn} the line that our country recognized as dividing
    the Eastern and Western hemispheres until 1888.



{ i know. so much heart pounding excitement is one location. snort. can you even stand it?  
jacob emphatically announced his perspective when we arrived, "this is going to be so boring!" }

When I read about it in the library's "Off The Beaten Path" book on D.C., I knew that we would be lookin it up. And you can see how cool we were to think up the idea of being in two hemispheres at the same time. Cool, clever and original {like that t-shirt I am getting.}

                                                    
                                                    
The American History Museum...

 
              ~oh, the enthusiasm communicated with this one. snicker.
   {don't let this picture fool ya. we all love this place}                            
 ~our youngest history buff, glued to The History Channel's video
    clip of WWI because it included the sinking of the Lusitania. 

   ~ i love this quote and it always feels like it should be its own post...

                                                                                                                                                                                            



                           ~ look alikes?!!!                    
~ no. we are not buying them. 
~ yes. you may try them on. {not that anyone asked.}
~ typical; sarah resting, jake climbing.                                                                                                                                
                                                  
The Washington Monument and the way we roll...


~ somebody always gets insanely muddy somehow.
~ and while we had the fore-thought {shocking.so not like us} to preorder timed tickets to ensure a place in line at the
   Washington monument, we found it closed *sorry for the inconvenience* due to high winds.

BUT! Just as I was trying to recover
and we were leaving, contemplating a plan b,
the sign was removed and the monument reopened! yay!




   
                         
Patriotic stores...
~ are always fun!!!
~ and where else could Sarah meet Sarah without fighting through a crowd?

 
   
Remember this famous photograph of John Jr. peaking out of his dad's desk?!

  

Check out this reproduction piece with our little Jacob.
{did i already mention cool.clever.and original? we just can't even help it. i believe we are naturals.}
You could buy it for $8,999.00 plus shipping and handling.

{we always joke about ordering "his and hers" with outrageous items like this. yes! we'll take two! }



 
~ World War II Memorial                                            
~  View of Pennsylvania Ave. from The Old Post Office Tower.



~ visiting our congressman's office prior to our capitol building tour.


And what good is a favorite place without delicious food?


Our favorite D.C. restaurant is The Cactus Cantina located just up the street from The National Cathedral. Favorite as in YuMmY. Real yummy. Not favorite as in we tried sososo *we haven't* many and found this to be the best. Altho' we suspect it might be! 
                                                                             


I LoVe D.C.
{can you tell?}

And next time, after I get that t-shirt?
I'm sure that I'll look like an expert too!  




Where is YOUR most Favorite Place Ever???      

Really Very Important

Ben and I ran to Walmart the other Saturday.

{ugh. walmart. on a saturday. need i say more? ok. i will. sick kids necessitated an untimely venture there. jacob was recovering from a fever, with coughing and other cold symptoms. he was at the cantankerous stage of feeling better. sarah had the stomach bug. messy. ewwww. details on that are not rated E for everyone...}

Ran to Walmart. literally. Meaning, we pulled in the lot, parked, I hopped out of the van and started running toward the doors. It was so cold and very windy. Made sense to me. Then I heard Ben's voice in desperate, pleading tones behind me. "Mom. Don't run. Please. You're embarrassing me!"

I can run, roll my eyes and laugh outloud at the same time. I am that coordinated.

Poor Ben.

Me. Embarrassing him. humph.

{motherhood has brought me many things. high speed, bumpy road, hard to steer emotions for one. i can go from intense beaming pride and joy to complete and utter mortification * the dear merciful God, let the floor open up and swallow me* kind in about 30 seconds flat. overusing the clutch and grinding the gears every daggone time.}

I wanted to smirk. and wickedly. I felt powerful indeed. At least briefly.
They had their turn...and now {gasp} I guess I have mine?

{why is it that kids don't seem to get how cool we are?}


            

I recently accompanied Sarah, two busloads of kids and other enthusiastic parental chaperones and teachers
on an excursion to a nearby international airport. Southwestern Airlines offers more than "Bags Fly Free." They also have an awesome "Adopt-A-Pilot" program for students that culminates in a field trip to the airport. And it includes a free lunch. :)


       

{btw, can you see the relationship between subjects here? walmart. the airport. me neither.}


             

Anyway. It was a grand, memorable experience with my daughter, her friends and classmates.
Yes indeedy. Loved it.

But I gotta admit, the whole time I was also thinking about a certain friend.
Because in just a couple of weeks,
I will be making a trip to the same airport,
when this  gal  flies into town!!!

                                   


I just can.not.wait.

I can't wait!!!
And I know that her Grandma and a whole bunch of other friends
are excitedly anticipating her visit as well!

{see? really very important!!!}