Spring Break day 3

My pictures uploaded in completely random order.  AWESOME.

But.  That doesn't change the fact that we had a totally great and totally PACKED second day.

Cooper LOVED LOVED LOVED the Museum of Natural History the most, especially the t-rex and the mummies.  Before this one, we went to both Air and Space and the National Gallery of Art right before and Cooper was bored nearly to death both of those places.

 Harry took this while we waited for Ben and the rest of the crew and the stroller to get off the elevator.  No idea why I put it on this blog, actually.

 Meeeeeelting with boredom.

 We needed some time for contemplation in the Museum of African American History and Culture.

 Coolest ever, according to Harry.

 Walking, obeying the instructions on Dorothy's shirt.

 Omg!  THE WHITE HOUSE!  You couldn't get very close today and there were police cars EVERYWHERE and something was going on at the W because it was blocked off by tents and dump trucks and we saw the President's motorcade.

 President Cooper.

 President Harry.

President Jack

I took a picture of President Dorothy, too, but she didn't really care and just wanted to see Bert and Ernie.  OMG!  Bert and Ernie!

DOROTHY'S SLIPPERS!

 They looooooved the Sculpture Garden and spent time running around through it after we ate lunch at the attached cafe. (We tried to go to the cafeteria in the American History museum, but they were like feral animals and touched all the desserts and it was a mess).

 As you can guess, this did not end well.

See?

 Gallery of Art-- so pretty.

 Cooper haaaaaated it.

 Jack and Ben and Harry and I LOVED it and saw all our fave famous paintings, especially the ones we have owned as posters to decorate grad school bathrooms.  Dorothy grudgingly admitted that the ballerinas reminded her of dance class (Degas), and she loved Van Gogh's Roses as much as I do.  We are going to hit up the East Gallery for Warhol tomorrow.

Oh, Cooper.

These are breakfast.  The kids played with Harry's hat while he pretended not to know them.

 Look!  Ben is wearing Martha Washington's dress!

Seriously, though, the First Lady dresses were AWESOME.  I think Dorothy and I are going to go back tomorrow while Ben takes the boys to the FBI.

Dorothy loved the playroom at American History the very most, and when she left, she assure the docent she would be right back after she had some lunch.  But then when Ben did take her back it was closed, so I totally owe her a return trip.

 

 SO COOL.

 Air and Space was SO BORING for her and Cooper.  They haaaated the Wright Brothers exhibit, but I could have stayed forever.

 Hijinks at the Gallery.  The other patrons LOVED us.

 Climbing curbs was her favorite.

Actual hunks of the Berlin Wall-- too cool.

 Before they died of boredom.

 We can't resist a selfie.

 And we ate dinner at Potbelly because we like to keep it classy.

 I thought today that maybe the kids were too young for this trip, but it's actually amazing.  I love that everything is free so we can stay for a short time (we are 45 minute tour kind of people) and then come back again (I need to run into the Natural History museum to see the Hope diamond, and Dorothy and I want to see the first lady dresses and the dollhouse again at American History).  We are walking like 10 miles a day (no joke), so the kids are WIPED OUT after a swim in our creepy subterranean hotel pool, and everyone is asleep by 8:30.  Sure, we are bleeding money, but our kids love crappy food and grab n go breakfast, so it's easy to economize.  So far, this is a great spring break choice.  Tomorrow we tour the Capitol and have plans to go to the National Archives, the Holocaust museum (just me and maybe Harry), the Botanic Gardens, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the FBI, and American History again, with a quick drop in at the National Gallery and Natural History.  Phew!