We're Tourists, that's Right!

It would be silly not to take advantage of opportunity, so Saturday morning we played tourist. It took us about an hour to get into DC and then we spent several hours walking. We wanted to visit as many of the memorials that we could. No easy task with 4 children 6 and under! They argued a lot about who's turn it was to ride in the stroller. All of them, even Joshua, who is clearly too old to be in a stroller!
Fresh off the metro and just getting started! Yep, I even had the kids all in matching shirts. Way cute... or corny.


We saw the Washington Monument, but didn't go in. The kids wanted to chase the hoards of geese on the lawn, but got over that reeeeaal quick once they realized that where there is that many geese, there is that much poop.

I really enjoyed the WW2 Memorial. I had not seen it before and it was impressive. The kids just liked the fountains. I had a really cute picture of the backs of the older 3 all checking out one of them, but Marian was picking a wedgie and that kinda ruined it. Here I am with the kids before we got into it.

Callie is such a cutie! She was always up for posing for a shot for me!

Well, Marian poses too, it just looks more like posing! And Joshua usually tries to make his awful "Calvin" face. This was one of my favorites, because you can see the Lincoln Memorial in the distance behind them. If you turned and faced the other way, you could see a line to the Washington Mem. Pretty cool.

This was Delaney's mode of transportatin after the first hour. She was content. And then she fell asleep. Dan got quite the workout, carting her extra 25 pounds around.

This is my favorite memorial, and the one that gets me the most emotional. I didn't cry though; Dan would think I was silly. And the kids were a distraction, so I was okay. The kids were pretty good and asked questions, even though I don't think they really got it. Marian wanted to pick up all the things people left at the Wall, and Joshua couldn't understand why people would leave things. It was still a good experience for all of us, I think.

You can see the fence around the Lincoln Memorial here. That's why we didn't attempt going in. Too complicated to get there with tired cranky kids, not to mention the stroller. Joshua took this shot. Isn't it totally our family?! Marian in her little world, Callie kicking back, Delaney hiding, and me and Dan just hanging out and posing!

So, we had a good morning, although we walked a lot and the kids were pooped. I had gone prepared with a backpack of snacks and water bottles, all of which was consumed before we got back home. I don't think the kids enjoyed it as much as Dan and I, so next time we'll do something more fun for them. Maybe the Smithsonian, or we found out the aquarium will be $20 to get the whole family in. Some other weekend....

This is what Dan did with the kids while I was napping! They all played happily together for over an hour with this couch fort! I don't think they have quarrelled at all today! (knock on wood!) They have been doing great together and I'm so happy about that!