building museum + fire in my driveway

the kids had off school this monday and tuesday for teacher workdays.

so...monday we went into DC. i'm trying to do a better job taking advantage of all that city has to offer! now that my kids are older, it's easier to get down there and spend a day when we have a chance.

first, we went to my sisters house to drop something off. they weren't there. but we had our picnic lunch in their yard. ha! :-) it was fun to feel CLOSER to them!

then we went to the Building Museum. a couple of my kids had been there on field trips. but the rest of us never had. and those that HAD been there, hadn't seen everything there was to see. we spend a good couple hours. it was really cool. lots of hands-on stuff. and a BEAUTIFUL old building! it wasn't free. but it was pretty reasonable for all of us.

it's fun to have someone to talk to during these experiences :-) rebekah is such a blessing to me.

this was their favorite thing. a magnetic wall and you could move the pipes, etc around.

i love to watch their relationships with each other.

"bailey! come take a picture with me!"

{don't worry. i took care of those roots today :/}

what a FUN day together!!

stopped at this overlook on the way home. hard to believe this is in dc, huh??

we got the oil changed in the car on the way home. which is never as quick as you hope it's going to be.

once we got home and i was figuring out dinner, the kids come running in and ask if they can start a fire?!? um. what? i go outside and they have it all set to go. in the driveway. we don't live on a farm, people. just in suburbia with hundreds of other houses on .25 acres each. my brain couldn't.even. i said, "call your dad and ask him." they did. he said yes! {in hindsight, i think he maybe wasn't really listening to their question??}

so....

we looked for marshmallows...but didn't have any. {they've since ridden their bikes to the grocery store and bought some for the REPEAT fire we will have tonight.}

goodness. i love them. it was a FUN day. and i adore them.