The (Wilcox) Express

"...If you want to join us come along

You can be our guest
Cause that’s the way things happen
On the roller coaster the (Wilcox) Express..."

Ella meet Barbie, Barbie meet Ella.

And...Barbie meet Ella's other favorite "dolls" fireman, construction guy, Storm Trooper and Jedi guy.

And here is Buzz Lightyear and Woody, but you already met them in Toy Story 3.

Speaking of favorite movies this Christmas...Garrett is well-equipped to re-enact the entire Star Wars series of movies with his plethora of Lego star ships, action figures and the movie soundtrack (...which plays continuously).


Or we could stay in this world and Blake can give you a tour of the Lego White House.

He can also give you the longitude and latitude and show you how to get there on his new wall map.

He can tell you what time it is on his alarm clock and watch...in all the different time zones. He can even explain the weather to you thanks to his handy-dandy weather lab. If you need to know what day it is, he is happy to refer to his new calendar, or if you simply need change, he can make that from his money box. He is a wealth of knowledge and information!

If you need transportation, Chase is your man. But preferably in the form of a miniature semi truck or train. Every train to Chase is a Dinosaur Train to accommodate his favorite dinos- Stegasowa (Stegasaurous), Tatatas (Triceratops), brachiosowa (Brachiosaurous), T-weh (T-Rex), and you'll be hard pressed to find any of them out of his reach.

If you need a good book to pass the time on the train, Chase got plenty of those too (mostly about dinosaurs).

Or, if you prefer something akin to the Polar Express train with entertainment, then Ella will be happy to sing you her version of "Jingle Bells" on her new microphone (because our house wasn't loud enough already...) dressed like a rock star.

And if you're lucky, she'll "cook" you up something special in her "kitchen". Anyway you look at it, we've got you covered.

"All aboard! All aboard! Tickets, please. Tickets. Well, you coming?"

2010 In A Nutshell

A year in the life of the Wilcox family. Feel free to click on the links (highlighted word/s) to see the original posts and pictures.

Blake (8): Blake's biggest successes this year came from sports. He managed to run 80 miles last school year, ran a couple 5k's and even got the rest of us to join in the running fun...even though he seems now to have gotten it all out of his system. Or maybe he just realized that he prefers other sports. Like swimming, soccer (his team was undefeated!), hiking, zip-lining, and archery. When he's not creating his own homework for fun, you can find him examining his coin collection or searching for unique rocks to categorize...and sell. And he's recently discovered geo-caching (the perfect activity for a want-to-be geologist). He has become a dedicated Cub Scout as well. Blake is still very sweet (when he's not sassy), an old soul, and an amazing big brother to his siblings.

Garrett (6): Garrett continues to amaze us with his creativity. When he's not drawing and writing, he's totally and completely fixated on Legos, Star Wars, and Star Wars Legos. He has been known to build his own "scenes" from the movies, build his own ships (and write the directions to go with them) and saves every last penny from his allowance for his next Lego set (...or candy). Garrett has also been participating in the running club this year at school and has already racked up over 20 miles! This year Garrett was able to join a swim team and hopefully by next summer he'll be ready for competitive swim. He's still the family comedian, has met his goal to make it all the way across the monkey bars and has discovered a love of letting loose on the dance floor. Most importantly, Garrett's kidney issues look to be manageable without further surgery!

Chase (2): One of the most fascinating things about having twins is seeing how alike- and different- they are from each other and their other siblings. Like Garrett when he was two, Chase often becomes fixated on cars and dinosaurs, loves drawing and getting lost in a good picture book, and can't resist a cute animal. He's also got a signature dance move. Like Blake, Chase feels the need to close any open door, is especially sensitive to noises and texture and is progressing a bit slower with his speech (although not for lack of trying). Unlike Ella, Chase will usually share when asked, has a definite sweet tooth, and will laugh uncontrollably when provoked. What makes Chase Chase is his endearing charm, his sensitive heart and his excitement about everything.

Ella (2): Ella, it seems, is her own person in more ways that one. She resembles Garrett physically and shares his sneaky and mischievous side. And although she is usually serious and profoundly mature like Blake, she also knows how to crack jokes and get attention when she wants it (much like Garrett). And she is totally content to be in charge. You can have an entire conversation with her and she not only understands you, but remembers. She expresses her creativity in her multiple costume changes throughout the day and would rather be Superman than Cinderella. Ella has a uniqueness that is hard to put into words. And although she is not as closely aligned with her brothers' character traits, she does resemble one person more than any other (at two years old)....her mama (or so I'm told). If I wasn't convinced before that parenthood is payback, I am now.

Brian: Brian has weathered another year in public accounting. When he's not crunching numbers, he's managed to drop close to 50 pounds as part of our pledge to make 2010 the year we get healthy as a family. In the process he participated in the Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon and the Silver Strand Half Marathon, and even more is planned for the next year. Brian has also taken on the responsibility of Den Leader for Garrett's Tiger Cub den and Co-Leader of Blake's Wolf Cub den. But as hard as he works at all those things, he works the hardest at being a great father and loving husband (LUCKY US!). This was also the year that we traveled to Washington DC with the older boys to experience some of our country's great history- a highlight, no doubt, for a political-minded patriot.

Aimee: For me, the year has been, more than anything, about keeping up with life. The twins keep me especially busy with their ever-increasing freedom and curiosity, and the boys' activities and sports keep us on the move. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, I am able to volunteer in the classroom once a week and lead a table this year for the MomsNext group. I have taken up running again and am enjoying the benefits of being healthy (who knew it was even possible to weigh less than your driver's license after 4 kids?). Exercise continues to provide me with a much-needed outlet for life's daily craziness. Other highlights for me have been finding a church home for our family, taking the family pictures we've been talking about for years...and keeping up on the blog to record all the highlights!

We wish you the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years! Thanks for visiting...come back soon!

The Wilcox Family

Celebrating 8!

It doesn't seem possible, but it's true...Blake is turning 8! And what an eight years it's been! We've witnessed Blake grow from an infant with an old soul into a sweet boy with a big heart. He's very conscientious, being careful not to overspend his allowance, prays nightly for the homeless and quickly takes to being an enforcer of the rules (at least when it comes to other people). This year he is asking Santa for a journal, a notebook and a refrigerator. He is a collector of office supplies, rocks and any "collectible" items. And is very proud to be a Cub Scout.

For fun, Blake loves playing board games and sports, reading and making up his own homework, and science (especially geology) and building. But most of all, he loves to be outside. Blake doesn't really have a favorite food or song or sport, but chances are, if you see him he will be wearing a grey shirt and khaki shorts- his favorite clothes! He adores his siblings and his family, and is a loving and nurturing big brother. And although we have our moments of the talking back and the school-aged attitude, we couldn't be more proud of our Blakers and wish him the happiest of birthdays (so far)! We love you, Blake!

A Penny for Your Thoughts, A Nickel For Your Dreams...and A Quarter For Your Complaints!

It happens every year. We get so busy, so caught up in the holiday frenzy, that the time inevitably flies by and before we know it another season has come and gone. One of our resolutions each year is to try to s-l-o-w this down and provide more meaning to the holidays and create more memories as a family. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and giving thanks, we have started two new traditions in the Wilcox house this year.

The Thanksgiving Tree
Following a brief family meeting and discussion about how truly lucky and blessed we are, each person wrote down a few of the things for which they are most grateful. I knew I was running the risk of Garrett listing his Legos among his most cherished possessions, but I was quite surprised (and proud) to see that the boys really "got it". Here is what they wrote:

"I am thankful for my family, my friends, my home and food and water." (Blake)
"I am thankful for my crasce (crazy) famy and my coock (kookie) frends too. Thanks God for the things that I have. Thanck you God for my bruthrs and sitstr and my mom and dad." (Garrett)

And I am thankful for my practical child...and my colorful one. And my loving and dedicated husband and father to our children, my sweet and delicious babies, the warmth, security and love that fill my home, and many, many more blessings...and all the wonderful and curious packages in which they come.

The Complaint Jar
And if the Thanksgiving Tree doesn't remind us to appreciate how blessed we are, then maybe just plain giving will. The idea is that for each and every complaint from ANY member of the household- adults included- a deposit of $.25 must be made into the family Complaint Jar. With every deposit comes a gentle reminder that we have little to complain about (ie "some people have to dig their dinner out of the trash, so we are very fortunate to have hot, nutritious food- even if it's not what you wanted for dinner"). As Christmas approaches, the intention is to give the jar to a family who is less fortunate. The boys liked this idea so much that they have even made some voluntary contributions just because! And, yes, I've had to make a few deposits myself. This simple jar is proving to be a very powerful reminder of gratitude and generosity for all of us. And we are really looking forward to finding a family to give our "gift" to!

I was hopeful that the kids would come away from these experiences with a more meaningful definition of Thanksgiving and giving thanks, but I wasn't expecting that the real blessing for me would be to see my kids express genuine gratitude for what's truly important and self-less generosity because they know it's the right thing to do. You can't ask for much more than that as a parent. And now I have another thing for which to be grateful.

Going the Distance

13.1 miles to be exact.

It was a first for Brian and second for me (although there should be a statute of limitations since it's been 12 years...). We decided to commit to a half marathon a few months back, since this was the year we have decided to get AND STAY healthy. And what better goal to work towards?

Race morning went off without a hitch, and, with three months of training behind me, I felt I couldn't have been more ready. And so, as we made our way across the start line on a beautiful, sunny San Diego morning we set off. Brian and I ran just a little ways together then parted. I felt strong...in control...and faster than usual. Up until mile 10, that is. That was when I hit THE WALL. I found myself stopping to walk and questioning why am I doing this? and thinking I just want this to be over. Immediately followed by telling myself no, I can do this, just keep going. Then I came upon a runner who was receiving CPR (and it didn't look good...). After saying a silent prayer, I decided at that moment that trying to make my goal time wasn't maybe all that important. And so I ran and walked the rest of the way, very conflicted between wanting to push myself harder and giving myself permission not to.


Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. An older gentleman, a complete stranger, waving and urging me to keep running, "come on" he said with a smile in between breaths. Maybe he knew something I didn't. So I forced my aching legs into a run...for about another 100 yards then stopped to walk again. As I saw him pass me I noticed that his gate was uneven...he ran abnormally...he had some kind of disability. That was the point at which I committed myself to running the rest of way (and that the finish line was also in sight) no matter how much I wanted to walk. And, believe me, I really wanted to walk.

And so I finished with a time of 2:11. Not quite as fast as I would have liked (I was averaging closer to 9 1/2 minute miles in training), but I finished with an average pace of 10 minute miles. And I learned a few things along the way. I realized that I had neglected the all important mental aspect of training for long distances. I needed to go into it with meaningful knowledge of why I was doing it so I had something to rely on to motivate and inspire me when I felt like giving up. And just "running fast" wasn't enough. I just didn't have a plan. And Brian learned the importance of racing like you train, since he was distracted by not running with his water.

So, now we know. We know what it's like. We know we can do it. And, yes, we are going to do it again next June. Only this time, I will be training physically AND mentally. And just maybe I'll be the one tapping someone else on the shoulder when it looks like they could use the gift of encouragement to go the distance.

Capturing the Moment

Family pictures are kind of a big deal around here. Mainly because we had never attempted to do them before...with ALL six of us. Until now. And while I had my fingers crossed for good weather, restful naps, and stain free clothes, I knew that most of it was out of my hands. At best, we were hoping for one or two good family shots with the majority of us looking at the camera and a few more of the kids to capture their personalities. Anything more than that was icing on the cake...

Good thing our photographer was flexible and pretty quick. And had the foresight to do family pictures at the (dry) park first and foremost. Although I knew sand would be involved with a beach shoot, I was really hoping water would just be the background. Wishful thinking. So...I could have either chased my kids around, yelling at them and demanding they smile...or we could truly capture their personalities and let them be themselves. In the end, water and wet sand was a small price to pay for some fun, great pictures. EVEN IF the kids weren't striking their best Gap Kids pose and smiling at the camera... 'cuz, let's face it, that's just not REAL life.

A special thanks to our photographer, Shawn Kennedy:

Sporting It

Blue Lightning #26
This year Blake decided he wanted to give soccer a try. He's shied away from it in years past because, although he's very athletic and pretty coordinated, he isn't a big fan of playing organized sports. He'd rather just "high kick" the ball in the back yard (and usually over the fence, thankfully we have gracious neighbors). With a little encouragement he decided to join a recreational team and it turns out he loves it! (I know this for a fact because he NEVER complains about going and is HAPPY to get his gear together and get ready without a million reminders).

He ended up on one of the leagues best teams and has really improved his skill and knowledge of the game. And while he I think he does have the ability to excel, Blake is not nearly as aggressive as most kids...it just isn't his nature to "steal" the ball from friends. On the positive side, he's good about passing and he's even scored a few goals!

Garrett, the "swimmer"
In an effort to find a sport that minimizes contact potential (to protect his good kidney), Garrett has gone in a different direction. He seems to have his dad's natural ability for swimming. We decided to give the swim team a try and he's proven he's got talent...but the focus still needs work. Garrett has very strong strokes for a kid his age and easily laps other teammates when swimming. That's when he's not playing around and exploring under water. After all, he is only six. And he just can't resist being the "class clown" (and not just in swimming...). We plan to take a break during the winter months and start back up next spring. If all goes well, we should be making our way around town for various swim meets next year.

As for the twins, well, they have their own sports of sorts. Ella has taken dressing up to a whole new level with discovery of REAL costumes and super heroes. When she's not following me around the house with a costume in hand repeating, "mama, need help", she's proclaiming herself "Suuuuper Ella!".

And if talking was a sport, I think Ella would be on the All Star team...she's easily talking in 5-6 word sentences (and repeating EVERYthing I say). So far, I've learned that I can be a little bossy ("NOW, boys!"), I have very good manners (Thank you, mama, thank you"), and that she might be watching a little too much tv ("Mama, I turned Mickey Mouse on!"). Chase, while not talking as clearly as Ella, can easily out-scream any and all of his siblings. And he's still pursuing the sport of dinosaurs (playing with AND acting like them!), reenacting the movie Cars, drawing often on his doodleboard and, of course, reading books. He's still "all boy" with a big, sensitive heart and is the champion of super-tight-muscles-shaking-teeth-gritting hugs, which I can never get enough of.

As for me, I have perfected the sport of loading and unloading 4 kids, with snacks, waters, shoes, jackets, toys, etc. and being on time (usually) to soccer practice, swim practice, etc. And now that the playroom at home is no longer enclosed my new sport is chasing toddlers around the house. I haven't parted with the stroller yet, but it's days are numbered. And I can't even imagine what transitioning out of cribs is going to be like..."strength training" takes on a whole new meaning. Who knew exercising patience could actually be aerobic?

Twi-A-Twee

That would be the sound of Chase and Ella (and the rest of the gang) going house to house on Halloween. Although this is not technically their first Halloween, it was the first one where the twins could actually say "trick or treat" (kind of) and carry a plastic pumpkin for candy; this was the first year they "got it". It only took a couple houses before they got the routine down: wait your turn (or, cry and then you get candy by the handful...), say your spiel and wait for them to put something in your pumpkin. That is, when I could keep Ella from "pushing the button" (doorbell) a hundred times and Chase from struggling with the homeowner to be the one to close the door. At least they said "thank you".

And I can't think of a better holiday for a girl who loves to dress up...The theme for costumes this year was supposed to be Star Wars.

Can you tell who is whom?

Garrett was Jango Fett, Blake was Commander Fox, Chase was an X-Wing pilot and Ella...was supposed to be...Princess Leia.

But SHE had other ideas.

True to her I-want-what-you-have-more personality, she managed to take over Chase's pilot helmet and (after throwing a tantrum that she couldn't wear Chase's costume)

settled on an astronaut costume we already had.

Finding the right hat was another story...

I guess it still works with the whole space-Star Wars-pilot thing. It just makes, "And what are you dressed as?" a very difficult question to answer. She's just Ella.

GO, BLAKE, GO!

Okay, so we watch a lot of Dora and Diego at our house (are you singing the song yet?)...but I couldn't resist, since the boys and Brian recently made their way to Indian Hills campgrounds in Jamul for a fun-filled day of camping activities- including a REAL zip line!!

They weren't able to camp overnight, since we had just returned from DC, but Brian and the boys spent a day with their Cub Scout dens and friends playing on the ultimate playground complete with a two story slide, giant boulders to climb, real bow and arrows for my archery lover, a human game of foosball, and, the highlight- a zip line!

Bull's eye! Well, close enough.

Zzzzipity-doo-dah....




(So much for being the "cautious child"...next he wants to skydive!)

Even the parents got to get in on the fun! And with some coaxing, Garrett was able to once again conquer his fear of heights! Either that or the kid really will do ANYthing for Legos.

Putting on a brave face...

Oh, yeah! He's the man...what's next?

Although this year's trip didn't involve us camping out, something tells me it won't be long before we find ourselves pitching a tent there....

Anyone involved in Scouts can tell you that there is a lot of camping involved. In an effort to seek out another (lower key) campground close to home we made an outing to Dos Picos Park in Ramona to check things out. In addition to a small but very nice campground, pond and surrounding hills and trails, they have a beautiful park for the kids, which, coincidentally, also had a (MUCH smaller) zip line. It was a picture perfect fall day, so I couldn't resist- you guessed it- taking some pictures.

Ella in a rare moment of sitting still...for two seconds.

Because this child doesn't WALK anywhere...she runs!

Happy Trails!

Garrett: 21 Months Post-Surgery

So here is the latest (and hopefully last) post on Garrett's health issues stemming from his urinary reflux. After a marathon day of testing at UCLA- which Garrett took like a REAL champ- we finally have some answers.

The tests confirmed that he still has Grade II reflux in his left ureter, but that there is no hydronephrosis (or pressure being applied to the kidney from the back up of urine, which would create a greater potential for scarring and infection). We also confirmed that his left kidney function is still around 16%. It showed there was some growth in his healthy kidney (as expected as his body grows as a whole), but his left kidney measured slightly smaller than last time. Although we were hoping for some growth in his left kidney- having reduced the reflux- we now know that there is not much potential for his damaged kidney. As bad as that sounds, it's not necessarily bad news...and it provides us with a path.

The doctor's opinion was that as long as Garrett remains infection and symptom-free and does not develop hypertension (the kidneys produce an enzyme that helps regulate blood pressure), there is no need to remove his damaged left kidney. (Big sigh of relief!) Of course there are no guarantees, but we'll take it for now. The risks are minimal to his healthy kidney since he does not have reflux on that side and we will have to monitor him with ultrasounds (SO much better than VCUG's which require being catheterized) and blood pressure checks, but he is otherwise able to live a normal and healthy life! Hallelujah!

So while tackle football and motorcross racing are out, Garrett is especially excited about not having to endure the long and painful trips to UCLA. On the positive side, he is eager to revisit the campus again in future....when he's a student there and not a patient. Go Bruins?

The DC Adventure 2010

The opportunity to travel to Washington DC and Virginia recently came about as Brian was asked to stand up for a childhood friend at his wedding. And while the timing wasn't great (it is still fall tax season), we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring the older boys- and Brian- across the country and give them a chance to see some of our country's history first hand.

UP, UP AND AWAY
The adventure started in San Diego, however, since it was the boys' first time on an airplane. Blake was excited, as we expected, but Garrett...not so much. He insists he's afraid of heights (not sure where that comes from), but the good news is that he had plenty of time to get used to flying. It took three separate flights and one plane change to get from San Diego to DC and now he's a traveling pro. And no fighting over the window seat!

(This actually is a picture of our plane that Grandpa took upon our return)

RECALCULATING...
The DC portion of our trip (notice I use the word "trip" and not "vacation" since there is one distinct differentiating factor- kids) started with us picking up our rental car. Brian and the boys were giddy with excitement about driving something "cool". After declining the fully loaded Jeep Commander due to the overpowering stench of smoke mixed with WAY too much pungent air freshener, we settled with a Ford Flex. Something fun and different.

After that slight setback we were on the road. Just not the right road. We had the forethought to bring along a GPS for our trip. It was a great idea, but an even better one would have been to clear all the settings, but it only took us a couple days of getting lost to realize this. We quickly discovered, however, that it was no match for the tangled web of freeways, highways and surface streets that intertwine throughout the DC/Virginia area. Tired and weary from traveling, Brian and I were not exactly humored by the frustration of driving in circles and passing our destination...several times. (One of our first discoveries about DC was that just because you can SEE it doesn't mean it's easy to get to.) The boys, however, were thoroughly entertained by the GPS voice who, very calmly and kindly informed us in her British accent that she was "recalculating" due to a wrong turn...over and over again. It gets old, trust me. From that point on, any moments of being lost or going the wrong way were easily explained by our "recalculating". At least we were creating memories.

PIZZA PARTY
Due to extensive "recalculating", by the time we got to our hotel it was approaching 11pm and we hadn't had dinner. Of course the logical solution- since there was NO way we were getting in the car to drive anywhere- was to order pizza and have an in-room pizza party. It was a perfect way to end a long first day of our DC adventure.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
The boys experienced their first taxi ride followed by a train ride on the Metro. It was fun to see the amazement on their faces as we descended into the tunnels and saw the illuminated train tracks. As we boarded the Metro and grabbed a pole, it wasn't long before the boys experienced the learning curve of having to hold on (which doesn't lend itself well to swinging on the poles).

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY...
We knew there was a chance of rain, we even knew there was a low pressure storm. I brought a hooded jacket just in case. We were expecting light showers...not a tropical storm. Needless to say, our first ridiculously expensive souvenir purchases were two (then later a third) overpriced umbrellas. We were armed and ready for our adventure but then....

...as we excitedly made our way to the Smithsonian, we were greeted by a downpour of rain like I've never seen before. DC got the same amount of rain in this particular day that we get ALL SEASON LONG in San Diego. And we were happy to have the umbrellas...but they were no match for the gusts of wind that effortlessly blew them inside out. So we embraced the rain as part of our adventure and made our way to the museum anyway.

SEEING THE SIGHTS
We spent most of our morning at the National Museum of Natural History. We checked out the dinosaur exhibit and spent time a lot of time looking at rocks, minerals, volcanoes and gems. The boys seemed to enjoy it, but I don't think there were able to truly appreciate how spectacular the things they were seeing really were- like the Hope Diamond. I'm pretty sure we spent an equal amount of time shopping in gift stores for souvenirs as we did seeing exhibits (no doubt that Garrett was REALLY hoping ONE of them sold Legos). No such luck.

This one's for Chase, whose favorite dinosaur is a ta-ta-tops (Triceratops).

The volcano simulator was a highlight for my want-to-be geologist.

After making our way through the museum, we headed for the Capitol. Once again in the pouring rain.

Another example of the enormity of the statues.

We had scheduled a tour of the Capitol through our congressman and arrived in plenty of time....at the Capitol (which, after checking our paperwork, we realized was NOT the meeting place for the tour...recalculating). As we made our way across the back of the Capitol I was humored by the line of idling black SUV's and Cadillacs- I thought that was just in the movies!

And it's not everyday that you see men with machine guns standing guard. I've never been through so much security in my life (four times over of emptying kids' pockets, taking off belts and jackets, our new umbrellas, phones, cameras, etc) but it was for our own safety, too. Brian and I found the guided tour of the Capitol pretty interesting...but the boys were quickly growing tired of being told to be quiet, not run and not to touch anything. They hung in there, though, and hopefully came away with a little more knowledge about the beginnings of our different branches of government.

Garrett looking up at the rotunda of the Capitol building...

...and this is what he was looking at. The architecture alone is mind-blowing.

This starburst marks the point from which all of DC is centered. In every imaginable direction.

We braved the rain once again to make our way from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and the Mall. It was during this journey that Garrett pointed out that the top of the monument looks like the face of a gorilla- the two windows being the nostrils and the blinking red lights being the eyes. Once you see it, it's impossible not to; I will never look at it the same again.

One breathtaking moment was standing at the base of the monument and seeing the 360 degree view of some of our country's most historically significant and powerful landmarks: the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument towering above and disappearing in to the sky, and part of the White House. So much history there...

Garrett was most excited to see the Lincoln Memorial (although by this time we walked all day in wet shoes, socks and clothes and the excitement was waning quickly). One of the other things I noticed about DC (in addition to everything being deceptively far away) was that, conversely, everything up close was much larger and more grandiose than I had ever imagined...no coincidence I'm sure due to the powerful historical nature of what you see. It's hard to not be mesmerized by such extraordinary examples of GOOD and POSITIVE. We took a few moments on the stairs to "reflect" on our adventure and what history we could with two tired little boys.

Blake taking it in.

So many kind strangers offered to take family photos of us.

As we exited, we made our way past the Vietnam Wall Memorial. There is something so personal and tangible and so profoundly humbling about seeing the actual names of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

From there, we walked a few extra blocks (unbeknownst to the the boys who were begging to go back to the hotel) to stand at the White House fence and see it with our own eyes.

Unfortunately the boys were too exhausted to appreciate it as evidenced by Garrett's Lego withdrawls and Blake's tired-induced trance where he would wander off and voices calling him back didn't seem to register. The logical solution was to catch a taxi to the Metro but there was one problem...being taxi novices we were hesitant to flag one down because there was NO bike lane, NO emergency lane and NO WHERE for a taxi to pull over to stop- which means we would have to hop in mid-street and mid-traffic...all four of us. I asked the first person we saw- which Brian later informed me was Secret Service- about hailing a cab and it turns out that's how they roll. So we hailed ourselves a taxi back to the Metro and ate dinner at Five Guys (the East coast version of In-N-Out). At dinner I took a few minutes to update my running list of the things we did and saw so that I didn't forget anything and upon seeing my list Garrett remarked, "...you should add 'going to the store to get Lego's' next". Suffice it to say that despite hitting up every gift store we could find, there was not a Lego in sight.

THE DC/VIRGINIA ADVENTURE CONTINUES
On our way out of the city the next morning, we stopped to see Iwo Jima. What struck me most about Iwo Jima is that like most of the statues and monuments in DC, the statue is enormous. You can see that life-size people pale in comparison as the Marines prepare to change out the flag.

It's located in a beautiful park with breathtaking views through the fall trees of the Potomac, the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial in the distance.

And as we meandered around the memorial is was impossible not to hear the lone crow cawing over the hum of distant traffic. But it was Garrett who identified it, perched atop the flagpole, and suggested that the bird was saying its Pledge of Allegiance. Leave it to Garrett and his unique perspective of the world to find something so obscure yet so obvious.

THE WONDER OF WASHINGTON
The man, not the city. One of the highlights for me was touring Mt. Vernon- the estate of George Washington.

Garrett gave himself the abbreviated tour in hopes that he could avoid the actual one...

We opted for the National Treasure Tour (based on the movie) which we were hoping would make it a little more relevant to the boys who were becoming less and less interested in sightseeing. Wishful thinking.

Here is the entrance to the basement, which was part of the movie. We did tour the basement, but pictures weren't allowed. Still, it was fascinating to see the architecture from the inside out. Come to find out, however, that there is no "secret tunnel". At least none that we got to tour.

We did, however, see the ice house, which in the movie served as access to the tunnel.

George Washington was a fascinating and brilliant man in his own right and his estate only amplifies that. It's hard to comprehend walking in his footsteps and seeing what he saw. Brian and I walked away with the sense that while life was unquestionably harder in so many ways, it is ironic that in other ways life seemed so simple, free of modern day inundation of technology and information and people were forced to act with intention...and kids depended on their imaginations and home-made toys to occupy their attention. We could learn a lot from history, if not that.

It turns out that George Washington didn't have any kids of his own, but cared for his wife's grandchildren from her first marriage whose own parents succumbed to disease- commonplace in those times.

NEXT STOP: LEESBURGE, VA
After Mt. Vernon, we found our way to and settled in to our next hotel in the suburbs of Virginia as Brian dashed off to attend the rehearsal dinner. The boys and I had dinner in the hotel restaurant...which was an adventure in and of itself. Let's just say fine dining and kids don't go together. Especially tired kids. And a tired mom. It involved a table cloth, water served in goblets and no kids menu. Let's just leave it at that.

B.W. (Before the Wedding)
After recalculating several more times to find a place to eat breakfast the next morning (I was far too exhausted to repeat our fine dining experience), we were off to take care of some groomsman details. Like picking up the tux...in the CORRECT size. Little did we know that this would produce 20 minutes of non-stop, strut-your-best-moves dancing in the 5-way mirrors at Men's Warehouse for the boys. Fortunately, they were nice enough to humor us and the boys had a blast working off two days of constant walking or sitting and being told to settle down. They needed that.

The day got only better for me as Brian and the boys dropped me off for a birthday massage while they shopped the local Wegman's. I've never seen anything like this store..it's a grocery store/food court/coffee shop with a band/farmer's market on steroids- and that was just the first floor! I guess that's what they do in the winter when spending time outside isn't really an option. I have to say, I am quite taken with Virginia...it's just so quaint, with expansive rolling hills and patches of tall, dense trees, surprise springs and streams, and charming architecture. And not one billboard along the highway, not one. You just feel like you can really breathe.

On the way to the wedding, I tried to enjoy the scenic countryside where wineries, farms and fields lined the street...but for the whining and complaining coming from the back seat. After several days of asking nicely, politely reminding and then demanding that they stop, I had to resort to more drastic measures...something that would mean something to them. So I charged a nickel for every complaint and every whine I heard. After surrendering his prized half dollar and new addition to his coin collection, Garrett got the picture. I may have to permanently adopt this new policy (and yes, I did give it back to him the next day).

MAKE THAT TWO- ONE FOR MY FRIEND
The wedding was at a hilltop vineyard at sunset and was absolutely beautiful.

The boys even sat through (most of) it quietly. And despite being disgruntled about having to eat gourmet food, they couldn't wait for the dancing to begin. It didn't take long for them to find the only other little kid at the wedding- a 5yr old girl named Samantha. The three of them vacillated between an intense game of tag and trying to out-dance each other.

Garrett was smitten. Having worked up quite a sweat dancing outside (despite temperatures in the 50's) Garrett asked for some water to quench his thirst. As I went inside to get it he quickly followed me yelling, "make it two- one for my friend!". Then they sat side by side on the step, Garrett offering Samantha a blanket for warmth, and sipped their waters. For about a minute, then back to dancing.

Needless to say, they had a blast. And Garrett claims to have a new girlfriend. I think it might actually be a good thing that they live across the country, since I'm just not ready for that stage yet.

But hopefully one day he'll be as lucky as we are.

ODDS AND ENDS
We had a great time on the trip, despite not finding the time to see everything we had hoped (and spending enough time absorbing and digesting the things we did see). The good news is that we have plenty to see the next time.

And all was not lost on the boys. Garrett came to the conclusion all on his own that George Washington is the only president on two currencies...and that Benjamin Franklin is one of the only people on printed money who never was a president. Pretty perceptive. And Blake recalled a story he learned in school about George Washington and how his love of dogs may have ultimately helped in getting his adversaries to surrender.

AND...BACK TO REALITY
Life didn't skip a beat upon our return home. There was the post-trip unpacking and umpteen loads of laundry, 5am "mama" wake up calls, backpacks to pack for school and the waking up to kid vomit (from a kid who was SO tired that he didn't even wake up when it happened). And consequently more laundry. A HUGE thanks to Renee for being the pseudo-mom to the twins while the rest of us were traveling. It's a big job and she really is the next-best thing to a mom to our kids. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! And, now we've made our own history....since we'll always have DC.