Washington DC Day 1: April 11, 2008

Our trip to Washington DC has come and gone already. We brought the computer in the hopes that I would blog at the end of each day, but I had limited access web connectivity. So now I am trying to play catch-up before I forget all that we did.

The kids really enjoyed the flight there and others on the plane commented on how well behaved they were. We brought one car seat--Cate's. Max got settled into her car seat in the airplane. Then, when we landed, my friend Pat Coleman drove over and loaned us a booster seat so we could get the kids in the shuttle to the hotel. It worked out really well.

We made it into the city around 3 o'clock and headed out more or less right away. We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton on Massachusetts Avenue. It suited our needs perfectly. It was a two room suite with the double beds and bathroom separate from the rest of the living space and kitchenette. The complimentary breakfasts were awesome--eggs, breakfast meat, bisuits and gravy (my personal favorite!), yogurt, dry cereal, oatmeal, breads, bagels, croissants, danish, a make-your-own waffle station, fruit, a variety of juices and other beverages. All this affordability only six blocks from the White House! I recommend the hotel to any family planning a stay in DC.

To pass the time before hitting the Metro out to the 'burbs for an evening with the Colemans, we walked down to the White house. It was sunny and mid-70s. We didn't bring shorts, so we adapted and rolled up pants. It was so cool being back in the Nation's Capital! Kyle and I had been in DC back in 2002 BC (before children). I looked forward trying to share some of the significance of this city to Cate. I'm pretty sure it was a fruitless effort.

The kids really, really liked riding the metro. Especially Max. He would shake his arms about and shriek when the train was coming through the tunnel. He loved the pressure of the wind blowing us around as the train approached. We rode out about 40 minutes to the last stop and Pat picked us up at the "kiss and ride". It was another 15 minutes' ride to their house.

The kids interacted well together playing in the backyard, while Pat manned the grill on the patio and "tall" Cate and Elizabeth bustled in the kitchen. Kyle and I....well, uh, I guess we just sat around. It was a feast--steak for the grown-ups and hot dogs for the little ones. Along with roasted potatoes, fabulous bread with olive oil and lime dessert.

We then enjoyed some family time together where I took advantage of Pat's web knowledge and he helped me modify the blog set-up. Unfortunately, I think everything he taught me went in one ear and out the other, because this is still a drag to efficiently format. Practice makes perfect, though...

At the end of the evening, Pat brought us all the way back into the city (45 minutes) and gave us a driving tour of the monuments at night. God bless Pat!

The kids passed out immediately upon getting them into bed. Phew! This family vacation thing wasn't going to be so bad after all...

A photo of me and my goddaughter, Colleen--she is such a cutie!