We've had quite a weekend!

Leanne and I took Friday off. We'd planned on taking the Friday off before my birthday (a couple of weeks ago), but Leanne had a work conflict so we chose this weekend. We tossed around going away for the weekend (somewhere local) but it would have to just be one night since we'd have to be back by 10am on Sunday since this was only their 3rd week in swim class and there just wasn't anywhere we wanted to go that was 1) cooler than where we are now and 2) inexpensive. So, we decided to go on vacation/take a field trip to DC. Even though we live less than half an hour from DC and I work there, we rarely go do touristy things or even go in for a meal.
En route to DC:

On Friday morning we headed into DC via the Metro (no need to look for parking in the city.) The kids liked riding the train (except for the tunnels - those took some getting used to.) We passed by the USDA farmer's market en route to the museum and picked up a snack for all of us. We went to the Jim Henson exhibit at one of the Smithsonian museums. We'd heard it was geared towards adults - and it was - but the kids had fun seeing Bert and Ernie, Elmo, and Big Bird. A lot of it was focused on the Muppets (Kermit, Fozzy Bear, Beaker, etc) and our kids had no idea who they were. But we took a quick look around before heading to the Air and Space Museum. We thought that they would like to look at the airplanes - but it was nap time by then and they were hungry (we are usually pretty strict about being home at nap time, but decided to wing it and see what happened) and Grayson had a few meltdowns because the only thing he wanted to do was ride the elevator (keep in mind we'd ridden at LEAST 5 elevators by then.)
Crabby Grayson:

I can't see you!

So we packed it in (they did get to see a helicopter - that was exciting!) and headed to the train so we could go to Dupont Circle to one of favorite pre-kids restaurants, Raku. Carter fell asleep on the 1/2 block walk between the Metro and the restaurant and slept through the entire meal. Grayson, Leanne, and I enjoyed our meal outside (have I mentioned that the weather was beautiful for August!?!?! I think the high was 81. Wow.) After lunch we walked down to the circle and let Grayson run up and down the steps while Carter continued his nap (Carter will fall asleep most anywhere if he is tired. Gray - not so much. If he is in a new surrounding, there is too much to see/do to sleep!) Carter woke up en route to the Metro so we stopped and fed him some leftover lunch (and I ran to the store to get us Obama bumper stickers!) We got back to the car around 4 and Grayson was asleep before we even got out of the parking lot. Of course he woke as soon as we got home (20 minutes later) but was still in good spirits despite his short nap. They played at the playground before going to bed a bit early. We've decided that we need to go 'downtown' more often. We've resolved to going down 1x a month - to go to a museum, a kid friendly restaurant, a performance for kids', anything.
Grayson posing at the fountain in Dupont Circle:

Saturday morning Carter and I were slow to get started. He woke (and subsequently woke Grayson who never did go back to sleep) at 5:45. I was able to get him to go back to sleep in the guest bed where he and I slept till Leanne and Grayson woke us at 7:30. Ahhhhh. We took the kids to Gymboree (incidentally, they are really getting into it - singing the songs, doing the dances, venturing off without looking for us - we've enrolled them in the 3 months of fall classes - in the next level class!) Leanne went to the gym while I took the kids home for a snack and nap. Afterwards, we'd planned on going to get the kids sneakers for the fall (Stride Rite was having a sale and given that Carter has extra wide feet and Grayson wides, we are extremely limited to where we can buy shoes for them. So, when Stride Rite has a sale, we are there.) Carter cried and cried about getting in the car. He does that sometimes, but typically we can refocus our attention on something else and he is fine before we even get out of our neighborhood. Not this time. He kept crying, "Home. Go home. Home?" For 15 minutes. In the end we cut our losses and turned around to go home. No need to try to get a hysterical toddler to try on shoes (the sale was through the middle of the week.) So we make a pit stop for ice cream and came home to eat it in the beautiful weather. Obviously, it was delicious. And messy. Once home, Carter was fine. After ice cream, they played on the deck, and then took a bubble bath. I guess he just felt the need to be at home Saturday evening. We all have days like that.
Messy ice cream:


Sunday brought breakfast and swimming lessons. This is week 3 of 6. Grayson is still loving it. We have to convince him to play the games (ring around the rosie where they all go down, humpty dumpty where they 'fall' off the side and into the pool, and if you are happy and you know it (splash, blow bubbles, go under) since he'd MUCH rather be jumping off the side of the pool and going under. Carter is still tolerating it. He starts saying, "No pool. No swimming. No bathing suit" as soon as we get there. But when we go in, he doesn't pitch a fit, he just keeps repeating his mantra. I really do wish I could get some pictures of his face - it is so sad and pitiful. We just keep praising him (he did kick on hid own for a little bit!) and telling him it is almost over (the class is 30 minutes.) In the afternoon, we did manage to make it to Stride Rite and the mall (to do errand or two, ride the carousel, and of course, ride the elevator.) We made it home in time to play on the playground, take a quick shower, and go to bed. We had a wonderful weekend, albeit exhausting!