Birthdays.Jamestown.Williamsburg

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. 

~ Abraham Lincoln

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE GIRL!  Natalie had a whirlwind birthday weekend (and so did I, I guess).  Steve asked what I wanted for my birthday and I told him that I needed to go somewhere to let the kids go CRAZY and SCREAM and STOMP  and YELL...which are all things they have been asked so many times NOT TO DO in our apartment since August. There is so much guilt I carry around having them live in an apartment and not a house with space and a yard...so heck with it...let's go to Great Wolf Lodge!! We have a Great Wolf Lodge just a few hours from us in Washington state, but have only driven by a million times.  The kids were stoked to find out there is one only 130 miles from DC in historic Williamsburg.  Williamsburg not only has a huge indoor water park...but was the first capital of Virginia colony in the 1600-1700's. Just near by is also Jamestown and the Yorktown battlefield...so for a history teacher, its is also a pretty neat place to visit.  We also walked around the College of William and Mary, where Natalie now wants to go. 

So we rented a car, packed Natalie's new birthday iPod shuffle and swimsuits, and off we went. I have to say that Great Wolf Lodge provided much entertainment in the form of rural Virginia tattoo watching and the kids to scream, stomp, etc. We spent one night there and another at the Historic Powhatan Resort (near Jamestown). Natalie got to spend a moment in the spot where Pocahontas married John Rolfe and we learned (from an on the spot call from my dad) that we are direct descendants from another English settler in Jamestown!  Very cool!  Here are some pictures from our weekend!

An 8 year old with her iPod!

Sawyer's new haircut for Kindergarten. How old is this kid?!!

Hanging with Thomas Jefferson in Williamsburg.

oh no.

We finally found a babysitter!

Governor's mansion in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg is very quaint!

Natalie found the Atlantic Ocean!!!

Fort James (at Jamestown)

On the spot where Pocahontas was married (Natalie was let under the security fence by a sweet volunteer that thought she'd enjoy standing here in the spot of the old church)

Steve at Yorktown.

Modern Yorktown soldier.

Crazy Yorktown soldier.

Natalie and her new best buddy enjoying her Martin Luther King birthday cake. (not sure where that idea came from!)

Before school grooming time.

Now with kids in school, I get the chance to do interesting things too! Today I went to the Dept. of Education and listened to Arne Duncan speak about current trends in education.  Getting inspired....