Road trip to our Nation’s Capitol
Christmas day was absolutely wonderful. Bob and I waited like kids in bed waiting for the pitter patter of the boys feet to wake us up on Christmas morning, but to our surprise they didn't. They all came down to watch a show just like they do each morning. We were speechless but enjoyed the calm start to Christmas morning. The boys unwrapped gifts from Santa and everyone else and I realized once it was over that I didn't get one picture. I guess that means I was enjoying myself so much I didn't even think to grab my camera instead just enjoyed the moment.
We are very lucky when it comes to Christmas break because Bob saves up his remaining vacation days to spend with us. He had an amazing idea of visiting Washington DC for a road trip getaway. So early December 26th, we jumped in the car and began our journey.
The boys are so used to traveling! 6 hour road trip...let's do this.
Maw Maw and Paw Paw joined us on this trip. Paw Paw and the boys had never been before. When we arrived at the hotel we bundled up and ubered down to the Lincoln Memorial. Within 5 minutes of being there, I lost my ID, Bob lost his gloves and wallet, and Nolan lost one glove. Fortunately we found everything except Nolan's glove.
It was a great night to sight see!
Here are the love birds by the WW2 Memorial...it was so pretty lit up...the next day they drained the fountain because the temperatures were dropping.
Washington Monument
We walked over to the White House to see the National Christmas Tree. It was beautifully lit with cute little trains running all around it.
That night in the hotel, Landon woke up sick in the middle of the night. Poor guy was so sick but the next morning he was back to his normal self.
We ubered to the National Zoo. While we walked around we became discouraged because many Asian animals were not out but we stumbled upon the Panda. We watched the pandas outside eating bamboo and inside too.
The boys love to be silly on the statues
After the zoo, we ubered into town for lunch and then to the National Museum of Natural History. This place was amazing. The kids were loving it. We all split up with adult and kids so that we could see as much as we could. Carter loves to read all the facts and Landon loved to the interactive exhibits.
The coolest place within this museum was called "Quiorus" (curious). This was an interactive area that the kids could take real artifacts out of drawers and put them under a microscope to see them up close. They could have stayed there for hours and to be honest it was so stinking cool! I loved watching them get so excited to choose and get there artifact. They because microscope operating experts.
We had to experience a ride on the Metro while being in the city so we decided to ride it back to the hotel after this full day. Since we are out of towners we didn't quite understand the purchase of a ride. We bought 3 cards (one for Maw Maw, one for Paw Paw, and one for our family), turns out that every single person needs their own card. We didn't find this out until Maw Maw, Paw Paw, and Bob were on one side of the platform and we couldn't get through so we had to beg the conductor to let us pass. We must have looked pathetic because she let us pass through.
We had to jump from train to train to get to our destination. The fast moving trains made Paw Paw very nervous with the boys on the platform but we kept them close and safe. When we got off and were headed out to the road the escalator was as tall as a skyscraper. I was terrified that one of the boys was going to lean back just enough to lose their balance and fall backward. Bob was running with Carter and Landon to the top while I had the death grip on Nolan's coat. Maw Maw and Paw Paw rode up the escalator with white knuckles too.
Early the next morning we ventured out to the National Air and Space Museum. We had to wait outside for about 20 minutes and it was very cold but we managed. Once we walked through the doors the boys couldn't stop talking about what they were seeing.
We were able to walk through this space shuttle and see what it looked like to be an astronaut.
Throughout the museum there were little rooms that played videos of real news footage and broadcasts from the "space race". We sat for about 20 minutes watching it and the boys were mesmerized. When we walked out Landon said to me, "It would have been a whole lot cooler if that was in color so you could actually see what we were watching." Ha!
We spent about 3 hours in this museum where the kids walked and played with so many fun interactive activities. In this picture you can defiantly tell how pale Landon was and by this time he was begging to go back to the hotel. As we were waiting for our Uber, we came across a food truck selling soft pretzels and Landon perked right up. Later that weekend when I asked him what was his favorite part, he said, "Eating a soft pretzel on the the street".
That night we decided to stay close to the hotel and we found a restaurant called "Firefly". What hooked us in was the location, the ambiance (there were real trees in the restaurant covered in twinkle lights), and they gave out a sugar cookie to decorate for each kid. Taking out three small children to a restaurant can be a tough task but they weren't too bad however Landon and Nolan didn't eat very well at all. Bob had a yummy burger and I had a bowl of delicious creamy potato soup.
Before we began our 6 hour drive home, we drove out to see Arlington National Cemetery. It was the coldest day of our mini vacation but we bundled up and grabbed hot cocoa to keep us warm. We stayed inside the visitor center until it got close to the time of the changing of the guard. Landon found this poster of Uncle Sam, Nolan had so many random questions. He said, "Hey Mom is this guy a friend of Jesus?" , "Why is he so angry?", "Could he be Abraham Lincoln's brother?"
We had to walk quite a ways to get to the tomb of the unknown solider. Along the way we gave the kids several pep talks about being respectful and quiet. I was very nervous about how they would behave at the ceremony of the changing of the guard. Once they came out and started, the boys were entranced and didn't say a thing. Once it was complete, each one of the boys tried their best to click their heels like the solider and march on the way back to the car.
President Kennedy's site
I think Paw Paw had a great time visiting the city and so did Maw Maw.
We are very lucky when it comes to Christmas break because Bob saves up his remaining vacation days to spend with us. He had an amazing idea of visiting Washington DC for a road trip getaway. So early December 26th, we jumped in the car and began our journey.
The boys are so used to traveling! 6 hour road trip...let's do this.
Maw Maw and Paw Paw joined us on this trip. Paw Paw and the boys had never been before. When we arrived at the hotel we bundled up and ubered down to the Lincoln Memorial. Within 5 minutes of being there, I lost my ID, Bob lost his gloves and wallet, and Nolan lost one glove. Fortunately we found everything except Nolan's glove.
It was a great night to sight see!
Here are the love birds by the WW2 Memorial...it was so pretty lit up...the next day they drained the fountain because the temperatures were dropping.
Washington Monument
We walked over to the White House to see the National Christmas Tree. It was beautifully lit with cute little trains running all around it.
That night in the hotel, Landon woke up sick in the middle of the night. Poor guy was so sick but the next morning he was back to his normal self.
We ubered to the National Zoo. While we walked around we became discouraged because many Asian animals were not out but we stumbled upon the Panda. We watched the pandas outside eating bamboo and inside too.
The boys love to be silly on the statues
After the zoo, we ubered into town for lunch and then to the National Museum of Natural History. This place was amazing. The kids were loving it. We all split up with adult and kids so that we could see as much as we could. Carter loves to read all the facts and Landon loved to the interactive exhibits.
The coolest place within this museum was called "Quiorus" (curious). This was an interactive area that the kids could take real artifacts out of drawers and put them under a microscope to see them up close. They could have stayed there for hours and to be honest it was so stinking cool! I loved watching them get so excited to choose and get there artifact. They because microscope operating experts.
We had to experience a ride on the Metro while being in the city so we decided to ride it back to the hotel after this full day. Since we are out of towners we didn't quite understand the purchase of a ride. We bought 3 cards (one for Maw Maw, one for Paw Paw, and one for our family), turns out that every single person needs their own card. We didn't find this out until Maw Maw, Paw Paw, and Bob were on one side of the platform and we couldn't get through so we had to beg the conductor to let us pass. We must have looked pathetic because she let us pass through.
We had to jump from train to train to get to our destination. The fast moving trains made Paw Paw very nervous with the boys on the platform but we kept them close and safe. When we got off and were headed out to the road the escalator was as tall as a skyscraper. I was terrified that one of the boys was going to lean back just enough to lose their balance and fall backward. Bob was running with Carter and Landon to the top while I had the death grip on Nolan's coat. Maw Maw and Paw Paw rode up the escalator with white knuckles too.
Early the next morning we ventured out to the National Air and Space Museum. We had to wait outside for about 20 minutes and it was very cold but we managed. Once we walked through the doors the boys couldn't stop talking about what they were seeing.
We were able to walk through this space shuttle and see what it looked like to be an astronaut.
Throughout the museum there were little rooms that played videos of real news footage and broadcasts from the "space race". We sat for about 20 minutes watching it and the boys were mesmerized. When we walked out Landon said to me, "It would have been a whole lot cooler if that was in color so you could actually see what we were watching." Ha!
We spent about 3 hours in this museum where the kids walked and played with so many fun interactive activities. In this picture you can defiantly tell how pale Landon was and by this time he was begging to go back to the hotel. As we were waiting for our Uber, we came across a food truck selling soft pretzels and Landon perked right up. Later that weekend when I asked him what was his favorite part, he said, "Eating a soft pretzel on the the street".
That night we decided to stay close to the hotel and we found a restaurant called "Firefly". What hooked us in was the location, the ambiance (there were real trees in the restaurant covered in twinkle lights), and they gave out a sugar cookie to decorate for each kid. Taking out three small children to a restaurant can be a tough task but they weren't too bad however Landon and Nolan didn't eat very well at all. Bob had a yummy burger and I had a bowl of delicious creamy potato soup.
Before we began our 6 hour drive home, we drove out to see Arlington National Cemetery. It was the coldest day of our mini vacation but we bundled up and grabbed hot cocoa to keep us warm. We stayed inside the visitor center until it got close to the time of the changing of the guard. Landon found this poster of Uncle Sam, Nolan had so many random questions. He said, "Hey Mom is this guy a friend of Jesus?" , "Why is he so angry?", "Could he be Abraham Lincoln's brother?"
We had to walk quite a ways to get to the tomb of the unknown solider. Along the way we gave the kids several pep talks about being respectful and quiet. I was very nervous about how they would behave at the ceremony of the changing of the guard. Once they came out and started, the boys were entranced and didn't say a thing. Once it was complete, each one of the boys tried their best to click their heels like the solider and march on the way back to the car.
President Kennedy's site I think Paw Paw had a great time visiting the city and so did Maw Maw.
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