As I've been thinking about our trip to DC this week, it occurred to me how big everything is there. Everything is "larger than life." The buildings...the statues...and the Air and Space Museum is no exception. The exhibits they have of satellites and rockets and planes...even the IMAX theater. Our kids look so small next to them.
Museums are an interesting thing. Sometimes people race from one exhibit to the next. Sometimes you hear something like, "Hey, come here! Take a look at this!" Children like to feel and see. Adults like to read. There is so much to take in. While it was fun to go for the kids and watch their excitement build, it would also be nice to go back to these museums without little kids to read and learn. On several occasions, Karen and I both commented how nice it will be a few years from now when all of our kids can use their own strength sufficiently to get around. We would say that after hours of carrying either Eliza or Luke (occasionally Peter) around the museums...or the miles and miles of walking!
Museums are an interesting thing. Sometimes people race from one exhibit to the next. Sometimes you hear something like, "Hey, come here! Take a look at this!" Children like to feel and see. Adults like to read. There is so much to take in. While it was fun to go for the kids and watch their excitement build, it would also be nice to go back to these museums without little kids to read and learn. On several occasions, Karen and I both commented how nice it will be a few years from now when all of our kids can use their own strength sufficiently to get around. We would say that after hours of carrying either Eliza or Luke (occasionally Peter) around the museums...or the miles and miles of walking! But it is so worth doing these kinds of trips now. It's fun to spend time with our kids. And they enjoyed this trip as well.
The Air and Space Museum is very hands-on. And the museum has the latest technologies...I have a feeling our youngest kids are going to grow up without a keyboard.
They learned about flight. They learned about lift and thrust and drag and weight. There was one exhibit that was really fascinating. There was a tube blowing air with a beach ball globe above it. No matter which direction you pointed the tube, the globe stayed in the air.
The kids got a real feel for how a plane flies. James tested his pilot skills at this station.
We went to the IMAX and watched Hubble 3D. It was the first 3D movie any of us watched. I've never been interested in 3D and still don't get all the hype. But the theater only shows movies in 3D...so we got a taste of it. And it was really enjoyable. The kids got a kick out of the 3D illusion. They spent half the movie trying to touch the astronauts and Hubble telescope. We learned fascinating things about Orion's Nebula and how it is a nursery for new stars and solar systems. I got a new perspective of space. I think it will be a posting in my personal blog.
At lunch time, we decided to take a break, grab a bite to eat, and head over to the Capitol. And the 100% chance of rain for the day? It turned out to be a misting for about 3 minutes. The rest of the day was partly cloudy skies and lots of sunshine. Because of the 100% chance of rain, we left the sunscreen and hats in the van. Oops!
Turns out, when you go to the Capitol, the back of it is what faces the National Mall. So after a healthy hike, the friendly security guards directed us to the front of the Capitol. But then the front of the Capitol isn't the "entrance." Once you hike around the Capitol, you have to walk a block away from the Capitol to go underneath the ground and into the entrance. Oh, and I learned why it's called "Capitol Hill." Ya, while we were walking around the Capitol...we were also hiking up quite a decent incline. Boy, was it a long walk. We were resting often wherever we could find shade. The kids were slowing down. The stroller was getting heavier. And we were tired (and only about half way around the Capitol). So imagine the humor as we were resting under a large tree to hear Peter exclaim, "Look! I found an ant!" He was so excited. And it was so cute. And such a good reminder of how wonderful kids are.
So the picture below is the front of the Capitol. I don't think I had ever seen the front of the Capitol before. I had always seen it from the Mall. From the front of the Capitol, you can see the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building. It's a beautiful plaza.
We got passes from our Representative a week ago and toured the House Gallery - the picture below. So we didn't see the original Capitol building (the center part) or the Senate. And it was really probably the best option for our family. The Capitol tour includes a 13-minute film and then a 30-minute guided tour. You can't tour the Capitol on your own. While our kids are well-behaved...they're still very young and get restless easily. We had to go through several security checkpoints and nothing was allowed inside. I mean nothing. There was a cute elderly couple sitting near the restroom enjoying an apple. A security guard walked up, put on latex gloves, and abruptly confiscated the apple. He threw it in the trash and then threw his latex gloves in the trash. I felt awkward for the couple. We went through two different metal detectors at two different times. James set the first detector off and had the guards scratching their heads. He had no belt. And James assured them he had no metal in his pockets. But it turned out that James had a fake penny about 3 inches in diameter that Grandma Christensen had given to him when we visited Lincoln's Tomb in Illinois. He brought it with him because we were going to the Lincoln Memorial that day. It was cute and the guards got a kick out of it. No cameras allowed inside either...so we have no pictures to share.
After our visit to the Capitol, we headed back to the Air and Space Museum. We walked past the Botanical Gardens and it set a nice foreground for yet another picture of the Capitol.
Back at the Air and Space museum, there were a few other exhibits the kids wanted to check out. While we were walking around, we saw the Spirit of St. Louis and had to take a picture.
Luke has been begging to go to Chuck E Cheese for weeks now (more like a month or two...it's the first thing I hear from his mouth every day I walk in the door after I come home from work). So we left DC for dinner and treated Luke to Chuck E Cheese. That part of the day was probably the most exhausting part! But the kids absolutely loved it and got plenty of play time. We headed back to DC around 8PM. We've read that the memorials are beautiful at night. And since the rain had held off all day and the kids were well energized after such a kid-friendly dinner, we decided to make a night of it. And it is true - the memorials are breath-taking at night. Do you like Peter's little salute below?
At the WWII Memorial, the kids all found the state where they were born and we took their picture. They were all cute...but this one of Peter and Luke was especially adorable.
The fountain at the WWII Memorial is absolutely beautiful. Just above Anya and James' head, you can see the Lincoln Memorial. It's about a mile away. But talk about a fun walk! I hope this memory stays with the kids for a long time.
We still had the stairs to climb, but here we are at the base. Did you know there is an elevator inside the Memorial? And there is a visitor center with a ton of information?!?! I had no idea. The elevator was a life-saver since we had the stroller. And I wish we had more time to read everything in the visitor center. The entrance is on the south side next time you're in the area and visit the Lincoln Memorial.
Another cute picture.
Complete family pictures during family vacations are few and far between. We almost missed Eliza's head in this one because she was starting to sink down in the stroller. But we are all here.
"Larger than life." This man certainly was. And I love how these statues and memorials are so HUGE. These men that we honor in reverence and remember with awe impacted all of humanity. Abraham Lincoln lived his life so he could be close to the Spirit of God and be inspired to lead this nation and set an example for the world. He was more than just a man...he was a spiritual giant among men. And the inscription above him speaks truth. This memorial certainly is a temple. And I loved the spirit that can be felt there...especially at night.
The Air and Space Museum is very hands-on. And the museum has the latest technologies...I have a feeling our youngest kids are going to grow up without a keyboard.
They learned about flight. They learned about lift and thrust and drag and weight. There was one exhibit that was really fascinating. There was a tube blowing air with a beach ball globe above it. No matter which direction you pointed the tube, the globe stayed in the air.
The kids got a real feel for how a plane flies. James tested his pilot skills at this station.
We went to the IMAX and watched Hubble 3D. It was the first 3D movie any of us watched. I've never been interested in 3D and still don't get all the hype. But the theater only shows movies in 3D...so we got a taste of it. And it was really enjoyable. The kids got a kick out of the 3D illusion. They spent half the movie trying to touch the astronauts and Hubble telescope. We learned fascinating things about Orion's Nebula and how it is a nursery for new stars and solar systems. I got a new perspective of space. I think it will be a posting in my personal blog.
At lunch time, we decided to take a break, grab a bite to eat, and head over to the Capitol. And the 100% chance of rain for the day? It turned out to be a misting for about 3 minutes. The rest of the day was partly cloudy skies and lots of sunshine. Because of the 100% chance of rain, we left the sunscreen and hats in the van. Oops!
Turns out, when you go to the Capitol, the back of it is what faces the National Mall. So after a healthy hike, the friendly security guards directed us to the front of the Capitol. But then the front of the Capitol isn't the "entrance." Once you hike around the Capitol, you have to walk a block away from the Capitol to go underneath the ground and into the entrance. Oh, and I learned why it's called "Capitol Hill." Ya, while we were walking around the Capitol...we were also hiking up quite a decent incline. Boy, was it a long walk. We were resting often wherever we could find shade. The kids were slowing down. The stroller was getting heavier. And we were tired (and only about half way around the Capitol). So imagine the humor as we were resting under a large tree to hear Peter exclaim, "Look! I found an ant!" He was so excited. And it was so cute. And such a good reminder of how wonderful kids are.
So the picture below is the front of the Capitol. I don't think I had ever seen the front of the Capitol before. I had always seen it from the Mall. From the front of the Capitol, you can see the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building. It's a beautiful plaza.
We got passes from our Representative a week ago and toured the House Gallery - the picture below. So we didn't see the original Capitol building (the center part) or the Senate. And it was really probably the best option for our family. The Capitol tour includes a 13-minute film and then a 30-minute guided tour. You can't tour the Capitol on your own. While our kids are well-behaved...they're still very young and get restless easily. We had to go through several security checkpoints and nothing was allowed inside. I mean nothing. There was a cute elderly couple sitting near the restroom enjoying an apple. A security guard walked up, put on latex gloves, and abruptly confiscated the apple. He threw it in the trash and then threw his latex gloves in the trash. I felt awkward for the couple. We went through two different metal detectors at two different times. James set the first detector off and had the guards scratching their heads. He had no belt. And James assured them he had no metal in his pockets. But it turned out that James had a fake penny about 3 inches in diameter that Grandma Christensen had given to him when we visited Lincoln's Tomb in Illinois. He brought it with him because we were going to the Lincoln Memorial that day. It was cute and the guards got a kick out of it. No cameras allowed inside either...so we have no pictures to share. 
After our visit to the Capitol, we headed back to the Air and Space Museum. We walked past the Botanical Gardens and it set a nice foreground for yet another picture of the Capitol.
Back at the Air and Space museum, there were a few other exhibits the kids wanted to check out. While we were walking around, we saw the Spirit of St. Louis and had to take a picture.
Luke has been begging to go to Chuck E Cheese for weeks now (more like a month or two...it's the first thing I hear from his mouth every day I walk in the door after I come home from work). So we left DC for dinner and treated Luke to Chuck E Cheese. That part of the day was probably the most exhausting part! But the kids absolutely loved it and got plenty of play time. We headed back to DC around 8PM. We've read that the memorials are beautiful at night. And since the rain had held off all day and the kids were well energized after such a kid-friendly dinner, we decided to make a night of it. And it is true - the memorials are breath-taking at night. Do you like Peter's little salute below?
At the WWII Memorial, the kids all found the state where they were born and we took their picture. They were all cute...but this one of Peter and Luke was especially adorable.
The fountain at the WWII Memorial is absolutely beautiful. Just above Anya and James' head, you can see the Lincoln Memorial. It's about a mile away. But talk about a fun walk! I hope this memory stays with the kids for a long time.
We still had the stairs to climb, but here we are at the base. Did you know there is an elevator inside the Memorial? And there is a visitor center with a ton of information?!?! I had no idea. The elevator was a life-saver since we had the stroller. And I wish we had more time to read everything in the visitor center. The entrance is on the south side next time you're in the area and visit the Lincoln Memorial.
Another cute picture.
Complete family pictures during family vacations are few and far between. We almost missed Eliza's head in this one because she was starting to sink down in the stroller. But we are all here.
"Larger than life." This man certainly was. And I love how these statues and memorials are so HUGE. These men that we honor in reverence and remember with awe impacted all of humanity. Abraham Lincoln lived his life so he could be close to the Spirit of God and be inspired to lead this nation and set an example for the world. He was more than just a man...he was a spiritual giant among men. And the inscription above him speaks truth. This memorial certainly is a temple. And I loved the spirit that can be felt there...especially at night.
2 comments:
i LOVE feeling like I'm on this trip with you.
Your kids could NOT be cuter.
You two could NOT be better parents.
Gosh, I love you guys.
What an incredible experience you are providing my Grandchildren. Thank you. It is just fun to enjoy these pictures along with your words. Cute family. If I was there, I would take a picture of all of you just like the chinese lady did.
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