More Museum Visits

This week I had two museums on our list of possibilities, The National Gallery and Museum of American History. After a quick discussion, the kiddos and I headed out to the Museum of American History. I wanted to go to this museum, but they were less than thrilled with the idea. We decided it would be a quicker visit and then we could revisit the Air and Space or Natural History Museums. 

We ate lunch at our favorite spot walking the other way around the gardens to see everything we missed. The weather was warmer than last time, which meant wet toes. Aine noticed that most of the fountain visitors had their feet in the fountain. Quickly shedding our shoes, we followed suit. The water was "just the right temperature" according to Benton. 

After finishing our lunches and sharing a bit with the ducks, we strolled through the grounds. We all liked the spider sculpture the best on this side, but I think the tree is still my all time favorite. We left the park going the other direction, because a man seemed a bit too interested in my children. It was a good opportunity to bring up the topic that adults should never ask kids for help (finding keys, dog, etc). Adults should ask adults for help. We also chatted a bit about listening to that funny feeling you get. (I had a funny feeling that he was loitering a bit around us. He seemed quite interested in my 7yr old, and it gave me the heebie jeebies. Perhaps I had read too much of Stolen).

Once at our destination we tried exploring the museum in a traditional way, going from exhibit to exhibit, but I quickly decided that this would not work today. After regrouping, the kids and I decided on a few must sees. We picked the Star Spangled Banner, the First Ladies exhibit and the Girl Scouts display. The flag was much bigger than any of us thought it would be. Amazing to think of how it was made. Aine was pleased to see so many other Girl Scouts viewing the uniform and memorabilia display. It is the hundredth year of Girl Scouting this year and even the Smithsonian is celebrating. Aine and Eamon both noticed that the First Ladies varied quite a bit in size. Eamon wanted to find Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln's dress, and marveled at her small stature. We also liked the jewels from Michelle Obama's ensemble at the inauguration as well as her large shoe size.

While wandering around to view each of these exhibits, we stumbled upon the dollhouse which was a favorite of each of them. It was interesting to read about the woman who had collected the furnishings for the house and how she played with it. We also discovered a room of modern toys, which elicited outbursts of glee. The kiddos sat and played with LEGOs, Viewmasters, Etch a Sketches, Slinkies and Mr Potato Heads for a long time. Aine remarked, "I love LEGOS" and set to build a large stairway/spaceship/house. The three of them crafted and created for an hour or so as I assisted and then knit a bit. It was their favorite exhibit by far, and they took many photos of the neighboring displays (Superman costume, puppets, cartoon white boards and Patsy Cline's costume)

We stayed at the museum much later than we originally had planned enjoying it more than anticipated. As we walked to the metro station, we wandered through the Ripley Gardens. The flowers were so beautiful and necessitated a lot of sniffing and marveling. A late conference call meant we stayed away even longer enjoying dinner out. Dave met us after we dined and the kiddos ran around a neighboring green space laughing, yelling and catching fireflies. It was a great day.

Catching Up

I finished my shawl on Saturday. I really love how it came out. I cannot believe how fast I knit it. All that garter stitch just flew off the needles. However, I have noticed that it is a bit harder to block things here in D.C. The humidity lately has made drying time quite long! I will take a photo of it today.

With my shawl obsession satisfied, it has been a week of catch up for me. The other two "alongs" I am doing had sped ahead without me. Fortunately I was able to quickly catch up on the Mystery Shawl Along hosted by Kristen Kapur. I cast on for the mystery shawl and knit through clue 2. The red item in the back is the shawl. The color way is Lady Bug from Miss Babs, and I admit to choosing it based solely on color (the name helped too). The first two clues went really smoothly. If you want a better idea of how it looks thus far, just check out my project page.

The granny square afghan project is not quite as easy to catch up. I am now only 2 weeks behind. I finished 14 little squares yesterday. I should be able to do week three today. I am really enjoy the change. I am hoping that this little project improves my crochet skills. I think my tensioning has improved already as the last 7 or so squares have been a lot more uniform in size.

While not playing catchup on these two projects, I have been trying to finish the Achillea socks which I cast on a few months ago. The heels have been turned, and the toe is coming up fast. I hope these can be done this week. I admit that I am a bit tired of them. Of course, I have another pair of socks languishing that I need to finish before heading off in other directions.

A new book is in my hands as well this week. I finished The Art of Fielding and thoroughly enjoyed it. I read a bit on Goodreads afterward for my own mini-book group. My new read is Stolen, and I am not sure how I feel about it. The story is told from the point of view of a girl who is abducted. It is a letter of sorts to her captor. The premise is tremendous disturbing to me as the mother of three kiddos.

I am already filling up my queue for my next knitting projects. I have my second project lined up for Camp Loopy (a 3 project summer camp run by a The Loopy Ewe yarn store). I am also considering what projects I want to knit for the Ravelympics. I find that a little competition and deadline can work a bit of magic for my knitting and crocheting.

So, what are you working on this week, my fellow Yarn Alongers?

Two Days Together - Otherwise Known as the Weekend

* A much overdo date day with my daughter. Greatly needed to restore some balance for one who has felt a bit overlooked and under appreciated lately. The day included delicious gelato and window shopping. The goal was four inch black patent leather heels - for her. Settling for little black cloth flats. Time spent looking for shorts that can withstand true play and coming up short. Making a plan to buy some boys' shorts and adjusting them as needed (more heavy duty for this explorer and climber of mine). Eating burgers together and being quite tickled when given a brownie by the cashier just because - again her. Waving at everyone we meet. Riding the bus home and watching a movie together. Just talking and enjoying time together.

* A visit by the menfolk to the area memorials. Explaining a bit about the happenings of 9-11. Just enough to help a nine year old understand. Eating noodles together and following it up with some yogurt.

* Lounging around in the morning wondering what to eat with such a bare cupboard. Making lists of supplies needed and planning a shopping trip.

* Venturing to upper floor for some family Wii time. Marveling at Mama's newly found skills but truly noting Daddy's superior ones.

* Deciding to take a bit of a drive in the late afternoon and being drawn to St. Michaels. Wandering the streets and finding hidden spots. Playing tag around a veranda and laughing so hard. Gathering sticks for fishing. Arranging far too many scenarios with the wooden cut outs and wanting them all photographed.

* Finally stopping at a grocery store on the drive back. Arriving home with three sleeping children to find no parking. Skilled maneuvering to land a tight one finally. Returning home to sleep with a full larder. 

The Blanket

The kids and I headed to the post office last week with a special package. I was finally shipping the blanket I made for my niece. With it safely out of my hands, I am able to share a few photos of it (sorry about the poor quality. I had to take them outside the post office on a very bright day).

When I first started thinking of items to make for my newest niece or nephew. I figured I would make a teeny baby sweater. Even in a hot climate they are used since most places are heavily air conditioned. When I was told the baby was a girl, I even bought yarn. Then one day I was looking at Ravelry, and my plans changed. Somehow I stumbled upon a simple baby blanket. Someone had changed the lace border. They added a leaf motif modified from the saroyan shawl pattern. I loved it. See, my sister in law is Hawaiian. I thought this would be perfect for her and the new baby. (Because truly baby gifts are also for the mom, since the wee one does not care). The inspiration blanket was even called maile, which is a flowering plant native to the islands. 

I bought more yarn (yes, I have a bit of a problem). This time I found a bright blue for the ocean and a green for the plant life in the place my sister calls home. The huge garter blanket quire knit up rather quickly. I then crocheted twice around the edge to help transition into the green leaf border. The border seemed endless. I knit each little leaf and kept measuring, because I was sure I had to be close. Finally I single crocheted it onto the blanket. It was still too short. I knit many more inches and sewed the edging together. I am so very pleased with the result. I used Ella Rae Baby Cotton for the blanket. No wool since the babe lives in Arizona. 

I still had yarn remaining, so I decided a cute pair of booties would complete the gift. These Saartje booties knit up quickly taking only a couple of hours. Benton helped me pick out the buttons which bring in a bit of the green. They are petite little flowers for my beautiful little niece, Lillinoe.

{this moment}

{this moment} - Joining Amanda in a Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Stepping Out

Last night I ventured out at night (something I don't usually do). My destination was knit night. As I left, I second guessed whether I really wanted to go. Dave reminded me that knitters are nice and that I should go. I hopped on the metro and headed to the meeting. The DC area knitters were welcoming and fun. Being able to sit and knit on my shawl for some uninterrupted time (including commute time) was such a welcome end to my day. I have about two more inches to go, and the Stripe Study shawl will be done. It has flown off the needles.

I am about a third of the way through The Art of Fielding. I am hoping to devote a bit more time to reading when the shawl is done. I am quite enjoying the story and characters.

What are you working on this week? Are you close to finishing? How about a knitting group-do you have one? As on every Wednesday, I am reading and knitting with Ginny's yarn along.

The Other Half

The first time we hit the National Zoo, we were without a stroller. After walking to and from the metro and around the zoo, Benton was worn out. This fatigue was compounded by unhappy, hungry and grumpy siblings. Armed with a stroller and fresh attitudes, we decided to visit the zoo again and see what we missed.

This visit we took the Asia Trail immediately. We glimpsed the pandas last time, but missed many of the other animals. This time even the pandas were active giving us quite a show. The kiddos were thrilled to see it moving about its enclosure. Exploring the zoo this direction ensured we would walk over a bridge near the elephants enabling us to view them from above. Many questions were asked about their habitat and how their movements were managed by large gates.

With a lot of running, skipping and yelling, we crossed the bridge and ventured into the land of birds. So many birds were on display at the Bird House. We saw a variety of owls, parrots, peafowl and flamingos. All the colors were so vibrant. One peacock even opened his tail feathers for us squawking at a competing male all the while.

Since Aine was eager to see the great cats, and Eamon wanted to check out Amazonia, we then headed to the rear of the zoo. The cats were reclining, which made them a bit harder to see. The kiddos were not bothered and enjoyed a display nearby illustrating the decline of tigers due to encroaching civilization and competition for resources. 

The farm was on the way to the Amazonia exhibit. Lllamas, pigs, donkeys, cattle, and goats were on display. Aine was disappointed that it wasn't a petting zoo. She really loves to be near the animals. We chatted a bit with the zookeepers and watched them feed the donkeys. The funniest event was watching them vacuum the goats' enclosure. When asked, the zookeeper replied he was vacuuming the poop. This caused quite a stir with my bunch.

Amazonia was a disappointment as Eamon was sure it would have hissing cockroaches once he entered the exhibit and heard the buzz of insects (I think it was actual audiotape, not live). He refused to go any further and wanter to stay outside. After a bit of negotiating he did go as far as the sting rays, but was pretty freaked out by the idea of the bugs. Aine, Benton and I decided to visit another day by ourselves in an effort to respect Eamon's uncertainty.

On the way out, we discover the prairie dog play area. This was great fun as Aine pretended to be a prairie dog that was being pursued by two brotherly predators. So much laughter could be heard as they played this game. Every now and then the prey and predator roles would switch and more shuffling, running, leaping and hiding would ensue. On this note, we decided to end the day and return home. I am pleased that we were able to see the rest of the zoo and enjoy such a gorgeous day together (even if it was a bit warm at the end)

This Old House

Spending an afternoon in Georgetown was a great way to pass the day. The weather was perfect for walking and sight-seeing. It was gorgeous - sunny skies with a few fluffy, white clouds. We set out late for our adventure concerned we would miss touring the Old Stone House. Fortunately we arrived well before closing, ensuring time to wander the house and the gardens. 

The house is purported to be one of the oldest structures in the D.C. area. The kitchen encompassed most of the main floor. The kiddos found a few period toys which they tried - Jacob's Ladder and Cup and Ball. The upper floors were bedrooms and a dining room. Aine and I walked around a bit together. We had to separate since the home was not stroller accessible. Although setup as bedrooms the upper rooms may have also served as parlors or sitting areas for guests.

Aine wondered about the toys in the children's room. This really resonated as we have been listening to Kirsten (American Girl). The idea of such few playthings intrigues her. After walking around upstairs, I asked the rangers onsite about the abundance of wool paraphernalia. There was yarn in the kitchen, spinning wheels, carders, and basket full of wool in several rooms. I wondered about the historical accuracy of this especially after reading Sheepish which tells of families utilizing wool to cloth the family and the staggering amount early families produced both as cloth and yarn. He was unsure, but said it would be based on family size. He also mentioned never having received such a question. I was shocked that I could be the only knitter to visit and ask! 

After touring the inside of the Old Stone House, we entered the adjacent gardens. So many flowers were in bloom. Eamon, Aine and Benton set off running and hiding among the flowers and bushes. Their running and loud playing were commandeered after a bit, since other people were trying to enjoy the parklike gardens. To focus them, I handed over the camera. The following photos are taken by them. We all decided a flower garden like this would be grand and wondered if it would be like the one in The Secret Garden which we have read. (And I have finished 11 of the 12 stripe repeats on the purple shawl. Just a few more rows and then the border!)

A short walk from the Old Stone House brought us to the C&O canal. We sat and watched the water pour through the locks. Eamon explained how locks work, and Aine tried to move the giant gates. Benton gave his parents' heart palpitations by stretching our hands as far as possible to look down into the canal. Dave wanted to continue walking along the path which hugs the canal. Many runners were using the path and made sure to point out turtles and other sights to us. The kiddos tried their hand at climbing the stone wall. They made it a little bit before running out of toe and finger holds.

We left the canal area and head toward something Dave had on his list. We found "the stairs" down the street and around the corner near a service station. I had no idea what they were until Dave explained (I admit to never having seen this movie. I scare easily!). We climbed up them and marveled at et another runner who did 3 or 4 laps up them. A few photos were taken before we set off to eat dinner.

With hungry bodies, we greedily ate a dinner of kabobs and mediterranean food. Our table was on the second floor, so we could look out at the street. The lack of screen made me a bit anxious, but we did okay. The breeze was lovely. A quick trip for frozen yogurt followed and then a walk back to the metro. Eamon and Aine parkoured back to the train, while Benton "exercised" running most of the way.