Spring Break: The National Zoo

The last place the kids wanted to go while we were in D.C. was the National Zoo.

Stayc had to teach class (via Skype), so we left him at home. Then we couldn't find parking (the lots were all full), so Aleithe dropped off me and the kids and went to find parking. Long story short, it ended up just being the three of us, which was ok. This is why I'm a stay-at-home mom, after all :).

The kids wanted to see everything, so we did. (I did mention the whole increased-endurance-as-they've-gotten-older thing in another post.)

By the time we'd spent 30 minutes in the gift shop, while Lutece wavered between spending her money on this nick-nac or that nick-nac, I was so done with the zoo.

Still and all, it was a fun day and a good trip to D.C.

Spring Break: All About the Museums

During our Spring Break visit to D.C., we spent two full days downtown at the various museums and sites. As the kids have gotten older, they have outstripped me in stamina and endurance. After seeing three (and a half) museums the first day, they were ready for another museum. Fortunately, I'm still the one with the money and the car, so we went home (also, museums were closing).

We started at the National Musuem of Natural History, the kids' absolute FAVORITE. I don't even know how many times we've been there, but it never seems to get old.

Then I dragged them to the modern building of the National Gallery. Sadly, due to renovation, all the rooms with paintings were closed. However, we did get to see all the sculpture, which the kids really enjoyed.

As you can see, I had some fun myself.

Luckily, the kids were game.

Such great stuff!

After the National Gallery, we headed to the Museum of National History, one which the kids have never been to in all their visits to D.C. (gasp!). It didn't capture their interest much, but we did get to see the original U.S. flag in all its glory (and dimness . . . it's housed in a dark room). One of these days, we'll go back and do the museum some justice.

The next day, we headed downtown again, this time with Stayc and Grandma DuBravac in tow. After nabbing tour tickets to the Mint (the Department of Printing and Engraving), we drove over to Arlington National Cemetery to visit Grandpa DuBravac's grave and put some flowers on it.

We did the Air and Space Museum and then rushed over to the National Archives (another first for the kids and me) to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Very cool.

We had tickets for the 3:00 p.m. tour at the Department of Printing and Engraving . . . you know, where they print MONEY, and we literally ran the mile and a half from the National Archives to make it in time. Whew! (Grandma sent us on ahead and still made it in time, so maybe we didn't have to run after all :)

This was a favorite museum visit for the kids. The tour was fascinating and it was really cool to learn how they make money and watch them do it. We also learned that Phoenix is worth more money than Lutece. Tough luck, Lutece.

We tried to get into the Holocaust Memorial Museum (which is right next to the Mint), but tickets were all gone. Next time.

How lucky are we to have a Grandma who lives right near Washington D.C.? Seriously lucky.

Spring Break: Mount Vernon

We decided that Spring Break was a perfect time to visit Grandma DuBravac and Washington D.C. this year. Lutece has become quite the travel planner, and I hardly have to plan any of our trips these days. It only took 19 years of marriage and raising two children to finally have help in that department. Thank goodness for a daughter who is as regimented and scheduled as I am.

She had every day planned out, and first on the list was a trip to Mount Vernon, which the kids never seem to get enough of. They love the "tradition" of visiting certain sites in D.C., and a trip there just isn't complete without them.

 As usual, we saw all the buildings, grounds, cemeteries, museums, and gardens.

Lutece takes site-seeing very seriously.

One special addition this year was lunch at the Restaurant at Mt. Vernon Inn, which was very good! We told the kids the story of how Stayc and I got engaged at that very restaurant, some 20 years earlier. It's good to share these places and stories with our kids. I feel very grateful that 20 years later, Stayc and I still enjoy spending time together . . . now with our small family in tow.

Odds and Ends from Winter

Despite the abundant snow and cold weather that last winter brought, we had some nice days as well . . . some more Kentucky-like winter days, as it were. In January, we did some urban hiking and started geocaching, something that the kids really enjoy.

Lutece is standing on the ice in the fountain, thus proving that it really is winter.

The Arboretum has a couple of geocaches, so that was a good destination.

We also rang in the New Year with fondue. Natch.

And since this is a random post of "odds and ends from winter," I need no transition to write about my own MOST MEMORABLE event from last winter. In February, I smashed my face against a plaster wall in our house and ended up with some pretty nasty bruises and a gnarly black eye.* Here is a not-so-scary picture of me about a week after the incident.

This is the scary picture I took of myself because the plastic surgeon told me to take one without make-up just in case I needed any further work done. Yup, this is me in all my 44-year-old injured glory . . . for posterity. I really need to get better at taking selfies :).

* I was running up the stairs in an attempt to straighten up the house before my visiting teacher arrived. I tripped near the top of the landing and stopped my fall with my face (cheekbone and brow). It was excruciatingly painful and I honestly thought I had shattered my cheekbone, or at least fractured it. If I hadn't already been in shock, I would have been scared witless . . . well, I think I was that too. Luckily, I have a friend at Church who is a plastic surgeon. He checked over my face and told me everything seemed fine, that the swelling would be worst on the third day, that the bruising would go away after about three weeks, and to call him if I was still worried. Everything happened just as he'd said, except that the pain persisted for at least two months. I must have severely bruised the bones in my face. I still have a small hematoma on my brow fully FIVE months later. Unreal! 

Academic and Other Pursuits

Phoenix had a fun-filled school year complete with academic competitions, poetry readings, Cub Scout activities, and baseball (reserved for another post).

At the beginning of the year, he decided he wanted to compete in Governor's Cup, the premier academic challenge competition for our school district. His school's team met every Thursday after school to train with Mrs. Laborio (Phoenix's teacher) and Mrs. Vereen (his other teacher . . . together, they "team" teach the 4th grade gifted program).

The district level competition came in March, and Phoenix ROCKED it. The kids are only allowed to enter three events each. Phoenix was entered into Science, Math, and Quick Recall (this is like a team quiz bowl; the others are individual events). He came in first place in science (the kids take 45-minute written tests), and he came in fourth place in math (same deal with the written tests). His team also placed first in the Quick Recall challenge* and won the Good Sportsmanship award for the day.

The Regional competition came a month later. Again, Phoenix was competing against 4th and 5th graders who had also won their own district competitions. Some of these kids train HARD (seriously hard . . . five days a week compared to our school's one). His team got WHIPPED in the Quick Recall competition. Ugh. We figured that was that, and went home. As it turned out though, Phoenix ended up winning fourth place in science and fourth place in math (the individual competitions). He wasn't super excited ("Fourth place?"), but when I pointed out that this was the Regional competition and he was competing against the best of the best of kids that are a grade older than him, I think he felt better. The kid did awesome!

Toward the end of the school year, Phoenix's class spent a month working on a poetry unit which culminated in a poetry recitation. They all memorized a poem by Shel Silverstein and performed it for parents and the rest of the 4th grade. It was hilarious.

They had all written their own poems as well. I promise he doesn't go around hitting rude people.

Leading the flag ceremony.

Cub Scouts was another fun activity for Phoenix this year. I've been working with the Pack as the Cub Scout Committee Chair since last November, so I've been very engaged with Phoenix's scouting.

He earned his Bear rank in May, so he's kind-of in between ranks right now since the entire Cub Scout program changed in June. Phoenix went with me to the Scout Store last week to purchase awards for the Pack meeting and he saw the new Webelos book there and asked me very nicely if we could buy it.

What the heck. He may as well get a head-start and begin working on his Webelos rank during the summer (Shh! Don't tell the other leaders. LDS packs do things differently than other packs. We don't want them to think we're heretics :).

At one of the pack meetings last winter, the boys did a variety of activities to help them understand what it might be like to live with disabilities. The last three pictures are from that meeting. I especially loved getting my face painted by an "armless" child. Good times.

* Even though officially the entire team trains for and is part of the Quick Recall team, there are only four kids competing at a time, which means that the team coaches (adults) normally put in the best players during competitions, but they can substitute players in and out during the competition. The team is made up of 4th and 5th graders. It speaks a lot for Phoenix that he competed during every minute of every single competition his team ever played. He was NEVER replaced. Seriously, he is a whiz.

Boredom Breeds Creativity

Along with the snow days came lots of indoor activities. Fortunately, the kids are old enough, and (mostly) independent enough, to come up with their own ideas and activities. Lutece decided that a week of no school was a perfect time to hone her crafting skills.

We went to the library and checked out some crafting books, and she got to work. First up on the docket were a couple of duct tape projects, notably, the purse/bag shown above. She still uses it to store all of her sewing projects.

She used a book to get her started on some sewing projects, then she started to create things on her own. A hand warmer (filled with rice . . . you can heat it up in the microwave).

A little stuffy.

She made a couple of these little cats.

Then, when she couldn't find a pattern for a penguin (her favorite), she designed and executed this penguin stuffed animal completely on her own. I love it!

While Lutece was sewing, Phoenix and I got our origami on.

I tried to get Phoenix to help me with his origami valentines, but it was like pulling teeth. I finally just did them on my own. Sigh.

In addition to the crafting, there was baking as well. Seriously, ONE WHOLE WEEK stuck indoors with no school. We definitely needed some sugar cookies to help pass the time.

And not to be forgotten, the key lime pie that the kids begged me to make for Pi day on March 14 (3.1415 . . . get it?). Yup, boredom definitely breeds creativity.

Snow Days

We had our first good snow on a Saturday in January, followed by many, many snow days . . . not always on Saturdays. All in all, we ended up with just a week's worth of snow days to make up at the end of the school year. Not too bad.

That first big snowy Saturday, we all walked to the local hardware store and bought two new (cheap) sleds with which to enjoy a season worth of snow.

Pig on a hill.

Then we drove over to the big hill at Shriner's Children's Hospital (just a mile away in the other direction) and got down to business sledding.

The kids had a blast. Thank goodness I invested in snow gear the year before. Those snow pants and snow boots sure make a difference! (And by difference, I mean the difference between 1/2 hour of fun in the snow and 3 hours of fun in the snow.)

A few weeks later when the huge blizzard came though in February that canceled school for an ENTIRE week, the kids got many more hours of snowy fun in.

Snow angels, more sledding, and of course . . .

Snow forts!

"There's no bad weather, only bad clothing." That's my new motto.