Washington, D.C. a Family Adventure - Day 1

Capitol Hill -- Our first morning in Washington, D.C.

Our Hotel is only about 3 blocks from Capitol Hill. Here we are on our way to see as much as we can of the city.

We were needing to eat breakfast and there is not a fast food place or restaurant in sight. We ask a policeman as we cross the street if there is somewhere close by to eat. He points to this Senate Building and says there is a Cafeteria in the basement.

We entered the building and immediately had to go through Security check. Just like the airport. All bags are sent through the x-ray and everyone walks through the scanner one at a time. We find our way downstairs and it is a very nice cafeteria.

The Supreme Court Building

This shows how huge the columns are. Photo by Derek.

photo by Derek of the 9 chairs and desk/podium the Supreme Justices sit behind.

In front of that are all the smaller chairs and then the heavy red curtains are just in front of us and the doorway. This is as close as we were able to get.

Library of Congress and the fountain out in front.

Grant's Statue

and the Battle memorial statues on either side of him.

The National Archives

Inside the National Archives there is no flash allowed and the lighting is very dim.

My camera just can't do that, so this is the best picture I could get of the Rotunda with the

Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

They are very faded and difficult to see in the dim room and under the safety glass.

Of course -- me trying to figure out my camera and trying different settings manages to use my flash on accident and the guards are all over you if you do. If it happens twice they say they will take your camera away from you. SO I put mine away.

I had turned off the flash, but then changed to "night portrait" and didn't see that that turns the flash back on and so I got this picture of the painting on the wall with George Washington in the center of the men dressed in white and blue.

In The National Archives building we watch a wonderful video that tells What kind and How much information is stored there. You can research your family history there and see documents about your ancestors and possibly forms that they may have filled out. There are consensus records there.

We are still in the Art Sculpture Garden and my photo is of both the Sculpture and the National Archives Building.Mark di Suvero, American, born 1933, Aurora, 1992-1993 - steel.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Chair Transformation Number 20B, 1996,

by Lucas Samaras (American, born 1936, Greece).
The work, depicting an animated flight of stacked chairs, belongs to a series in which the artist represents the chair in a variety of guises and materials, including wire mesh, wood, string, and mirrored glass. The fantastical composition evokes a hallucinatory realm, in which the object appears to lean back and spring forth at the same time.

Four-Sided Pyramid. first installation 1997, by Sol LeWitt (American, born 1928).

The terraced pyramid, first employed by LeWitt during the 1960s, relates to the setback design that has long been characteristic of New York skyscrapers. This geometric structure also alludes to the ancient ziggurat form of Assyrian and Babylonian temples.

We were a little scared by this giant spider.

Spider. 1996, cast 1998, by Louise Bourgeois (American, born 1911, France).
The ten-foot-by-twenty-four-foot bronze cast with a silver nitrate patina depicts the spider as a looming and powerful protectress who is also nurturing and vulnerable. Belonging to Bourgeois' Spider series, which explores themes of childhood memory and loss.

by Joan Miro. Personnage Gothique, Oiseau-Eclair (Gothic Personage, Bird-Flash)

The is one has some doves and a donkey yoke.

It is one of Miró's largest sculptures, a bird was cast from an object the artist created, while the head was cast from a cardboard box and the body from a donkey yoke. Through the juxtaposition of disparate objects, surrealist artists sought to evoke surprise. Read more at the Sculpture Garden website.

The kids thought this was a Giant Pizza Cutter.

We had to explain several times that it was an eraser, used with typewriters..... what's a typewriter???

Typewriter Eraser. Scale X, 1999, by Claes Oldenburg (American, born 1929, Sweden) and Coosje van Bruggen (American, born 1942, The Netherlands).
The typewriter eraser, one of Oldenburg's favorite childhood playthings from his father's office, is an image he first used in the 1960s and 1970s as a source for drawings, prints, and sculpture.

Barry Flanagan
British, born 1941
Thinker on a Rock, 1997 cast bronze

Our first Hot Dog and Pretzel from a cart on our trip.

The first of Many!

The Washington Monument

Tickets to go up into the monument are given out starting at 8 a.m. on first come first served basis for timed entry. Everything I read warned that they run out of tickets quick! So I ordered our tickets for 3:00 p.m. online. I had to pay a service fee of $1.25 each but it was worth the peace of mind. It also kept us moving on a tight schedule. The National Parks website is where you get tickets. When we picked up our tickets at will call they had tickets for that day for 3:00 on.

As you can see it was a very windy, rainy day and there were not very many people out sight seeing and visiting the Mall.

The Park Ranger told everyone to look around the corner at the statue of Washington and said it was special because it was made of Chocolate.... the kids believed him for a while.

The elevator ride is quick and the view is amazing.... even in the pouring rain when the windows are covered with raindrops.

The rest of the trip the kids all said that going up in the Washington Monument was their favorite thing. (Mine will be Mt. Vernon, Geoff's favorite was the Supreme Court earlier today)

The view out of the window towards Capitol Hill. The white spots in the middle are tents set up for The National Mall to become an open-air library on Saturday for the National Book Festival, co-hosted by First Librarian Laura Bush and the Library of Congress.

Here's the view from the other direction.

WWII memorial, reflecting pool & Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial & Pentagon (below)

The walls of the W. Monument are built from thick to thin. At the top, where the windows are, the walls are only 7 inches thick. You can see where they cut out the holes, and see the holes, where the red airplane warning lights are placed and constantly blinking. Here is a piece of a wall. The brown piece leaning to the side is a sample of the "cloth" used between bricks. I think the ranger said that no cement or mortar was used just this thick cloth.

Washington DC - walking around the Memorials

After the Washington Monument we tried to go to the Bureau of Printing & Engraving to see money printed but they closed early that day around 3.

It was 4:30. We knew we were closest to the Jefferson Memorial.

It continued to rain so we bundled up in hoods and the 3 rain ponchos we had and started walking.

Here we are on the other side of the tidal basin starting to walk toward the Jefferson Memorial. Off to the right you can rent paddle boats during nice weather. Overhead are the Cherry Trees that blossom in the spring. They were covered in green leaves, no flowers.

We had the whole place to ourselves. We had to walk over a bridge and down around the basin for a while and only saw a couple other people.

It was very windy. You can see the wind is whipping up the water and blowing the poncho around Katie's legs.

We have arrived and are the only ones around!

Just after I took this picture it was Katie that pointed out to me that you can see the White House from here. Down on the left of the Washington Monument you see the white peeking out between the trees.

This was the best moment I felt for days. I don't know why but the amazing design of the city and the memorials and the history surrounding us.

I like how the rain makes the marble floor shine.

Next we walked around the basin to the Roosevelt Memorial.

Here are the kids hugging his dog, Fala.

He didn't like being in a wheelchair so the cape is "hiding" it.

James thought of getting in the line and Derek followed. Makes a good picture and they will never forget seeing this sculpture and being a part of it.

After much more walking and dodging evening traffic we made it to the WWII Memorial and behind that is the Reflecting Pool leading to the Lincoln Memorial. We were all looking forward to that Memorial the most, anxious to see it's massive size and the statue of Abraham Lincoln.

My camera battery died about then. I was usually lucky to take it out, shake it a bit and put it back in to get one or two more shots. We tried to get a family shot taken by a passerby but then lost the kids while I did the battery thing. So I got my pic w/ Lincoln with James.

Dinner at Johnny Rockets - Union Station, Washington

We had the fastest service I've ever had at a restaurant for dinner tonight at Johnny Rockets in the Union Station in Washington DC.
We ordered and the server came right back with our onion rings & french fries.
The food came very quickly after that!

Here we are having dessert... see dinner went so fast I didn't take pictures.....
A Brownie ice cream sundae.

Meeting Chef Art Smith

As we were leaving our hotel, The Liaison Capitol Hill, I forgot the camera discs and ran up to get them. As I was going back out the room door, my cell phone rings.

DH, "Where are you?"

Me, "I'm coming, I'm at the elevator."

DH, "Hurry we are meeting Chef Art Smith!"

He was so nice, so friendly. He asked where we were from and what we were going to see today. Katie told him the Smithsonian and he said "Oh you have to see the Ruby Slippers!" (unfortunately he didn't know that that museum is closed until November)

When we ate dinner in his restaurant Art & Soul the next night, we found out that he was already gone back to Chicago and that this restaurant had opened only 5 days before!

What a treat that we got to meet him and try his new restaurant.

Art Smith, owner of the top-rated TABLE fifty two in Chicago and two-time James Beard Award recipient, is making his first foray into the Beltway.

A chef for Oprah, Art is also a contributing editor to both "O, the Oprah Magazine" and the Food section of Oprah.com. He has appeared several times on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and is featured regularly on television programs, serving as a regular tasting judge on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” His newest restaurant opened in The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel.

The Liaison Capitol Hill - Our hotel in DC

Photos of our hotel..... The Liaison Capitol Hill. On the right side is the Art & Soul restaurant with the red chairs and umbrellas out front.

We were very happy with the price I was able to get.... $139 a night through Hotels.com.
AAA was getting us an average of $345 and I cancelled that after finding the other.
It was nerve racking to trust that it would be a good hotel in a good location. But I kept coming back to it and it turned out my intuition was good. When I found on a map that the Hyatt was across the street that helped a lot.
I had found it earlier in my hotel search for $149 a night and they offered a Kids travel special for $199 night - that mysteriously went up a couple days later to $299 a night -- but then couldn't find that 149 rate again. So we booked the rate with AAA and then I checked
www.StrawberryFieldsTravel.com and they link you to the Hotels.com and I got the $139 rate.
AAA could not match it so I grabbed it. I had to pay the 3 nights right then, but that was 1/2 the price of the AAA and it guaranteed that we would have a hotel room as soon as we arrived.

The neighborhood was safe, not excellent, but with the fire station next door I felt safer.
Over the 3 nights I only heard the fire engine twice. The worst noise was someone taking out the trash to the dumpsters around 11 p.m. each night.



Across the street is the Hyatt - where I'm standing to take these pictures.
Right next door............... the brick building is a Fire Station.
Next over is a Liquor store that also has lots of drinks, snacks & a deli.
We were able to get water, chocolate milk, OJ and single servings of cereal there a couple days of our trip.
Diagonally across the street from the Deli is a Starbucks.



We were able to walk from our Hotel to Union Station to eat - it has Amtrack & Metro downstairs and a shopping mall with a movie theater & restaurants upstairs. We ate at Uno's 2 nights. Which we wouldn't recommend. The first night we were so exhausted and hungry we don't even remember eating. Two nights later we ate there again and it was terrible. Both nights our service was terrible too.
We just LOVE Uno's here at home. We had our wedding rehearsal dinner and Katie's 2nd Birthday party at the Uno's in San Diego.
But the Washington DC location wasn't good at all. I had salmon that was terrible. The pizza was so-so.

All 3 days we walked from our Hotel to Capitol Hill, the Mall, Memorials & Smithsonian Museums. We were able to walk to Union Station.
We found that the cabs were very expensive. After walking all day we cabbed back from the Lincoln Memorial and it was $20. Yikes!

The staff was hands off. We didn't need anything and they didn't bother us. We came and went easily. The bell capitans out front were always very friendly.
The maitre d for the Art & Soul restaurant was very courteous, friendly and helpful.

Flying to Washington, D.C. from California

We flew on Jet Blue and we were very happy with the flights. They had sodas, water, etc. and I really liked the Arizona lemon Iced Tea.
There were Terra Blue chips, Dorito Mix, cookies, biscotti and animal cookies for the snacks. You could have as many as you wanted for free.
Everyone had their own TV to watch with live DirectTV channels... there were a lot of channels to choose from. CNN, Weather Channel, 4 sports ESPN channels. The kids liked checking the "where are you now on the Map of the USA" channel. The kids watched Nick, Cartoon channel, USA, A&E. I watched Bravo, and then Bonnie Hunt & Ellen's shows.
The flight to the East Coast went quick. I always wondered how celebrities did it and felt it was doable.
However, on the flights home, it seemed to go on forever. When I felt we should be getting close, we were not even half way through our 5 hour 17 minute flight. Coming home I didn't enjoy it as much as going and the hours seemed to drag on.
We almost had a delay to leave out of New York airport when they needed to replace the plane's starter. They warned us it would be 45 minutes, but it was barely 10 minutes. Because of the delay, the normally $5 movies were free for the flight. There were 3 to pick from and there was time to watch 2. I didn't watch any of them - Hancock, Meet Dave & Love Guru.

Here are pics from the 2nd flight NYC to Washington DC.
Katie took the pics of the coast of NY as we left.

update on my health

Well it turns out most likely that I'm not starting perimenopause. The Dr. didn't actually say that but once he started his examination he found immediately that I had a Polyp on my cervix.

I made it in for a last minute appt with a GYN Dr. today. (We leave at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow!!)
He saw right away that I had a polyp on my cervix.
He said several times that is was of "moderate size". He removed it and I saw it.
They sent it to pathology. He said that those are rarely cancerous, but that it will probably grow back in 1-2 years. Just have to check at my checkups.

I guess I can describe it's size between the size of a nickel & quarter but in a teardrop form and bright red color.
Hopefully that will take care of the bleeding I've had for over a month.
He also did a biopsy of my uterus. Then an internal ultrasound. Everything looked good there, all was normal with my uterus and ovaries, so the biopsy should be fine too.

Thank you so very much for your prayers.
Now we are off for our trip. Please pray for our safe travels.
AND that it will not rain the next 3 days in DC like the online weather says!! :(

I will pray for you and your children when we visit Mass at the Immaculate Conception Basilica in Washington D.C and St. Patrick's in New York City! In Boston I think the church is St. Joseph's.

mom what's in that box for 25 cents?

Well this goes right along with my post yesterday.
I took the kids shopping for shoes. In the middle of the looking, Derek had to go to the bathroom.
As we are drying our hands and he says, loudly, "Mom what's in that metal box that costs 25 cents?"
I just had to hold in my laugh.
I actually had thought he would ask me that the other day when we were in and out of bathrooms at Disneyland and I thought I might have to use one..... and how was I going to explain that????

I waited until we were out the door and told him in a whisper, "sometimes mommies need some extra wipes in the bathroom and that is where you can buy them."
Hopefully that explanation will hold him for a long time, he's only 5.

NO Fun......... perimenopause....... checklist of symptoms....

Here's what I've been dealing with & researching for the past 2 months........ perimenopause.
I'm not ready to go into all the details. I'm having a hard time accepting it myself.
But there are just too many (about 12) of the following list that I've been having in the past year.

It sure has made Homeschooling even more difficult.
BUT it also helps explain the FrankenMommie moments, migraines, moodiness and general feelings of unworthiness, sadness and irritability.
Right now for instance .... I've had this period for a month!

I think it is harder too that all women experience it differently, at different times.
From the late 30s into the 40s and 50s.
I'm 41 and when I called the Dr.'s office 3 times now they are not at all concerned or alarmed - - Like I am - - because I'm over 40 and these are all the perimenopause symptoms.
Sadly, this could go on for MANY more years. 5, 8 12 more years of this just sucks.

The 34 Signs/Symptoms of Menopause.

Some women have symptoms during this time that can be very difficult. Some of these symptoms include:

Changes in your menstrual cycle - i.e., longer or shorter periods, heavier or lighter periods, or missed periods
Hot flashes (power surges -- sudden rush of heat from your chest to your head)
Palpitations, skipped heartbeats
Internal shaking / tremor-like feelings
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Dry skin and skin changes
Itching
Formication (feeling like ants are crawling on your body)
Insomnia and other sleep disturbances
Mood swings
Allergies, sinus problems
Wheezing, respiratory problems, coughing
Depression
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Crying for no apparent reason
General irritability and/or anger
Hair thinning or loss
Pain during sex
More urinary infections
Urinary incontinence
Decreased or non-existent libido
Increase in body fat, especially around your waist
Forgetfulness, brain fog, problems with concentration and memory

Birthday of Our Blessed Mother

Pray for us who have recourse to thee!
EWTN

Luann Comic Strip on Homeschool

seen today's "Luann" comic strip?
It's hilarious!

Go to _www.luannsroom.com_ (http://www.luannsroom.com) to check it out!

5 plane tickets .... complete purchase!

I Did It! I clicked the Purchase 5 plane tickets for our family to go to the East Coast!

I've wanted to go for 2 years and we are officially going! I bought the plane tickets, reserved the hotels & rental cars.

We fly into Washington DC on a Wednesday and stay until Sunday.
Rent a car and drive to New York City!
We are there until Wednesday and then we drive to Boston!
We will be in Boston for 5 days!

I'm so excited.
I have borrowed every book from the City and County library systems I can find that is a travel guide, kid's guide, travelling with kids, picture books, ABC & 123 books about the 3 cities.
I also found a Guide to the Smithsonian book the kids are looking through.

Next I need to come up with an itinerary for each city. We want to see as much as we can, but with 3 kids --- not exhaust ourselves too much.

On Amazon I ordered "KidQuest - We're There! Washington, DC" and Boston and New York City. These are great handy little books that will be ideal for taking with us and guiding our days. I'm going to list the sights in each book and look on a map so that we do the things close together each day and try to see them all.

I also ordered "A Kid's Guide to Washington DC". It has activities and journaling activities to do about the sights in DC.

Oh and can't forget the Dover coloring book of New York City.

I need to also check out the Catholic churches & Shrines to see.
For sure we will go to Mass on the weekend at the Immaculate Conception Basilica in DC.
In New York we'll definitely go to St. Patrick's Cathedral and try to see St. Elizabeth Seton's
Shrine.

If you have any suggestions please leave a comment!!

San Diego Catholic Homeschool Growing Strong

Saturday night Lorraine was the Hostess at a beautiful evening for San Diego Catholic Homeschool Moms.


24 moms arrived with delicious desserts. Everyone mingled while snacking.


Singing & prayers preceded the Beautiful Litany found in
Alice Gunther's Book: Haystack Full of Needles.


Each mom read 2 verses.


We each introduced ourselves and how many children we had. Then we announced 2-3 JOYS of homeschooling and 1 challenge. Most told of their childrens' grade levels and if they were with any ISP, PSP or Charter school or not.



Over all we have over 30 Catholic Homeschool families with over 130 children. With the announcement of at least 4 more on the way!!

If you are in San Diego and wish to JOIN us in our Haystack full of Needles..... email me

Check out the Web Page -- SanDiegoCatholicHomeschool.blogspot.com

or email us at SanDiegoCatholicHomeschool @ gmail . com (take out the spaces)