Some DC Highlights

Heath briefly posted on our DC trip and subsequent weeks. While I have lots to write as well, I did want to quickly share some highlights from our trip before the days got too far away from me.

Positive Highlights:

1. Visiting the Vietnam Wall--I am sad to say that I did not get to ask my dad before his passing if there were any names he wanted me to see/photograph. Just being there was very eerie...it was a bright, beautiful, sunny (and HOT!) day, amidst this great monument to soooo many men and women who lost their lives in war. It was tough, beautiful, sad and very moving. I so would have loved to have seen it with my father as he was a Vietnam Vet himself.
2. Swimming at the hotel pool--I think this was actually the kids' favorite part of being there! So easy to please when you are young and on vacation, right?
3. Air and Space Museum--Cavan REALLY enjoyed seeing all the airplanes and rockets. While he didn't necessarily understand the physics of the hands-on demonstrations and play stations, he loved spinning wheels, steering model planes and watching change in air direction all the same.
4. Washington DC Zoo--The kids got a big kick out of seeing all the animals, especially all the ones that Cavan was already familiar with. My one wish is that the Giant Pandas and the Red Pandas were more out in the open where we could get a better glimpse.
5. Great Falls Park--a much smaller version of Niagra, but gorgeous nonetheless. There were kayakers going down some of the falls which was neat to see. Cavan was excited to watch them go, while Kellyn just wanted to be down and walking around! We picnic'd afterwards in the park's grass area. Probably a 20 minute drive outside of DC, but worth it if you are ever out East.
6. Arlington Cemetery and Robert E. Lee's House--His house sits atop Arlington Cemetery, where you have an INCREDIBLE view of the city. Sadly, the house was just kind of taken over by Union soldiers during the war never to be returned. Big, beautiful old house that's under some renovation. It's amazing how those white headstones just go on and on and on....Also another eerie and reverent place to be. Changing of the guards by the tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also cool.
7. Attending mass where Heath and his group chanted all the Mass parts and songs--wonderful to hear and beautiful to see women in veils for Mass! Of course, this type of traditional Mass is not realistic for weekly attendance for us as the kids were pretty unmanageable. However, refreshing to experience anyway!

Negative Highlights: (Not to be a downer, but here were the things I would rather NOT remember!)

1. Kellyn's SHRIEKING throughout the entire 15-minute Metro ride into the city. I don't even remember where we were headed that day, but MY, was this a humbling experience!!! She did not want to nurse, she did not want down, she did not want to be held...she just wanted OFF of that Metro! I honestly could not look any other passenger in the eye during the trip. Needless to say, I will never be judging any parent with a screaming, unhappy baby again. All I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and hide.
2. Getting scooted out of the hotel shuttle by people who arrived *after* us. Normally, not such a huge deal, but with 2 antsy children, you want to get to where you are going quickly. I also found it interesting that all the people left behind to wait for another shuttle included the very first person who was waiting in line, three elderly ladies and us with the two small children. Speaks volumes about common courtesy and our culture today...
3. The car rides there and back. With 2 kids under the age of three, need I say more???

As a whole, the trip was terrific! In the future though, we'll be planning trips much closer to home. ;)