Thomas Stone National Historic Site

To continue with our Spring Break around home, we visited the Thomas Stone National Historic Site today near Port Tobacco, Maryland (about an hour away).  Thomas Stone (for those of you who don't know) was the youngest person from Maryland to sign the Declaration of Independence.  And his home is named Haberdeventure.  

We started with a hike after picking up our junior ranger booklets. 

The funniest part: The trail is supposed to lead us to a creek (according the map the ranger provided).  It goes no where near a creek so B leads us off trail (breaking all sorts of junior ranger rules) and then decides he has to find a way across the creek because the trail must be on the other side. 

 

He has us walking across this wetlands area.  Basically, you have to step just right on the dry grass or you sink into a few inches of water.  I was terrified, certain there were snakes hiding in there.  Buddy followed B bravely.  Little Guy was in the backpack with B.  Princess Sparkley was behind me, about a step in to the marshy area.  I went about 5 steps when I realized I wanted to wait until B actually found a way across the creek so I didn't have to walk all the way across the wetlands, and then back when it didn't work out.  I finally retreated back to the shore with PS.  Buddy started slowly making his way to us.  We could just see B off in the distance behind some taller trees.  

 

Then we heard a yell and a big splash and I had to run across the marsh/wetlands at full speed to make sure he and Little Guy were okay.  I had no idea how big or deep the creek was, and I was worried that if B somehow went all the way under, or back first, Little Guy would get the bad end of it all.  By the time I got there, he'd made his way up the other bank, wet from his shoes to the tops of his thighs.  Little Guy was unscathed, although he kept telling B, "I almost got my boot wet.  And my pants!"  Which was cracking B up since he was completely soaked, but I don't think Little Guy realized that.  Then B had to try to figure out a way back across to us since we weren't joining him, and it seemed like our map trail wasn't accurate anymore.  I finally told him, just walk across, you're already wet to which he responded, "true," and walked across the two feet of water.  Then we meandered our way back to the visitor's center hoping he'd dry off some so the rangers wouldn't ask how he got wet (since the real trail only came near a teeny stream).  It was a cool day, he came home at the end of it still pretty wet, but luckily the rangers either didn't notice, or didn't comment.

Back at the visitor's center we watched an 8 minute movie about Thomas Stone, then a ranger led us on a tour inside Stone's house. 

 

I love this top picture of the kids getting sworn in as junior rangers.  First of all, when we first discovered the junior ranger program is was the summer of 2009 on our drive from Kansas to Utah.  Buddy refused to repeat the pledge aloud (and in our experience, the park rangers are kind of sticklers about what pages in the book are completed, and if the kid says the pledge, etc.).  The kids did a pledge Saturday at Prince William Forest Park and then today.  Both times Buddy has been the one saying it, while PS embarrassingly mumbles something and Little Guy just smiles with his hand in the air not really sure what's going on or that he's supposed to be saying anything.  So in these pictures, the big kids are goofing off, embarrassed or not really paying attention, but Little Guy looks truly committed to being the best junior ranger he can be.

I like visiting these smaller National Park sites because the rangers are so happy to have visitors.  The ranger who checked our kids' junior ranger books and swore them in was fabulous today.

The President and the White House

We left the Museum of American Art (which is open later than the other museums) and headed to the Metro, stopping at a McDonald's to fuel the kids (it was past dinner time at this point).  While at McDonald's we speculated as to whether we were late enough to have avoided work getting off crowds on the Metro.  B suggested we walk over to the White House.  I jumped on that idea since I've always wanted to and never have seen the White House up close.  I think I've always seen it from a few blocks away at a weird angle.  We walked over and the Secret Service had taped off Pennsylvania Ave.  We waited around for awhile because even the regulars seemed to think this would be momentary and then we'd be able to pass.  And we waited.  Finally someone asked the SS and they said they were "working on something" and it was supposed to open again in 45 minutes to an hour.  We gave up, walked up a block only to find that one side of that street was blocked as well.  So we walked on the other side and just as we got there (for a straight shot of the White House from a few blocks up) it seemed like things were happening and maybe the President was going to roll by.  Within about 5 minutes 8 or so Secret Service agents on motorcycles went by, followed by more police cars, to limo/town cars, dark minivans and SUVs, more police and an ambulance.  The limo/town car had the Presidential seal and tiny American flags.  People were waving in a few cars, but B said the hand waving from the limo/town car had long fingers, so we'll just say that was President Obama waving to us.  It seemed like they all stopped about a block past us, roped off that block (with the cars all in it) and maybe his appearance was there.  ?  Don't know.  But now we could finally walk to the White House.

Smithsonian American Art Museum and The National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and The National Portrait Gallery share a building, so we tackled them both today after the National Building Museum.

Lots of portraits.  Lots of cool art.  Lots of walking.
Highlight for Princess Sparkley, a portrait of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of Girl Scouts), and Charles Shultz (accompanied by a peanuts comic strip and a picture of the cast of Peanuts).
Highlight for Buddy: not sure, he was disappointed that we hadn't seen any portraits of George Washington, then we hit the Presidential portrait wing.
Highlight for Little Guy: the big scary pig, the scary pictures, and the Metro ride into DC. 
Highlight for me: I actually knew who a lot of the famous Americans were (in the Portrait Gallery) and recognized some of the artists' names in the American Art Museum).  We didn't get yelled at by any guards (until we left through the revolving door and all three kids tried to squish in with me).  I was disappointed that this work was recently vandalized and not on display, it's one of the main reasons I wanted to go.
Highlight for B: ?

Peanuts section of the gift shop

B mapped our route around DC today, including museum loops, and it was 3.68 miles.  The kids did great. 

National Building Museum

Today we took the Metro into DC. I knew we wanted to go to the Museum of American Art on this trip into the city, so I was excited to see what else was near the museum and see that it was up near the National Building Museum.  I was even more excited when I saw that the NBM has a special Lego architecture exhibit right now.  Right up our alley (although Legos got a timeout this morning because B stepped on Legos three times this morning).

We started at the Building Museum because it closed earlier.  It's free, but there "suggest" a $5 donation.  We paid $5/person (except Little Guy) to go to the Lego Exhibit, so I counted that as our cheapo donation.  The donation box (pictured above) was one of the highlights for the kids.  It was a replica of the room (hall/entrance/courtyard) we were in, made out of Legos.

I thought the Building Museum exhibits would be a lot cooler (for kids) than they were.  B and I liked them okay.  Little Guy hated them.  PS and Buddy could usually find something in the exhibit that was of interest to them.  PS had read a little bit about the World Fairs so she liked that exhibit.  The city scape and symbols in DC were fun enough for Buddy.

The best part was the Building Zone (but most of the kids there could barely walk).  It's for baby to 6 years old and PS was allowed because we had a three year old with us.  They all enjoyed it (a lot), but it was obviously geared for younger kids.

And then on to Legos.

Famous Skyscrapers made from Legos.

Everyone's favorite part, creating our own Lego buildings.

Little Guy's building: an orange and white rectangle (two versions of it).
Buddy's building: on the left of him, it is multi-colored starts as a pyramid, narrows to a column and then a larger rectangular prism on top.
Princess Sparkley's building: sort of A-framed brown and black (above her head to the left)
My building: red, white and blue skyscraper with windows on the top level.
B's building: red and then black skyscraper with pointy roof.

 The National Building Museum used to be something else, but for whatever reason, when they turned it into something else, its architecture was perfect for it being made into some sort of architecture/building museum.  It's pretty cool.

Sleepy Little Guy

Little Guy was having a hard time falling to sleep last night (even after a 4 mile hike) and got sent to B's new chair in the corner of our bedroom until he calmed down.  This is how we found him later.

Hiking Prince William Forest Park: Day 2

After church (which let's out at noon these days, and with the time change, seemed like 11am) B suggested we go do something outside since it was such a nice day.  We were going to go to a battlefield in Maryland, but there was an admittance fee and it was Sunday.  So we decided to use our good for a week receipt from yesterday at Prince William Forest Park.  This time we brought the backpack for Little Guy so we could go further and we ended up going more than 4 miles starting at parking lot E and going on the Quantico Cascades Trail, North Valley Trail, Pyrite Mine Road and along the road back to E and then driving to the Piedmont Forest Trail so the kids could do a quick little Letterboxing hike activity (which the LOVED and now Princess Sparkley wants us to letterbox all over the place). 

Yesterday B started playing the Troll under the bridge so each time we came to a bridge, we had to answer a question or the troll wouldn't let us cross.  Today we took turns being the troll a few times but then quit when the kids started fighting over who got to be the troll, or PS rejected every question we asked her.

Little Guy became very nervous about bears.  We noticed yesterday in the Visitor's Center a notice about bears being spotted in the mark as they were seeking shelter.  I assume the notice is old and was from the beginning of winter.  Somehow Little Guy got it in his head that there were bears and they were going to get him.  Finally I pinned his badge to his shoulder and told him that the badge would scare all the bears off.  This seemed to work, luckily, because his little mouth was just inches from B's ear and he was talking nonstop about all his fears about bears. 

The top right picture was supposed to be a family picture, but it turns out Little Guy telling us he was looking at the camera wasn't true because he couldn't see over B's shoulder at that angle.

Buddy as the "troll" not allowing Princess Sparkley to cross his bridge.

We set Little Guy free in the middle and he kept telling us he was a runner and he loved running.

PS moved just as I took the picture so you can just see her legs peaking out behind B.

the family

All worn out.

The kids on a "bus" on the Piedmont Forest Trail letterboxing trail.

Hiking in Prince William Forest Park: Day 1

Next week is B's Spring Break and this year we decided to stick around the DC area and explore some of the things here.  We started Saturday hiking in Prince William Forest Park.  We got a later start than we meant to, and had to be somewhere for dinner at 5:30pm, so we chose a shorter trail Farm-to-Forest (1 mile). 

Buddy was an Army Forest Truck, or something.  The hands are his signals.  He's been doing this when we walk a lot for a couple years now.  And as you can see, Little Guy has picked it up.

 

Getting sworn in as park rangers and getting their National Park badge.  We have quite a collection of these now.

Funny Stuff They Say

Buddy (almost 7) pretending to be a Zamboni with socks on our kitchen floor: "Come on [Little Guy], you know what a Zamboni is, right? You zambone the ice with it."

Little Guy (3), after I laid out pj pants (with a decorative bow sewn in where the tie would be) for him to put on: "What's this?" "A bow." With an emotional, almost crying, very upset voice, "But bows are for girls!" I explained it was a tie, not a bow. As he grudgingly puts them on, I hear him muttering, "Bows are for girls."

Little Guy's scary dream last night: Scary animals licking him. I guess that's why every time we see a pet he says, "not lick me [dog or cat]." He's probably been saying this to pets for more than a year.  It's apparently a big fear of his.

Homeschool Art

Self-Portraits (idea from here)
(Note the sparkles on Buddy's colored drawing's teeth. Apparently those teeth have just been brushed and are sparkly clean).



Landscapes (idea from here)

Fruit Snack of [Little Guy]

Rockstar Little Guy Not in the Bathtub

Little Guy is doing fabulously with potty-training this week, hence the underpants and no real pants in this clip. Apologies.
"The World We Live In" by The Killers
(real lyrics: "This is the world that we live in, It's not too late for that.")



Weezer's "Unspoken"
(real lyrics: Every chance that I get
I am placing a bet
On the sun in the sky
As it sets out of sight
And I hate what you do
When your poison seeps through
And you're laughing at me

And if you take this away from me
I'll never forgive you, can't you see?
Our life will be broken
Our hate will be unspoken.)

Happenings in Little Guy's World

Little Guy developed a cough a couple of weeks ago. B (having suffered an emergency tracheotomy at the hands of croup when he was a toddler) worried that it would be whooping cough and instructed me to place him in a steamy bathroom each night. Here's Little Guy, hanging out in all that steam. We ended up taking him to the doctor after a ruptured ear drum, but by then the cough was clearing up, the ruptured ear drum (it happened on a Friday night) was healing, but the other ear was headed toward infection, so he's been on an antibiotic (day 10 is tomorrow) ever since Valentine's Day.







B and Little Guy exercising together.


He also sits on B's chest for sit-ups and gets very upset when B gets tired and slows down and stops. So, basically, a great personal trainer.


We recently finished up a homeschool unit on explorers, founding fathers and famous Americans. I was trying to find a video like this one, "Ben and Me" about Benjamin Franklin made by Disney, but about George Washington. I instead found this series, which for some reason, Buddy LOVES. The first one we watched dealt with the use of messenger pigeons during the Revolutionary War and the next thing I knew, Little Guy flapped his way downstairs with a message rubber-banded to his leg by Princess Sparkley. He informed me that he was a pigeon.