Guilty Cool

I am a lover of all things historical. I admire the way things "used to be" before my time, and I think that the modern soul is wimpy at best and evilly spoiled at worst. Conveniences have ruined us.
But.
I am ready to admit, I'm very thankful for certain inventions and innovations.
Like shorts.
And tank tops.
And freezers full of ice cream.
And air conditioning.

Yes, I am a wimp. My husband brought home a window-unit air conditioner last night, and I, who had decried the over-use of artificially cooled air, was pretty darn happy to hear its humming. Let's see if I can avoid becoming spoiled.

Monuments and Museums

Or, "All I Needed to Know I Learned in the First Three Days, part 1."

So here is my re-cap of the first day of our Epic Journey to the East, a Ten Piece Listing of what I learned:



Day 1 (Washington D.C.)

1. Apparently, the sight of port-a-potties triggers some people's bladders (not mine).



2. It really stinks when you leave your camera at the hotel.



3. Walking in flip-flops around the Nation's Capital is not such a bad idea -- if you're guaranteed to be traveling at the pace of a two-year-old.



4. If Mommy walks in flip-flops, the children will not understand why Daddy makes them wear tennis shoes.



5. A lot of women are wearing breezy summer dresses this season, but not with tennis shoes.



6. Sometimes fashion ideals must be sacrificed for family unity. (Please note that I do not consider flip-flops the epitome of "fashion" but I was sure my days of tennis shoes with dresses were over.)



7. Not every person in my family wants to read every exhibit in the Smithsonian museums. Actually, none of them do, except me.



8. The pace of a two-year-old dramatically increases in air conditioning (such as they have in the Smithsonian museums).



9. While heat and hunger sap the strength of all ages, cool air and food may revitalize children much faster than their adults.



10. Even if kids are whiny and hot, war memorials are still solemn, fulfilling their purpose: to remind the living of those dead in the name of freedom. Faced with the names of so many young and promising sent prematurely to eternity, and considering the empty homes and aching hearts of families left behind, I do not stop to weigh the right or wrong of wars. I simply mourn and am thankful.
    
    
    

Yeah, this is not a picture from the scenic first day's adventures. This is a picture of the kids in our hotel, watching a TELEVISION with CHANNELS! I think that was vacation enough for them, the poor media-deprived dears.

I wish I could link up to more pictures from our first day of vacation, but... well, refer to #2 of my lessons learned.

Another great moment (even better than the museums and monuments) was meeting up with my dear cousin. But I already knew it would be wonderful to see her, so I didn't actually learn a lesson there... except, that it was another missed photo. (insert tongue-sticking-out-icon-of-frustration-with-self here.)

Back Home!

Despite the work of unpacking ahead of me, I am so glad to be home! Maybe tomorrow I will conduct a day-by-day review of our vacation, but for today I just am lolling around, basking in an effortless Sunday at home.

*Insert contented sigh here.*

I love my home.

Before I post pictures and stories from our time away, let me give you a little taste of my happy place.

The hollyhocks I planted to remember my grandmother are finally blooming! Now if I could just get someone to teach me how to make the clever little dolls she crafted from these showy blooms.

Tid Bits

The man and I walked across the dewy yard to pick these lovely raspberries this morning. The children promptly ate them.

The two-year-old doesn't say "nana" anymore, but properly enunciates "buh-nana." I'm a little sad and proud at the same time.

Tomorrow we go on family vacation. I have nothing packed. For seven people. But I have carefully rationed the last drops of milk so that we'll leave nothing to stink up the fridge.

The man and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on how clean a house must be before you leave for a week or more. I think clean sheets, mopped floors, scrubbed toilets are all "Must Do." He's content with empty trash cans and a mowed yard.


The nine-year-old has informed me that we NEED to get packing (literally) and we don't have time to sit at the computer. Funny how I'm not amused by his surpassing maturity.