Today was seriously one of the most frigid days EVER in DC. I mean, when the high is 18* but it feels like 2* because of the wind chill, you know you are in for it. BUT when you've GOT TICKETS TO THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION!!!! you just have go pick them up. So we wrapped up the kids like they were going out of the atmosphere and went for it.
Due to the already-arriving-in-hoards tourists, we decided against driving and took the train in. Seara grinned from ear to ear the entire 45 minute ride, Elijah kept announcing "Train! Train!" And at every stop when the engine whistle blew, the kids would both yell out, "Chuga, chuga, woo, woo!" (We've tried to explain that it is "choo, choo" not "woo, woo" but they don't seem to care.) It was seriously so much fun to see them so excited!
The boys on the train. Sam has our tickets in his mouth. I don't know why he didn't take them out.
The girls on the train.
Seara soooo excited!
Union Station in Washington, DC
We weren't planning on going to the museums we visited today, but we were about to die of cold, so we stopped at the first one we hit and only visited that one and another that was really close. That is how cold it was.
The SMITHSONIAN, part 2
I was planning on using this picture of the National Gallery ...
... but Sam said I should put this one on because "You look like you've hiked Everest."
... but Sam said I should put this one on because "You look like you've hiked Everest."
The first place we hit was the National Gallery of Art. Huge doesn't even begin to describe this place. We were worried about the kids behaving badly, but there were nearly dead silent for the entire four hours we wandered around the museum! We did about two hours in the modern art side, then paused for lunch. The kids played on the moving walkway thing nearly the entire time we were supposed to be eating. It was a BIG hit. In fact, the first time Elijah got on it, he loudly announced, "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" Which is obviously parroted because that kid is way too little to come up with a sentence like that all by himself. Kinda like his saying over and over to me on the train ride home, "What are you talking about? [silent pause] Why not?!") After lunch we spent another two hours in the classical art side. The dim lights and hushed voices set the perfect scene: Elijah and Enoch both napped nearly the entire time! Loved that.
Da Vinci, Monet, Pissaro (this is my very favorite painting they had - I love, love, love his stuff)
Vermeer (in my opinion the best painter of all time ... well, maybe he can duke it out with Rembrandt),
painting of Washington, painting of John Adams (Sam asked for this one - he loves John Adams)
painting of Washington, painting of John Adams (Sam asked for this one - he loves John Adams)
After that we ran (almost literally, it was sooo cold) over to the National Museum of American History. It has been closed the last couple years and re-opened over Thanksgiving, so it was fun to see. The coolest historic things we saw were the top hat that Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was shot and killed at Ford's Theater, and the original flag flown in 1814 that inspired the national anthem. We really enjoyed the transportation exhibit that had trains and cars from the 1800s to the present. There is something so nostalgic about old cars. You know, the iconic, 1950s, American Dream thing.
Bundled up in front of the Museum of American History
My hands down favorite exhibit was the First Ladies one. They have 14 dresses belonging to First Ladies - from Martha Washington to Laura Bush. A lot of the dresses were for the Inaugural Balls, all of them were super fancy. Except Eleanor Roosevelt's. Hers seemed mighty down-to-earth. Kinda fits the bill, eh? I love Eleanor. Anyway, they had a Jackie Kennedy gown and Laura Bush's red dress from their first inaugural ball. The most unique ball gown, though, was Grace Coolidge’s flapper-style dress. That one was really interesting!
Grace Coolidge gown, Helen Taft gown, Laura Bush gown (I got this pic from the website, btw)
So minus the whole almost-freezing-to-death thing (did I mention that it was really cold today??), we had a marvelous time. Well, I did. I think this comment Sam made to me during the day might better express his feelings: "How big do you think the reward in the afterlife is for taking your children to the National Gallery in sub-zero temperatures is? Because it better be pretty big!" :) All I have to say is that these three kids are the best little travelers. We struck gold when we got them!
14 comments:
Sam's comment at the end is pretty funny. You guys are seriously so much braver than me. I'm a bit pathetic when it comes to taking excursions (of any length of time) with kids. It's just so much work. It amazes me that you guys do it almost weekly! You are crazy! (But I'm glad I'm benefiting from it- you make them all sound so interesting!)
That pic on the left is good ol' Raphael (of Ninja Turtle fame).
It was FREEEEEEEZZZING out there! Freezing Freezing Freezing.
And that quote is a completely accurate representation of my thoughts yesterday, although the museums were awesome and the kids were pretty much silent warriors. No seriously, I had a good time, but man it was cold! :)
You guys really are troopers to get out in that weather. I want to go ride a train now though. First Lissa and Severin, now you. It sounds like fun! I might be as excited as Seara. Anyway, that it way cool that you got tickets to the inaugaration. That should be memorable.
You have tickets to the inauguration?! Repeating over and over to myself, "Thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not covet..."
Okay, seriously guys?? 18* would be almost like summer weather here! Just this week it was 5* withOUT the wind chill! Try going out in that! Of course, we don't have the cool museums here to go to (crying inside) but we do have the marvelously famous DOW gardens (that just happen to look like all the other trees and dead flowers under the snow in the winter time). I know you're jealous.
Oh, and when are you going to go to the Holocaust museum? That was my favorite, but be prepared to cry. (actually, maybe you should get a babysitter for that one)
You guys have tickets to the inauguration?! OH MY GOSH!!! HOW STINKING AWESOME!!! I am SOOOOO jealous! It would be SOOOOOO cool to be at that historic event! Have an AWESOME time!!!
Lyndi - actually IF we can make it through the half million people on the national mall, we hope to go to the Holocaust museum right after the inauguration. We figured since we already have a babysitter for Sease and Lije that day, we might as well try to hit it. I'll cross my fingers we make it!
I think you got the cold weather because of your comments recently on how it never snows there. All us Utahns sent you some cold vibes. JK!
Oh, I'm SO jealous. I love that museum - the history and the courage and strength of so many people just blows me away! On the other hand, the horrible crimes and perverse things that occurred there just sickens me - it's completely evil, but I try to focus more on the survivors and their strength. It's so interesting to hear what they've survived and how they did it. Amazing.
Aha! So that's why when I called your house to wish you a "Happy Inauguration Day" you weren't there! I hope you guys have a great time. I think I'm going to skip French class to watch it. :-) You have to write all about it!!! From what I've heard on NPR it sounds fabulous and absolutely crazy.
I think kids become who they are because of the parents. Your kids are good travelers because you are laid back and great parents.
Wow! Four hours?! We think we're doing really well when we go to the little museum here in Idaho Falls and make it 1 hour before the kids are bouncing off of the walls. I guess there's a lot more to see in a bigger museum, but I don't think that's the whole story here. So when I got up this morning and checked the temperature, it was -22*, yes, that is a NEGATIVE in front of the 22*. When I took Kate to preschool at 9:30 it had warmed up to a whopping -6*. Sometimes I think I'm insane for moving up here. Who knew that it would be such a huge temp. difference from Salt Lake? So I can totally understand your pain with hauling kids around in subzero temps and trying to get their car seat buckled over the top of their marshmallow coats...but that's a whole other story entirely.
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