On Friday, we took a trip up to Washinton, DC with some of our colleagues to have some "Cultural Experiences" and practice doing things like riding the Metro (subway, underground, tubes, whatever you want to call it) and eating new foods.
I would be lying to you if I said we had been looking forward to this day. Dreading would be a more proper description of how we felt, though that may be too weak a word still. Its not that we don't like DC - we do! We love it! Seth and I had the opportunity to spend several days there in 2004 and other than it being swealtering, we had an amazing time viewing these incredible pieces of our Nation's history in person for the first time.
However, this time, the idea of figuring out how to survive all day with just a stroller for the kids was a daunting one. Much to our joy and surprise, the girls did a WONDERFUL job! They were well behaved, there were no fits, and they ate their lunch perfectly! There is one thing about our time spent in DC with preschoolers - we can tell you where many of the public restrooms are!!
So, our day started with a ride on the Metro train. The art of getting through a Metro station with a double stroller is not one easily mastered. Navigating a 20 foot chariot through throngs of people takes some skill. Thank God Seth has lots of natural skill! They DO have elevators in all of the stations, but they are "elevators" in the barest sense of the word. They are big enough to fit one person, and they could possibly be a person in a wheelchair. But they will not fit, safely anyway, the double stroller plus a parent. So, Seth had to balance the doubler stroller on very steep escalators. We were a three-ring circus, I tell you what! So, anyway...once we got down to the actual platform for the train, we were good to go...as long as we got the stoller on the train before the doors came crashing closed, but that's a post for another day.
After we got off the Metro, we made our way down to the White House. We weren't able to get any pictures because all of the good views were blocked off by construction of massive structures - we guessed they were something to do with the inauguration or a parade of some kind. While standing there watching that was going on around us - silent demonstrations, not so silent demonstrations, laughing tourists taking silly photos with Obama cardboard cutouts - we all seemed to sense a spiritual heaviness in the air. I was overcome with how difficult a job President much be, for anybody. So, we spent a few minutes there praying silently for all that goes on in that building and city. Then we were off to find the library of a famous Socttish poet.
After lunch, we headed down to see the National Archives. We had never had a chance to see the Declaration of Independence before and really wanted to see it. Aparantly, everyone else in DC had the same idea. So, rather than wasting the rest of our time waiting in line, we headed down to see the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial.
As we were walking in front of the IRS building, we see this man walking along, picking chrysanthimums (sp?) off the plants in front of the building. After gathering 15 or so, he turned around, seemed preturbed to see us there, and walked behind us. He then gave one flower to each of the two girls with us (who were walking behind us) and then asked for $2 or $3 for each flower. They, befuddled, said they did not have any money left (which was true) and he walked away, rather flustered. Now, before this, both our girls had been begging for flowers and we had told them that we were not allowed to pick them. So, our friends gave their flowers to the girls.
Hannah and her illegal flower
Finally we arrived at the Washington Monument and attempted to get a good picture of the girls:
We finally made it to the monument and it was amazing! One side represents the Pacific, the other is the Atlantic. In the center is a huge reflecting pool with two fountains. At either end is a another fountain/waterfall. In the center of the outerpart is a huge wall of stars representing those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. While we were there, we met a Pearl Harbor survivor and it was so neat because we, and the girls, were able to tell him thank you.
The WWII Memorial with Lincoln Memorial in background
Along the sides as you walk in are these relief sculptures depicting different aspects of the war. This one is the Normandy Landing.
Seth trying to take a picture just as Marine One flew by and I tried to point it out in time for a pic LOL
The wall of stars honoring those who fell in service
