Another Take-Our-Kid-Who-Is-About-to-Enter-3rd-Grade-to-Washington, D.C.Trip...

...aka "Ren's graduation trip".  A few months back when planning a summer trip we told Ren the decision of where we would go would be hers.  Within reason, we left it up to her...a cruise, Hawaii, road trip out west.  Her pick was to return to our nation's capital.  I love DC but I was a bit perplexed about her pick, given some of the other options, but hey, it was her choice.  It also allowed us to take John-Heath on his first trip to Washington at the same age Ren was when we first took her (the summer before their 3rd grade year).

In looking back through my pictures it is clear that...
1.  I have become a lousy photographer - and should I ever win the lottery I will hire a professional photog to travel around with us on future trips and special occasions.
2.  I took many more pics of JH than Ren.  This was not intentionally done.  Rather, it was because I was with the younger of the two all the time, whereas Ren is old enough to tour around some on her own (or with Megan).
3.  It is much easier to maneuver around DC alone or as a couple than it is as a larger group - and we were just a group of seven.  How do the Duggar's do it?

Without too much commentary, here are a few pics from our trip.

If needed, click on individual pictures to enlarge.

On the way...

Always imaginative, John-Heath can spot anything - like a giant lego piece

(which was actually a large air-condiitoning unit)

Ask John-Heath to tell his favorite part of the trip and he will say "the subway".  I always loved taking the Metro around DC until this trip.  Speeding trains, open tracks, crowded platforms, knowing there are crazy people in the world, and one curious, hyper 8-year-old make for a rather nervous momma.

The first of many museums

Mr. President

Every other Sunday or so we eat lunch at this little meat&3 in a neighboring town after church, and every time we visit the owner will always say to John-Heath, "Well, here's a future president of the United States."  He likes to gab a lot with people and is possibly a politician at heart.  Heaven help us.

Looking at "Lucky Lindy's" Spirit of St. Louis at the Air and Space Museum

Time to tour the Capitol

The Library of Congress.  Another beautiful building. 

The director of the library is called the Librarian of Congress.  Maybe I should apply for that when I retire from being librarian at our middle school.

There are more than 22 million books in the LoC, one of which happens to be co-authored by my husband. 

Who's the fashionista completely uninterested in her surroundings?  Oh, yeah.  That would be my daughter.  Actually, she had already "seen everything" and was upset she couldn't go into the part of the library seen in the movie National Treasure.  Instead, she had to settle for looking at it through windows.

Outside the LoC with the Capitol in the background.  As with many of the buildings and offices in DC, these two are connected via an underground tunnel.

Ford's Theatre - standing below the box in which President Lincoln was shot

Waiting to view the Declaration of Independence at the Archives. 

Sorry, no pics from inside. A very big no-no. 

Museum of Natural History

Arlington

At the Lincoln Memorial. 

See those two people sitting between the first and second columns on the left?  That's where John-Heath took a tumble right of the ledge. Luckily, the drop wasn't too far.  And was grassed.

Inside the LM

T-minus 20 seconds until the fall.  You should have seen his eyes (and mine) as he fell backwards off the ledge.

A sibling moment

Our hotel was in Alexandria and just down the road

from TC Williams High School. 

Ever the football fan, Ren had to get a picture.

Remember the Titans!

I don't want them to gain another yard! You blitz... all... night! If they cross the line of scrimmage, I'm gonna take every last one of you out! You make sure they remember, forever, the night they played the Titans!

Back home.  John-Heath looking all presidential - a la 1860s

Okay, I lied.  That was more than a few pics.  If you made it all the way trough, thanks for sticking around.  :)  Have a great Friday, friends!