Washington - Day 6

Days like today make me feel fortunate to be a mother. Children, you understand, go through life seeing things just a little differently. They also, at times, have absolutely no awareness of their surroundings or the importance of decorum and behavior. This, while an annoying trait, can make life on vacation just a little more colorful than normal.

Today was the day that we visited the White House.

Before we get to all that (our White House appointment wasn't until the afternoon), we spent the morning enjoying a short walk down Embassy Row in search of the Woodrow Wilson home. Mr. Wilson, as we had already learned, is the only President buried in the National Cathedral. He is credited with many things.....like allowing sheep to graze on the white house lawn and establishing the observance of Mother's Day....but is also famous for winning the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his peace making efforts.

He was the 28th President of the United States which meant that he was President in 1913 - 1921. He was the son of a Presbyterian minister, served as President of Princeton University and remains the only president to have earned a Ph.D. Most people will remember him as the man in power when the United States entered and fought in World War I.

His home is wonderfully preserved and remains much the same as it did when the Wilson's (Woodrow and his second wife, Edith) lived there until Edith's death in the 60s. The website is excellent and educational. There is a tour preview page with great pictures of the things that we saw while touring the home.

What we most loved about this home is just that - it's a home. From the moment that we sat watching the preview video in Mr. Wilson's personal secretary's office, to peeking into his closet (where the infamous fur coat he wore while reviewing the World War I troups with General Pershing hung - cool), to checking out the steamer trunks in the huge hallway closet the place was just as he and his wife Edith left it. It was homey, it was comfortable, and it was fascinating.

The boys were completely fascinated with the ice box in the kitchen. "I've seen one before, but it wasn't this fancy!" remarked Sam as the Hicks clan gathered around the original label stuck to the door showing you how to load the ice and hook up the drain. I loved Mr. Wilson's library and study which looked out into the back yard and gardens - books, books and more books. Ross' favorite item was in this room as well - sequestered in the corner was Woodrow's very own movie projector. Apparently one of his favorite things to do was to invite people over for lunch and show movies. Woodrow was an intellectual, somewhat introverted, a little awkward, intense and definately intriguing. This tour was a highlight of our week.

After this great start to the day, we grabbed a bite to eat in the Dupont Circle area and headed to the White House for our tour. We made sure to arrive early -- getting this appointment was an achievement close in scale to winning an Acadamy Award. The last time I visited the White House was pre-September 11. I was snowed in and had an extra Sunday while waiting on my rescheduled flight. So, on a whim, I popped into a short line, walked in with my camera and handbag and toured nearly by myself.

Post 9/11, we had to submit everything but a blood sample about 3 months prior to our visit (they recommend earlier if you want to see it during cherry blossom season). We received a timed appointment, were told to show up no later than 15 minutes beforehand with picture IDs and NOTHING ELSE - no camera's, no bags, no NOTHING -- and even then we had to walk through a metal detector. The tour was still self-guided, but this time there were secret service agents in every room to answer questions and point out things of interest.

Now, this particular information got the boys really excited. The idea of being able to be in breathing distance to actual, factual secret service agents? Too thrilling to be talked about in mere words. Reality, however, fell a little short of their expectations.

First of all, when I pointed out one of the secret service agents to Isaac, his immediate, unimpressed response was, "that's just a cop." Translation: "Mom, I can't believe you are so dumb." His obvious superior knowledge was based on the fact that the agents were dressed in black pants and white, short sleeved shirts instead of black suits, sunglasses and cool communication gear.

Sam must have been expecting to be self-guided into the depths of the cool parts of the house and was quite deflated when we reached the front foyer. "That's it?!" he said in disbelief before we popped out the front door. Apparently seeing the hallway the President walks down prior to his speeches on TV, and the cool photos of the President's hanging out with famous people were not impressive enough to warrent the time.

And so, it was also here, and directly in front of what I'm sure was an amused, casually dressed secret service agent, that we experienced the joy of having children who are incredibly comfortable in their surroundings -- in this case, our nation's very own dining room.

You see, most people visiting the white house (including the group of high school field trippers who were going through at the same time we were) are checking out the style of decoration in the different rooms, admiring the custom made furniture, or going on an eagle "scavenger hunt." Instead, while standing in the west dining room and waiting for their parents to "catch up," our boys chose to entertain themselves in a different way.

"Sam," said Isaac. "I bet that I can lift you up using just my knee."

"I'd like to see you try," said Sam.

"OK," said Isaac, undaunted. "Spread your legs a little."

Sam spread his legs. Hardly believing his good fortune at how well this was going, Isaac quickly lifted his knee in an attempt to deal his brother a painful blow. At the last second, Sam caught on and jumped about two feet in the air narrowly escaping a debilitating incident.

"See?" giggled Isaac. "It worked."

We're so proud.

Pressing our luck, we left the White House and hopped back on the Metro for a short trip to Arlington Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These boys needed to see some pomp and circumstance.

On the way to the tomb, we stopped by the grave of President Kennedy, breezed through the "in the process of restoration" Robert E. Lee home where Isaac got a little grief from the rangers about his mohawk, and got to the tomb about 10 minutes before the next guard change. We manuvered ourselves on the front step next to the rope and waited.

The boys had a few whispered questions, but this time, they conducted themselves with poise and dignity. The replacement guard and his superior came out of the waiting room, performed the ceremony and disappeared around the corner. "That was cool," whispered Sam in awe. Mission accomplished.

After that, we went back to the apartment for egg sandwiches, a little TV and an early bedtime. Another great day.

Washington - Day 5

One of the great things that your Senator or Congressman's office does for you is to give you a semi-private tour of the Capital building. Nothing makes you more grateful for this than watching a loooooong line of tourists with headsets heading en masse up an escalator from the visitor's center. Instead, you get to walk slowly through the Capital in a group of 10 or so people from your home state with an intern -- a college student who is usually majoring in some form of political science or national policy and who is just excited about being there as you are about touring.

Devon and Jara were our interns for the day. Devon was a young man from Olathe, a junior in political science at Yale. Jara was from Nebraska but had served on the horse and livestock judging teams the previous few years at Kansas State University. Jara ended up knowing Meg Drake -- a local from Winfield who is also on the horse judging team. Small world.

Because the senate office buildings were very close to our apartment, we walked through the Hart Building, waved "hello" to Senator Roberts office on the first floor and then went downstairs to the tunnel that connects the Hart Building to the Russell Building - which is where we found the offices of Jerry Moran. We were early, so we walked on in and hung out in the office chatting with Devon and Joshua (the office assistant) while waiting on the other family who were touring that day.

On the way to the office, we noticed increased levels of secret service posted throughout the Capital complex area. In the Senator's office, we discovered why. On the TV, the MSN reporters were stationed outside the Pentagon where apparently a suspicious car had been found with a bomb inside. The streets around the pentagon were gridlocked and the office staff were paying close attention to the news coverage. I think this is the first time the boys understood what mom and dad meant by saying that this trip would make watching news channels on tv a little more interesting.

The capital tour was great and Devon did a super job of pointing out things like bullet holes throughout the capital for the boys. He also talked about the statues. Each state in the union gets to have two statues in the National Statuary Collection located inside the building. One of our statues is Dwight Eisenhower who is prominently displayed next to Ronald Reagan in the Capital rotunda. Cool. The second statue is John James Ingalls. "Who??" you may ask. And everyone from Kansas would say, "Exactly." Apparently, John was a supporter of Kansas and instrumental to Kansas becoming a state....the only problem is, nobody knows who he is. So, in August of 2010, the Kansas legislature voted to replace John with the very well known Amelia Earhart. She will become the tenth woman honored by having a statue in the collection. People are discussing the design for it as we speak.

The other cool part of the tour was the old House chamber where there is a plaque noting the location of John Quincy Adams' desk. Approximately 40 feet away on the other side of the room is another plaque where the leader of the Democratic party would hold meetings to discuss policy and opinions with his colleagues during debates. Unbeknownst to this group and due to the strange accoustics in the room, everything that is said in this area can be clearly heard in the spot where Republican John Adams sat. John would pretend to sleep while listening to everything his opposition was saying. Devon gave us a demonstration. It was awesome.

The Senate gallery was closed for the day, so we spent extra time in the House gallery checking out the room and hearing details about the various elements from Devon. From there, we took the tram back to the senate building and popped back down to the basement to eat dinner in the senate cafeteria. It was a great meal and much less expensive than the Smithsonian cafeteria from the day before. A good place to make a stop if you are nearby.

After that, we walked across the street to Union Station and hopped the Metro for the Ford's Theater. We got out at the Metro Center station and walked past the FBI building to the theater. The boys were thrilled with the idea of walking by this building and we actually saw some real life "men in black" coming out of it as we passed. Things were hopping in the Metro and around the building due to the bomb scare earlier in the day. We had some fun pondering where the guy was that they had just caught.

We got our tickets for the Ford Theater ranger presentation and spent a few moments wandering through the exhibit prior to the ranger talk. The exhibit is great (has the gun that shot Lincoln displayed, an area displaying the Confederate conspirators as well as pictures of the Lincoln family and some of Mrs. Lincoln's china). If you have younger folks with you, spend the extra few dollars it takes to get the audio tour. Sam remarked that one of the sections of the audio tour was pretty graphic, so of course we all dialed in the number and listened. It was a description of how the bullet that killed Lincoln traveled through his body and where it eventually lodged. If you have boys along, this is the stuff of legend.

We then went into the theater where the ranger did a terrific job of describing the events of the evening and the political climate that led to Lincoln's shooting. I never tire of hearing this presentation. It's amazing to relive this portion of history. Hearing it within the context of the actual building where it took place makes the history come alive. Great experience.

It was here that Isaac bought the souvenier that would bring joy to nearly everyone that we passed for the remainder of the trip. In the gift shop, he bought and then proceeded to wear a genuine Abraham Lincoln hat. Although Isaac and his freckles looked great, we all agreed that the person in our family that looked most like Lincoln with it on, was Ross.

From there, we returned to the American History museum to eat dinner in the cafeteria, finish looking through the Price of Freedom museum that we got kicked out of the day before, and then headed to the World War II memorial for an evening ranger led tour of the WWII, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Korean and Vietnam war memorials.

If you are in DC, and you have the time and inclination, touring these memorials as part of a ranger led tour is interesting. We were led by two rangers, one a student of 20th century war history and the second an expert on the construction of the memorials themselves. These two spent a little over two hours walking us through the wars and timeframe that these memorials represented and how each one was connected.

The boys remained interested throughout the entire tour, so I would say that the rangers did their job. The Korean Memorial remains my favorite - to get the full effect this one must be seen at night when the shadows of the soldiers cast their reflection in the wall behind them -- but each one is impressive in its own right. We ended the evening beside the Vietnam memorial and then headed across the street to check out the evening view from the Lincoln Memorial. The boys were excited about visiting this one and enjoyed our quick jaunt through Abe's house.

After that, it was back to the Smithsonian Metro station and the apartment. Another adventure filled, good day in DC.

Washington - Day 4

After walking the entire city of DC yesterday, we took advantage of the fact that no one around here does anything before 9:30 and slept in. Today was Smithsonian Day.

We finally headed out of the apartment around 10:30 and took the metro to the Penn Quarter area for an early lunch on Constitution Avenue. We ate at a local deli which sold its food by the pound. It was perfect for our picky crew. Everyone got what they wanted and mom was happy because some of it even contained fruits and vegetables. While we ate we enjoyed watching kids play at a nearby daycare and we saw someone important drive by in a full-on police and secret service escorted van. Very exciting.

After lunch, we went to the National Archives by way of the navy memorial for our timed entry ticket. If you don't want to spend your vacation standing in line, go online and order tickets for the National Archives. It will cost you a nominal handling fee, but it is definately worth it. We went directly through the scheduled tour door and waited about 2 minutes for the guards to break the line so we could get in.

The folks at the Archives have really beefed up their exhibit since the last time Ross and I were there. The rotunda exhibit of the original constitution, declaration of independence and bill of rights is still a frustrating experience in human behavior. But, the other exhibits were cool -- if you can use that word to describe exhibits of letters, documents and ledgers.

The boys enjoyed the interactive, computer screens that showed tantalizing snippets of the records the government keeps from congressional inquiries into UFOs, the cold war, and watergate. There was also a fun exhibit on geneology which included a "Guess Who?" feature showing the baby pictures of some of the more recent President's and their wives. We enjoyed ourselves more than we thought we would.

After we were finished, we walked the short distance to the Smithsonian for the rest of the day. We hung out first at the Museum of Natural History. After a brief trip through the mammal exhibit -- Denver's is better -- we went upstairs to the insect zoo which was pretty cool. A docent was there surrounded by a bunch of field trippers. She was letting the kids hold things like Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and big green fuzzy caterpillers. Awesome.

Another cool exhibit is called Written in Bone -- a visual walk through what a person's bones say about what people eat and how they died. Mom wanted to take a peak at the Hope Diamond's new setting by Harry Winston. And then, surprise of all surprises, son Sam wanted to take a close, personal look at the national gem collection -- a fact that delighted his mother but not his dad and little bro. Sam and I wandered slowly with the crowd examining all of the jewels on display. The kid has always been fascinated by rocks. We finished the rest of the geology exhibit and rubbed the Mars rock on the way out.

After a quick jaunt by the T-Rex, the whale and the elephant, we headed back out the door and went down the street to the Museum of American History. We were hungry so we ate an exhorbantly priced meal downstairs in the Stars & Stripes Cafe. The good news was that at 3:00 p.m., the place is nearly empty and very quiet. It was nice.

After that, we wandered upstairs through an exhibit about pop-up books and another exhibit called "Within These Walls." The curators had taken the bones of an actual house, stripped them bare and reconstructed the history of the three families who had occupied the home through time. They also showed how the house looked at each stage.

After that it was upstairs to "The American Presidency" exhibit where the boys tried their hand behind the Presidential podium. Isaac also finally got to see Abraham Lincoln's hat which was on display. We breezed through the Treasurers of Popular Culture where none other than Michael Jackson's glove and Dorothy's red slippers were prominently displayed. We breezed through "America on the Move" stopping for a brief time to see the maritime exhibit. And then we capped off the day at "The Price of Freedom" which is an excellent display on the effects of war.

We were right in the middle of a family contest on who was the best Rosy the Riviter when the guards came and kicked us out of the museum early. We're not sure why, all we are sure of was that we were kicked out just in time for a fun little rain shower. We ran to the center of the mall where a large white tent was set up and sheltering several fellow travelers who were in the same situation. When the rain lightened up, we headed for the metro and our apartment on Capital Hill.

We spent the night hanging out in the basement and kicking back after another long, interesting day.

Washington - Day 3

Today we walked a looooooooooooooooong time.

We started the day fairly early as we had 9:00 a.m. tour at the National Cathedral. It was a 45 minute "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" experience to get there...but...it was worth it. The huge, gothic structure on the top of the hill was massive, impressive and awe inspiring. Is is, for those of you who don't know, the 6th largest Cathedral in the World and the second in the United States. We were also extremely grateful to Jeanette for getting us a Congressional tour. Fewer people meant getting up closer to the guide and information, and seeing things that aren't included on the normal tour.

The guide, an older gentleman who walked with a cane, led us through some interesting stories about the architecture of the gothic style, its four basic elements and why things were built the way they are. His speech kept the attention of even our boys -- which is an amazing feat indeed.

The windows in this church are stunning -- Sam loved the airforce window with its depiction of flight and a replica of the Airforce Chapel in Colorado. Isaac liked the moon window - a modern looking depiction of the Neil Armstrong moon landing with an actual moon rock positioned in the center of the moon in the window. Mom enjoyed the creation rose above the Nave -- a chaotic mixture of red, blue, and orange stained glass framing a single piece of white glass in the center. Dad liked the slightly more traditional style of the windows in the Bethlehem Chapel in the basement which were made overseas in England and shipped here to install. He also really liked the pulpit which was engraved in England and given to the National Church by the mother church in England. I think my husband is turning into an Anglophile.

We paid our respects to several folks buried in the church. The first was Woodrow Wilson -- designated the father of peace and the only President to be buried in the Cathedral. Second was the first Bishop who is buried behind the alter of the Bethlehem Chapel -- apparently tradition dictates that the first bishop is to be buried behind the first alter in the church. To this man, I must give a respectful nod. It was his decision not to borrow money while building the church. So, they only built when they had money to build. Consequently, the church's construction took from 1907 to the time it was completed and consecrated in 1990 -- a total of 83 years. The $65 million dollar purchase price was accomplished completely through private donations and debt free. We can all learn from this example.

The cool thing about the church taking this long is that there is a lot of recent popular culture built into the structure. One of the best is that one of the grotesques on the outside of the chapel is the helmet of Darth Vader. (A grotesque is the larger, more inclusive class of items that count gargoyles amoung their membership. The only difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque is the presence of a downspout in a gargoyle. Both, however, serve the purpose of keeping rain water away from the building.) We, OF COURSE, asked about this particular feature and were promptly walked to the viewing point by one of the younger (man in his 50s) chapel guides. Proof that the church does have a sense of humor.

In one of the basement chapels, we learned that the cremated remains of both Helen Keller and her tutor Anne Sullivan were held. At this point in the tour, one of the teenagers in the crowd asked about what looked like trapped doors in the floor of the chapel and the floor of other chapels we had seen. The guide then explained that this is where people buried in caskets are laid to rest. Eyes wide, Isaac perked up at about this point, "You mean we've been walking on dead people down here?" At least I know he was listening.

The church is beautiful and definately worth the pain in getting there. We picked up our family Christmas ornament in the gift shop and wandered through the Bishop garden and Olmstead Woods hiking trail on the church property to get back. On the trail we encountered a large sprinkler blocking our way which took some problem solving and feats of bravery to pass. Our antics (which were thankfully covered by a thick stand of old growth trees) reminded me of the timing and finesse required by the reality show "Wipe Out." We had some fun in the forest -- hopefully there weren't cameras.

After the Cathedral, we went to the International Spy Museum. From the moment we arrived, we were enveloped into DC spy culture. The motto of this museum is "things are never as they seem." You begin your tour by riding an elevator to a room where you acquire a secret identity and "legend" (facts about your person) that you are given 5 minutes to commit to memory. Then, you are encouraged to "live your cover" throughout the museum where you are periodically questioned by electronic guards to see how well you can avoid detection and complete your mission.

I was Carol Liu, a 42 year old architect from Santa Monica, California. I was in Volgogard, Russia to visit a museum where my orders were to meet Oksana (something) who was working as a museum information desk. She would deliver to me a visitor's guide that contained a series of microdots (tiny pictures containing important information) that I was to bring back to the United States and deliver to my employers. Even though my mission was successful, I did forget one piece of information and aroused a bit of suspicion from the border guard. I was recommended for further training.

The exhibits in this museum were fun to look at. We squandered 3 hours away just looking at everything. Though they will never admit it publicly, this one thoroughly entertained the boys. So much so that Ross and I were able to slowly meander through the museum and actually read something about the history of spying, and about how spies and misinformation were used during both World Wars as well as the Cold War.

The gift store, as you can imagine, was full of interesting items and books. A full line of James Bond paraphernailia was located within and the best news was -- all of it is available for shipping directly to your home from online. Christmas gifts anyone?

It was here, that Isaac made a decision which would prove to be fateful later in our journey. He found a cool comb dressed up to look just like a switchblade. He stared at it for all of 5 minutes before deciding he just had to have it. Ross' eyebrows immediately went to the ceiling. Catching the cue, I walked up to Isaac who was standing in the checkout line. "Before you lay down $10 on that comb," I whispered low into his ear, "you might want to think about whether or not you can get that through airport security."

It is a widely recognized fact that most boys do not listen to reason when it comes between them and something they would really like to have. It is also a family rule that the boys are allowed to purchase whatever they desire (within reason) using their designated souvenier cash. Isaac was not interested in listening to options for purchase that would involve lengthy timeframes between him and the use of that comb. So, despite the nonverbal and verbal warnings, he bought it. Stay tuned.

After this we breezed through the National Portrait Gallery exhibit of American Presidents across the street and headed for dinner at the food court of the Reagan Building. We hit this place right on time and were finishing up just as some junior high on a field trip entered the area. Disaster narrowly averted!

Following dinner we walked down to the Mall and meandered through the Jefferson and Franklin Delanor Roosevelt memorials. We also stopped to look at the nearly complete Martin Luther King memorial to be dedicated in August. After that, we headed home and fell -- literally -- into bed. A good, but full day.

Washington - Day 2

After a comfortable evening we woke the boys up to the smell of bacon, eggs and coffee. We fueled up and got ready to hit the streets on the first day out in the big city. Isaac and I wandered outside while we were waiting on Ross and Sam to finish getting ready and officially met the third member of Joe & Sandy's house - Hudson. Hudson is a male Husky with a mild, regal manner. Joe was sitting on the porch reading the paper when we emerged and Hudson was enjoying the view. Gotta love dogs.

When we were ready, we struck out for the capital. Joe and Sandy's home is about five blocks due east of the Supreme Court building. We snuck between the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, skirted the capital (feeling very underdressed for a Tuesday morning), and fought the throngs of kids in matching shirts who were obviously on their final week of school field trip -- Joe informed us that school around here gets out on Friday.

About 30 minutes after we started, we arrived at the Smithsonian Castle wherein lies Mr. Smithson -- the man who founded the Smithsonian -- an orientation video, and an encased miniature of the entire downtown area. The castle is also the only building open earlier than 10:00 a.m.

After a brief break, we headed out the back door for a short walk to the Holocaust museum and our reserved tickets. Before I go any further, I should say a big thank you to Jeanette Featherall in Senator Jerry Moran's office for hooking us up with some truly wonderful experiences. The Holocaust museum was the first of those.

I will not add to what has already been said about this museum. It is well presented and powerful. An exhibit targeted at younger children called "Daniel's Story" is located across from the entrance to the permanent exhibit and is very well done. Tickets are not needed for this exhibit and it can be viewed at any time. We picked up our permanent exhibit tickets at the information booth and wandered our way through its three floors.

It is difficult to describe the impact of this museum. Suffice it to say that you will leave feeling frustrated, perhaps a little angry, and definately ready to discuss what you have seen. Currently there is a special exhibition called "State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda" encouraging you to weigh carefully what you read, hear and see in popular culture.

"'Everything is permissible' -- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible' -- but not everything is constructive." I Corinthians 10:23 Wise words from Paul to the Corinthians -- and to us.

On the way back to lunch and the mall, we popped in to the United States Department of Agriculture's Department of Forestry building. Unwittingly, we stepped into a clever display and the "office" of none other than Smokey the Bear. A very fun little side discovery to our day. The exhibit is really geared for children much younger than our boys - but its worth 15-30 minutes if you have a little time.

We grabbed a very quick lunch in the Air and Space museum and then headed to the exhibits. I am now going to show a little stubborn Kansas pride -- you've been warned.

Granted, the museum is wonderful and has many cool things to see. This was the site of the boys' "favorite" of the day -- an interactive flight simulator. The Wright Brother exhibit is excellent (those boys got their mechanical skills from their mother). There was an exhibit on navy carrier planes that was really cool. A special exhibit of 4-5 different military unmanned aerial vehicles was another of Sam's favorite things to see. BUT.

If you have been to Exploration Place in Wichita for the explanation of flight exhibit, and particularly if you have been to the Hutchinson Cosmosphere -- the Smithsonian Air and Space museum feels lacking. We in Kansas need to be very proud of the work the Hutchison folks do to make their exhibits impressive and educational. Take a full or half day in Hutch, you'll fight fewer crowds, learn more and have a great time.

We zipped through Air & Space in about 1.5 hours and then headed to the Hishhorn Museum of modern and contemporary art. This was mom's favorite stop of the day and the boys found the entire bottom floor exhibit ColorForms visually exciting and fun. The guides hanging around in the rooms are fantastic and available to explain how to interact properly with some of the exhibits.

A favorite of the boys was called Milkman's Run which was essentially a completely black room with special lighting that became more apparent and visible as your eyes adjusted to the dark. Round Rainbows was a mesmerizing, suspended, spinning prism that continually changed shape and design on the walls around it. In yet another room was a series of strings that, when you were positioned in the exhibit properly, gave the illusion of a glass hallway.

Cool museum, worth the short time we spent there, and provided quite a bit of dinner table conversation later that evening. The museum store was full of excellent "stuff" and gave the boys their first souvenier of the trip.

After this, we were all very tired. So, it was back to the apartment for a nap before dinner. We spent a little more time on the stoop chatting with Joe, Sandy and Hudson about our day and then headed to Barricks Row to eat excellently prepared pork, chicken and lamb at The Chesapeake Room.

Then, it was back to the apartment again with two boys, full of food, and singing camp renditions of "Bringing Home My Baby Bumblebee" and "Gray Squirrel" all the way home.

The first day was a nice warm up for the rest of the week. Our legs are tired and we retired early for the night. Tomorrow will be an early day.

The Kansas Hicks Go to Washington

The Kansas Hicks Go To Washington. Sounds like a great title to a movie, doesn't it?

Washington DC. is one of my favorite places in the United States. I love that the city planners don't allow buildings higher than the capital. It means that the city doesn't feel like a city at all. I've heard it described as "one big park." And, I agree. All the convenience of a city -- and you can still see the sun when you are downtown. Everytime I go, I wish my family was with me. This year, they will be.

And, for the first time in 20+ years of traveling, my airplane reservation made on Travelocity failed me. Apparently the payment, which I confirmed and paid for long ago, was never forwarded to the airline we were flying (AirTran). Consequently, having not received payment for their services, AirTran cancelled our reservation. According to the gals at the ticket counter, "this happens a lot."

So, we spent an extra 35 minutes standing at the ticket counter conversing with the folks behind the desk while John at Travelocity "worked on it." Victoria and Christine at AirTran Wichita were very professional through it all. John kept checking back with me on the phone to let me know he was still around and hadn't left me hanging. All in all, it was a nerve wracking, but pleasant 35 minutes. We laughed. We chatted about the Southwest buyout and what that meant for the AirTran employees in Wichita. We met some new friends and we finally were checked in on the 12:00 p.m. plane. We breezed through security where the boys were teased by an officer with an awesome sense of humor. And, due to fantastic weather, we arrived in Washington DC ahead of schedule.

When I processed the events of the day later that evening, I think that our little hiccup was another way that God was reminding me that I was on vacation. I should slow down. I should enjoy the people around me. I should focus on having a good time. Great advice, really. Great advice for always.

We landed at Reagan National from the south. Looking out the window, Isaac (my travel buddy) was convinced we were going to land in the Potomic. But, we didn't. Instead we got some great views of sailboats docked at a marina nearby and we experienced a tiny thrill as we taxied across an active landing strip at a very busy airport. I would never want to be an air traffic controller. Those people must go through bottles and bottles of Tums.

DC is by far the largest city the boys have experienced. We hopped on the Metro together and headed to what was to be our home for the next few days. We reserved an apartment on Capital Hill through vrbo.com. We could not be more pleased with the location and Joe and Sandy (our apartment owners and upstairs neighbors) were super through the reservation and pre-game process. We had excellent walking directions from the Eastern Market stop on the Metro and enjoyed a tree-lined walk through Capital Hill row houses, evening dog walkers, diners and gardeners on a beautiful June evening.

Joe and Sandy met us by name as we arrived and showed us around the apartment. After a little moving in and unpacking, the boys and I trekked a short 3 block walk to a corner market for breakfast and snack supplies. The boys helped me carry the groceries back - Sam carried the gallon of milk as this was a good substitute for the weight training that he would be missing while we were gone. And we hunkered down for the night in front of the TV.

We're here, Washington. And, we're ready to have a good time.

Mardell

I read the following at the memorial service for Mardell Hicks, my mother-in-law on June 2, 2011. In the words of Pastor Davis, "Altzheimer's sucks." May these words serve to remind all of us of our Mardell - pre-disease.

If you were helping to raise money for a charity and someone agreed to make a large contribution if you would perform at the upcoming fundraising show, what would you perform?

These were the kinds of questions awaiting you when you sat down on the couch beside Mardell Hicks. Some people might call this being nosy. But anyone in Mardell's presence knew they were the questions of a master -- a master of the art of conversation.

No one I knew could ask more interesting questions. And, yes, her questions were nosy. They were designed to get to know you; to explore the depths of your personality. The reason no one had any difficulty sharing was because inherent in Mardell's style was a sincere enjoyment of people. She would listen. She would listen without judgment. And she would enjoy you for exactly who you were.

This skill apparently started early. Gene reports that while Mardell was a Home Economics teacher at Centre High School, students would take their troubles to her and receive a friendly ear and an interested and engaged mind. It extended even to her enemies -- to a man who beat her and who held her captive for over four hours. When most of us would have hated, Mardell chose to love. She spoke frankly with him about his drug addiction as only she could, and she opened up an opportunity to pray with him.

"Shower the People You Love With Love," sings James Taylor. No one did that like Mardell. And, like being in a shower, when you left Mardell's side, you felt refreshed, better, happier. When you were blessed to know Mardell and fortunate to be in her presence, you could relax and be yourself -- completely at ease. This is the essence of the grace of God, is it not? In Mardell's presence, you could, for a tiny moment, experience that grace first hand.

Mardell's love for you wrapped you like a warm blanket. A mother of four, Laura said that her mother had a way of making each child feel special. She said that this talent was the source of a running joke in their family where Laura, Mary, Ross and Matt would each swear on a stack of Bibles that they were their mother's favorite. Well, I've got news for you, Laura. I happen to believe that I was your mother's favorite.

Mardell loved her family, sisters, husband, children and grandchildren fiercely, deeply. For them, she was available -- to talk, to cry, to watch movies, to sing, to dance, to play Play-Doh, to play cars, to play games. Mardell was "about" the people around her. The people around her felt the depth of that love.

And then, of course, there was the food. From almost the very first time that I met my husband, I heard about Mardell's food. He and his sisters tell stories about smelling cookies baking in the oven from the school playground. (When the family lived in Winfield, their house was right across the street from Whittier Elementary.) A Home Economics teacher to the core, Mardell would cook up a "light lunch" of Sloppy Joe's, a quick roast beef dinner, or have a special loaf of your favorite banana bread waiting for you when you arrived off the road.

Mardell's food made her irresistible. Gene tells that he would literally follow his nose to the Home Economics room where his music files, fresh baked cookies, coffee and Mardell were waiting. The 1958-59 yearbook picture of the engaged couple had the caption "Probably the most lasting Centre relationship to hold." They were right. Mardell and Gene would have been married 52 years this May 31. Gene remembers fondly Mardell's last words to him after he told her goodnight before he left the hospital -- "Good night, dear." It was a relationship born of cookies and built to last.

Mardell enjoyed magical feasts of all kinds. One of her favorite tasks was preparing the elements for communion on Sunday with her grandsons Luke and Ben. Gene recalled that she would carefully pour the wine into the individual communion glasses. As she did, she and the boys would name each person in the congregation and fill one cup especially with that person in mind. Mardell joyfully accepted the privilege of being God's hands and added to even mundane tasks her extra special serving of love.

Preparing and serving food was Mardell's way to communicate how much she loved you. From making her children's very favorite foods on request, regularly stocking the infamous DD drawer, sending food care packages to her kids in college, feeding neighborhood children and college friends, to feeding church members -- food was a way to get people to sit around a table, spend a few moments, laugh and enjoy being together.

One of Laura's friends, Steve Brazil, summed things up best when he wrote on Facebook: "Sloppy Joe and Frito stand moved. Better location. Primo lease."

As for me, what I loved most about Mardell was her playful spirit. I fell in love with it when I met and married her son, Ross. I discovered it's roots when I met Mardell.

We would be on the floor at her house, playing with the kids and cars. Mardell would be watching with that smile and twinkle -- the one that meant something was afoot. Suddenly you would notice something different about the little bus that had been in the car stash for months. There was something new, something you couldn't quite place. You picked it up to examine it more closely and then you would laugh...the good, healthy, belly laugh that came from a pleasant surprise. For there, cut and taped on the bus window was a tiny picture of Mardell's face!

I was also fascinated by the fact that here was a woman, older than my parents, who freely admitted to loving rock and roll. I asked each family member what was Mardell's favorite song. Laura and Mary came up with songs by the Carpenters, Burt Bacharach, and Paul Williams. Gene mentioned popular musicals and standards from the 40s. Ross and Matt - without hesitation - both said, "Bat Out of Hell." THAT was my Mardell.

Mardell loved to laugh. She laughed out loud. She laughed so hard she would cry. She loved laughing with her sisters, Jeanne and Deaun. She loved recounting stories of childhoods and family times spent at Lake Kahola because the memories made her laugh. She especially loved laughing with Luke, Ben, Sam, Isaac and Sophia. And, when others were laughing around her, she loved to watch -- basking in the energy, the joy, and the love that laughter creates. I loved laughing with Mardell. It is something I will always remember and something that I will always cherish.

Through conversation, through food, and through laughter, Mardell spent her life sharing her abundant store of love with others. Laura shared that when she was a child, Mardell would often squeeze her hand three times....I...Love...You. When they would go for a walk, she would give Laura that special squeeze, with that special twinkle in her eyes and Laura knew she was loved. It's a trick she did with all of her children, another one of those numerous little ways she communicated her love.

Toward the end of Mardell's life, words would elude her, cooking was difficult, and laughter didn't come easy. The last time Laura was with Mardell, she tucked her into bed, said good night and gave her mom the hand squeeze that had meant so much...I....Love....You. And Mardell squeezed back....I....Love....You. She was a giver of love to the very end.