Last Day in DC

We woke up to the forecasted rain. Not too much fun in a walking city with two small kids, but we knew is was coming, so we planned on an indoor activity. We walked to the train stop (getting minimally wet along the way) and rode the Metro to the Smithsonian. Although it took a while between breakfast, the train, and maneuvering the weather, we all arrived with plenty of time before naps. The kids REALLY enjoyed the first section we walked through: mammals. The large elephant, giraffe, and tiger especially impressed the kids. We walked through a few more sections, but none were as impressive to the kids. Maddie and Eli each enjoyed riding on Daddy's shoulders though. We brought the single BOB stroller with us, so at any one time, one child was walking or being carried. Given that it was so wet and we were trying to move fast, one kid was almost always on Lehr's shoulders today. At one point, Mad Dog was up there in the museum. All of the sudden Lehr asked me to check on her because she sounded like she was gagging. I looked up to see her with her whole fist in her mouth, face red. When she removed her fist, she had a small piece of plastic (a wrapper from something NOT ours) in her hand. And Lehr's head, her hand, and now my hand, had a small layer of vomit-smelling saliva. Nice. (Also, Maddie's cheek is now more black/purple, and she has a similar hue under her eye. That trip into the wooden corner a few days ago is really starting to show up now.)

A little before noon we grabbed a quick snack and then went into the 3-D theater for a movie about the oceans. The kids have never seen a movie before, let alone a 3-D, so we didn't know what to expect. Due to fatigue and general ants-in-the-pants, Maddux lasted only about 20 minutes. Eli really enjoyed it, however. He was so funny, reaching out in front of him to try and touch the fish. He kept telling me, "Mommy, that shark is going to getchu!!!" We made our way home and both kids collapsed.

After naps, we tried to find some good food, but had to settle for Five Guys (not my fave, obviously). We walked around a little in Chinatown, checking out the Ford Theater and a few other buildings of interest. To finish out the trip, we played ball right near the capital building, where Maddux could run with her balloon and chase the ducks. Eli had a blast hitting the ball with Daddy, and Maddux could not get enough of the steps. Up and down. Up and down. She loved that she could maneuver all of them without holding a hand, without a handrail, AND while holding the big balloon. Both kids had a great trip...