finished first leg of our tour

Here it is Monday morning and our time in Arlington is winding down. While there is low energy from the late nights and early mornings, there is still a flutter of activity, Eli working on the rain forest puzzle, Sarah and Eva wrapping gifts for Shu Shu, Art lying on the small sofa, having just read yet another book to Eli. It's a lovely morning here, crisp in the shade warm in the sun, I just came in from sitting on the front porch listening to and watching the trees blowing in the breeze, all some-kinda-of-beautiful. Sam is off to Pokemon Camp, Jacqui, old au pair, to her final plans before returning to Germany tonight and Miriam, new au pair, dizzily driving with Penelope around her new homeland for the next 18 months, Bob jogging across the bridge to work, we've all found our rhythm together. We've had a full visit in a full house. We arrived the night Bob returned from Ethiopia, the new au pair from Germany and the old au pair full of good-bye plans. There's not a spot in the house untouched by a sleeping Bender. Yesterday was operation Good-bye Jacqui, centered around baking, cooking, cleaning, preparing for an au pair BBQ. The spread of food was an eye-full and the results a belly-full. I'm sticking to tea for most of the day after such a feast.

Saturday we headed to D.C. and were able to eek out a full-filling visit with the Simpson-Bonney clan amongst the hoards of cost-conscious vacationers, like us, visiting the free museums on the Mall. Our first hugs were with raindrops dripping down our necks but found shelter amongst the dinosaurs, gems, butterflies and sea creatures in the Natural History Museum, Jack's interested driving us forward. As soon as the adults started feeling agoraphobic we were saved by the children's empty belly's. Our soggy attitudes were warmed right up by our primo dining under the umbrellas of the pavilion in the sculpture garden. The food was tasty but merely fuel to get the children up dancing to the blaring Cuban salsa music and a raucous game of Monster. Granted every child emerged from the game wet from head-to-toe and a little muddy but with beaming smiles. The sun came out for the rest of the hot, humid D.C. day. Anna joined us at the Air and Space Museum, carousel, and American History Museum. She is taking D.C. by storm herself. Working at Booz Allen this summer seems to suit her and is entertaining thoughts of working here after graduation. A satisfying picture of the day was Anna holding her two little cousins hands, they would have followed her anywhere she wanted to lead them. After good-bye at the Metro, our family journeyed on to meet up again with the clan at their hotel. We decided to move on for dinner and drinks after being asked to keep it down by a friendly security guard, my guess, someone wanted to nap below us. Yummy Indian food and tasty fruity drinks were a reward for a day well lived. I'd have paid a bundle to be transported to Arlington via a magic carpet but alas, it was the Metro for us.

I'm ready to head south now.

Photos to come when I have access to wireless - tomorrow maybe