Night at the Museum…During the Day

This morning Mia was bored looking for something to do while waiting for breakfast. So she begged asked to do math "take aways" (a subtraction math facts worksheet). The Blair kids wanted to know why she was in trouble. 

We left the house a little after 9:00am, coffee in hand. Well…actually just for the over 16 crowd. Okay…Dad didn't have any either. *Pauses* Mom and I had coffee. 

In the car Mia helped Gabe with his reading. He was super thrilled to have her help.

Back in the Washington DC district we entered a public underground parking garage after our truck was searched! (Actually that's normal, but we thought it was kind of cool.) Mom and Dad told us to say nothing. We traveled what felt like a very long ways down to finally find a parking spot…in valet. The nice man (who I confirmed did indeed work there) said we could leave our truck there for no extra fee, we just had to give him the keys. This is how close the ceiling was: 

It was rather a confusing set up, but we managed to find our way out. 

This is the flag that the Star Spangled Banner was written about. 

Today we "ran through two museums" or "trudged through them at a snail's pace" depending on who you ask. I was often left behind because I was trying to read stuff and thingys on the everything that caught my eye. (I didn't know we were on a time crunch.)  

The first Smithsonian we sped through was the Natural History Museum: 

Here are some of the displays and such we glanced at while dashing by were able to enjoy viewing. 

This aqua crystal is gorgeous!!

These were Marie Antoinette's earrings. 

The necklace has over 100 diamonds in it and the crown has *pauses for dramatic effect* over 1000!!!

How is that for a statement necklace?!

I can't say I've ever seen a sign quite like this:

These minerals are incredible! 

The white spiky one reminds me of something someone would see in the ocean. 

Other ocean type looking one. That color though!

Can I have a kitchen counter made from this please?

Or *gasp* this!? 

This is "The Hope Diamond" 

and has a history and color which have made it quite famous. 

In case you were wondering what a Cotton Mouth Snake's skeleton looks like...

Look how tiny that frog is!! 

We see sea turtles like this one (well with skin and everything else too) in Maui all the time!

This mummy was a three year old little boy from Egypt.

Those are some pretty big bones!

In one area we could watch some *insert the word for people who study bones* at work. 

She is using a magnifying glass to scrape dirt off that tiny piece of something valuable. 

The thing taking up so much of the screen there is her fingernail! 

In the bug place Mia got to hold a caterpillar which only eats tobacco. 

I have to say, I am grateful I don't have to get into this awkward position in order to take a drink. 

Got teeth?

Gabe's reaction to the ocean creatures section. 

For lunch we purchased overpriced chicken sandwiches to share since we didn't want to spend $80 because we knew we could get something cheaper else at home if needed. 

Gabe picking out the nuts. (He doesn't like nuts. At all. Any of them.)

This is the very large elephant that lives, or that is actually dead, in the center of the museum. 

The second Smithsonian we raced through was The National Museum of American History. It was so cool to be able to see displays of things I got to read about all year in my American History book!

Mia found a dress her size!

This was the second Apple computer. 

It's Dorothy's slippers from the movie The Wizard of Oz! (I have seen that movie.)

Believe it or not, this is a statue of George Washington…

Isn't this cradle quilt darling! 

Some guns and other weapons we saw out of the corner of our eyes. 

My poor, tired, swollen feet. I began kind of just pushing my shoes around, half on half off. 

If I could, I would seriously go barefoot most everywhere. 

 We hit some traffic on the way home, but it wasn't bad. Dinner was once again pretty much completely ready for us when we arrived back around 5:00pm. The kids have been playing, eating, watching a movie, etc, etc, doing kid stuff and the rest of us have been laying around, reading, talking, eating, etc, etc, doing older people stuff. (That would be me and the parents for clarification.)

The Herd: Quoted

"The boys want to watch over me at the park." -Mia

"I wish we were back at Aunt Liz's house…" -Mia

"On the left is the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument." -Chloe
"And on the right we have trees and oh, a lamp-post!" -Christian in an announcer type voice.
"Also on the right we have some train tracks. Again, on the right." -Mom also in an announcer type voice.

"I scream*
"The door was open and I started walking in and it started shutting on me!" -Me

"Now you have to put 'singing Frozen spontaneously in the bathroom' on the blog." -Mom

"Seriously, come on!" -Chloe talking to the automatic waterfall I mean water-faucet.

"Push, push, pull, open the door!" -Chloe and me were having difficulties…

"Look at the turtle!" -Me
"Um, that is a frog, Lydia." -Chloe keeping me on track.

"My teeth are killing me!" -Mia trying to eat her sandwich.

"Well I knew what is was, it's just that the wrong word came out of my mouth." -Me
"Haha, that happens to me all the time!" -Dad