Progress

...As new discoveries are made, new truths discovered, and manners and opinions change. 
~Thomas Jefferson

This was probably one of the most memorable weeks of our year here in DC so far (do I always say that?..it is starting to feel like it)...but this was REALLY memorable.  Steve was attending a conference in Baltimore, so the kids and I hitched a ride on Amtrak with him to check out the city. I have heard so many great things about the city, but I have never had a reason to go there.  We stayed at the Inner Harbor and decided to do the historical boat tour. Everyone told us to go to the aquarium, but since we were just in Monterey last spring, I didn't think anything could compare.  So we opted for the historical boats. We toured the US Constellation, a Civil War battleship, a WWII submarine and a Coast Guard ship that was at Pearl Harbor during the invasion.  We loved the ships and the Inner Harbor itself.  Looking back, this is the kind of weekend I imagined we would have all the time this year...so I am glad we got a chance to visit Baltimore!

Amtrak to Baltimore...with dad dressed up all spiffy!

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US Constellation....Civil War Battle Ship.

Baltimore in the morning.

Boats in Baltimore.

Planning our next big family trip. Fingers crossed.

Sometimes you just have to go to Hard Rock Cafe in a big city. The kids got a lesson on Don Henley whilst sitting under his jacket.

Sawyer bringing Steve his morning coffee...a bit of a tradition in our apartment now.

We were invited by our friends Guatam, Pinky and Siddarth to an Indian Holi Festival at a near by park to welcome SPRING...luckily the sun showed her face and a little warmth to us on that fun Saturday afternoon.  The kids loved throwing and wiping Holi powder on everyone and wishing "Happy Holi" for a few hours.  I think this is a tradition we need to get started in Bellingham...very memorable and fun.  Cheers to Indian culture for making things brighter and the world more colorful! The kids will always remember this Spring.

Happy Holi!

Holi Kids!

Steve was invited to a small event at National Geographic for a movie premiere about global warming, which just so happened to be hosting our new Secretary of State, the honorable John Kerry.  Steve was able to rub elbows with the Secret Service and Kerry for a bit, while I sat at home totally mad I couldn't find a babysitter for the evening...

...however...I did get my turn to take on DC with the honorable ladies from NOVA MMA for a night on the town. Thanks, I needed that!

Though the week started off and continued to be awesome...the highlight was Marriage Equality Rally at the US Supreme Court on Monday and Tuesday.  The kids and I donned red attire, as was requested, as I gave them a civics lesson about the Constitution and equality under the law.  We rallied with homemade signs, which were tossed when they saw the free "real" signs, and waved them proudly with others who came that day to celebrate and promote needed progress in this country.  Natalie became my little activist, waving, cheering, asking profound questions and feeling empowered.  She was interviewed by a Swedish newspaper reporter and also watched in awe as those with differing opinions shared moments of tension on the Supreme Court steps.  When we got home she hung her rally sign on her wall and asked if we could go down again tomorrow.  She said she was hoping she'd be in books someday...so I told her it would be her choice what kind of citizen she wanted to be and that history was certainly made today.  I love her big mind!

Natalie's homemade sign. I love it. 

Sawyer's Equal Marriage Rally Sign. WOW! Wow! WOW!

Flying High

When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.  ~Leonardo Da Vinci 

I am starting to think Leonardo was not not being totally literal in discussing flight...but also referring to all life's new found tastes.  Both Steve and I have gotten a taste for the city life and family travel that I can only imagine we will have the desire to do more adventures like this year in the future.  In someways D.C. is feeling like home to us and in other ways just a taste of a new found hobby for our family. I find myself dreaming of what lies ahead for us and where in the world we will explore next!

This last week has been really great and has included more amazing little activities to occupy our time. Both kids have had multiple playdates and birthday parties...Sawyer got  his first chance battling it out with a bunch of other 5 year-olds at Laser Tag...he was pretty psyched. Steve was able to attend the formal Intel Science Awards and some top secret field trips with other fellows. Natalie earned another stripe on her Yellow Belt and I am now skilled at busting knees and taking down large men if they attack me (thanks to my tall muscular husband for being my partner in crime). I also got a new mt. bike (whoop whoop!) to field test and have been successfully finding trails to rides.  God, it feels good to be on a mt. bike again.

This weekend we had two family outings: Jones Point Park and Lighthouse in Alexandria, Virginia and the Udvar Hazy Space Center at Dulles Airport.  

Jones Point Park was a beautiful setting on the Potomac with the oldest river lighthouse. More than anything it was great to let the kids go crazy and take some beautiful pictures. The Wilson Bridge that crosses over part of the park gives way to the coolest and most immense scootering location in the world....pretty amazing. 

Udvar Hazy was yet another amazing place to visit. I am kind of mad at myself for not going there sooner.  The space shuttle Discovery is the center piece to the largest aviation museum I have ever seen (and being from McMinnville and also DC...that is really means something).  Not only was it mind-blowing to walk around a space shuttle, but the collection of planes there was also incredible. In 2 hours we saw: 
1. Space Shuttle Discovery
2 A variety of Nazi planes
3. Apollo 11 Decontamination Unit (to keep out Moon Germs)
4. A  Blackbird spy plane
5. A Concord
6. The Enola Gay (plane that dropped bomb on Hiroshima)
7. and about 10,000 other planes and space equipment...

Once again...we are thankful for our journey. We feel like we are flying high. 

Cute kids at Jones Point Park Lighthouse.

ALMOST the cutest picture of my kids ever...but turned out to be the best photo bomb.

Potomac River

Under Wilson Bridge Scooter Time.

I found some great spring mt. biking trails near by...

...which means its time to try my new bike!

Sawyer and his laser tag buddies.

The Discovery

Family Picture with the Shuttle

Panoramic view of Uzar Hazy Center.

Nazi Planes

The Enola Gay and exhausted kid.

I was hoping to find a PBR plane...but I'll settle for this.

Steve at Intel Science Awards

Tough Guys on a field trip.

Men in Black

Guests!

The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

These last few weeks have brought lots more visitors and lots more fun.  Steve was able to go to Florida to the Green Schools Conference, which allowed him to spend some time exploring the swamps, fishing in the ocean and eating yummy Cuban food.  While he was away, we had a quick visit from Yelena and Katy, our neighbors from Bellingham, as they toured Georgetown University as an possible grad school for Katy.  The kids loved seeing familiar faces and we had a nice visit with them in Foggy Bottom.

Our great friend John came to stay with us...it was his first trip to DC, so Steve took him on most memorable DC city run ever....through the mall, to all the major monuments and T. Roosevelt Island.  Then Sawyer took him to the Air and Space Museum to see the great pieces of history there.  It was such a treat to have John visit us and made us miss all our friends at home. It was nice to be able to share a bit of our lives with him.

Don and Marguerite Shepherd also visited this week. While Don and Steve worked, Marguerite and I trekked around the sites.  We enjoyed a few fun dinners and lots of laughs with our good friends. We feel so lucky to have so many people visit us!

Natalie shared her "Ice Needs Space" Science Fair project with her school; we got some warm sunny days to get us pumped for sunny Spring weather; and Steve and I started our Krav Maga workout program. Krav Maga is an Israeli military self-defense martial art....so it is crazy (but fun)to learn to defend ourselves from guns, choke holds, knives and executions.  Just Google it, if you don't understand. :) It is so very romantic. 

Steve making a human sundial on his trip to Florida.

Taking on the Florida swamps.

It was a treat to have our Bellingham neighbors Yelena and Katy visit us on Katy's tour of Georgetown University.

Springtime is coming to DC.

This is what happens to my bed when dad goes to conferences.

Natalie and her buddy, Siddarth, showing off their Science Fair projects.

Steve and the Science Fair snake...how lovely.

Sawyer and his Science Fair tarantula...how lovely.

Yay...John came to visit and spend time reading grants at NSF with Steve. Here we are in our elevator.

John and his quick tour of DC.

This is what Snowquester looked like...schools closed...why?

Snowday salon.

Don and Marguerite showing Sawyer how to be fancy with his pinky. 

Playdate.

Washington Lee HS pool time.

Don at the Library of Congress.

Marguerite and I explored the city while the boys went to work.

Learning time at the Smithsonian.

Another quick visit from Anna!  What a treat!

New Easter sweater pose.

Getting smarter...bone puzzle at the forensics lab at the Smithsonian.

Our first super Spring-y day...65 degrees...and a boy in the creek...