Rain in DC!

People on the East Coast poohoo Seattle because it rains all the time. What they don't know is that the rain is different. When it rains here in DC... it pours! The kind that soaks you in ten seconds. I don't know if thats good or bad but it's DIFFERENT. One of our children loves the DC rain. He goes crazy when it starts pouring. Below he is standing under the roof ledge where the water is just pouring down like a shower! This was after 15 minutes running around in the downpour screaming "Thank You God for the RAIN!" CutieHis enthusiasm for the rain even got the the more reluctant children into it.
Heavy Rains = PUDDLES!

I think it was, by far, the most fun the kids have had on the trip! The only problem was... this morning when we got dressed for camp... we had soaked shoes! Ooooppps. Daddy forgot to put the shoes in the dryer! Might be time to invest in water shoes.

The Boys in New York City!

While S and C were at the American Girl store, me and the boys explored Times Square and Central Park. Both amazing "only in NY" experiences.

Believe it or not, this is a slow time at Times Square!

The M&M Store

No Tina, we did not buy any M&M's!

The boys with Derek Jeter at Champs Sports. I guess when you're that good you're entitled to a big head. We thought about buying some new hats but they were WAY too big for us!

Toys R Us!

We were told that we HAD to go here because of this huge ferris wheel. The boys loved it and we got to see the whole store on the ride. We made 8 loops according to JJ.

Below: All Legos. Talk about patience. Wow!

Central Park.

Pretty amazing to go from Times Square to Central Park. What a study in contrasts. Absolutley NO open space to miles of open space. If you didn't know, Central Park is HUGE. 843 Square miles huge. Just some quick stats for you: There are over 26,000 trees and 8968 park benches (it's true... we counted). There are 12 softball/baseball fields, 30 tennis courts and 21 playgrounds. Pretty stinkin cool. The amazing thing is that it that it was established around1850. Imagine the foresight. Wish the founders of Seattle had as much foresight.

Want more Central Park Trivia??
http://www.virtualnyc.info/photo_album/cenpark/trivia.htm

Sorry about your face JJ. Jo is showing a little enthusiasm. This is one of 7 bodies of water in the park. I think it was creatively named "The Lake".

Adventures with Dad

While Cheryl is slaving away at school me and the kids get to go on little adventures. The first adventure for the Kaler advance scouting team (me and S) was to the Lincoln Memorial. S loved it and was a great subject (too bad the picture taker is all thumbs!)

Now you gotta admit that this is a pretty cool pic?? Look... No Thumb!

On Tuesday's and Thursday's I have all three of the Kaler Cherubs. Our first adventure was to the WA. Monument and the Lincoln Memorial (on S's advice).

Hot and no tickets to go up inside the Monument! Not a great start but the kids were troopers!

Oooooppps! Sorry. Rookie behind the phone! This is a fairly new monument inbetween the Wa. Monument and the Lincoln Mem. Pretty cool. The kids wanted to swim in spite of the signs saying otherwise. Secretly I wanted to also!

Cooling off in preperation for the assault on the Lincoln Memorial. I think the kids liked this better than anthing else this day.

I guess I didn't get the memo that you were only supposed to wear a green shirt inside the Monument. Sorry Kids!

JJ wanted to read the whole blurb from Lincoln's Inauguration speech (but dad didn't let him...why, I don't remember). He wasn't too sure what he was reading but wanted to read it all! He did read all of the excerpt from the Gettysburg Address. Bless his heart.

Contemplating what they had just seen and read! OK, feeling like fried chicken. We talked about how just 10 steps below us, Martin Luther King Jr. Delivered the famous "I have a dream speech" in August of 1963. There is actually a carving on one of the stones saying that he stood there during the speech.

For more information on Dr. King's speech check out this site...

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

"This statue in the ground was super HOT! We got to climb in the mouth. I stepped on his eye and stuck my foot in his nose! It was fun but we couldn't stay for very long cuz it was sooooo hot outside. I needed water, badly!!" -S and J

Haynes Point... just across the Potomac from Reagan National. The statue is called:

"Awakening"





The Air and space museum with JJ's friend from Seattle. They were out here visiting some relatives. Good to see them. Pretty cool place but there is so much to see that it gets pretty overwhelming.

Go Mariners (Our True Baseball Love)

Go Yankees

Go Yankees...... (sorry Greg...)
(this post is a test, we'll see how long it stays on here )



When in Rome, right? !! Much to Greg's direct and powerful resistance.... all the kids have become Yankee fans since our time on the East Coast. Could be wisdom in blending, baseball is baseball, time difference on the radio.... could be three for ten deals after the game, could be exercising our independence against the patriarch Mariner fan.
Whatever it is, four of us have Yankee hats and one of us is crying.

(but we all just really love baseball!!))

American Birthday Girls

One of our biggest excitements of the weekend was getting to take S out for her special birthday treat, at American Girl Place. S would like to you meet Nikki, (with the hat), new sister to Lissie (in the red.)
We had a special time in the restaurant, the theater (Mom highly recommends that one), shopping and being New Yorkers together (even if just for the day!) What can you say... some things are worth the cost!

Gound Zero

We've been blazing through this country so fast, it was a nice change of pace to be able to stay in one town for a whole weekend. Not that you can really slow down in New York, but we did let the city sink into our skin a little bit! When we first arrived it was culture/city shock (and engineering shock- with all the bridges, tunnels, vertical parking structures, even trapeze units right next to a main highway...)

And then it was the subways and tourist activities, getting a local flavor and the feeling of being with so many people. We did manage the subway system just fine, even with closures and construction on the weekend- though we were a little more interested in seeing the sights above ground rather than under.

And then the whole city start to grow on you. On one of our above ground adventures, on a free shuttle going to the ferry, we quite unexpectedly passed by Ground Zero. Because it wasn't on our agenda for the weekend, I was a little surprised to have it just jump out at us like it did. I thought... what is it doing, right here in the middle of the city?? (Let me pause here to recognize, I'm quite aware that this is a very silly thought. Of course my brian knew it was "in the middle of the city", but since 9-11 I have come to think of the ground as some kind of separate entity, something you must make an effort to go visit. Which I realize is a very accurate metaphor for the movement 9-11 had done in my heart, as well.) All of us vividly remember the tradgedy and if we force ourselves to recall it, it is there and available for us to visit. But accidentally passing it in New York made me realize what an integral part it is for the people here... for the lives lost, the change in the skyline, for the daily reminder of its tradgedy and reconstruction.

The main reason I even noticed it was because there were signs saying "This place is special"

and "Please keep it that way".... I stood up as we passed and couldn't help but be in awe... letting the far off little "place" in my brain suddenly take full residence in my heart. A tear came up from the overflow, and I turned found myself looking into the eyes of my curious, confused daughter. realizing I needed to explain what exactly this sight meant, I went into the story that has been told before (usually during security lines at the airport, explaining why it must be so) and then saw a similar transformation in her eyes, one of understanding in theory, to actually seeing in reality- making the most direct connection possible- straight thru the heart.

So for this I would like to thank the people of New York, for letting countless people reside and visit and learn from you, to experience you, and grieve with you.

please let us remember, more closely and more actively in our hearts.

" For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecc. 3:1