Great Moments
The Zissons Go to Washington
Here at Team Zisson we strive for Great Moments.
Great Days, whole ones, are so few and far between that hanging around hoping for one feels like waiting for Halley's Comet.
We had a couple of fairly horrendous days in terms of behavior. We all were off our games, and it showed in every single interaction. I yelled myself hoarse. It wasn't fun.
City living is so different for us as a family - small living space, lots of walking, no yard or swing set to get out the ya-ya's.
Four-year-olds, as it turns out, do not love museums. In fact, on Day 3 in Washington we walked into the Air & Space Museum and Callie yelled, "I HATE MUSEUMS," at the top of her lungs.
At the Lincoln Memorial, Callie joined a group of like-minded hooligans streaking back and forth in front of the Gettysburg Address.
Which is tricky, since exploring Washington generally means spending time at museums and memorials, no matter how fun we try to make it for her. The boys and I now refer to 'American History' or 'Natural History,' and avoid the word 'museum' altogether.
Researcher Will figures out which "big idea" in the Constitution is relevant to this letter at our National Archives Constitution-in-Action Learning Lab.
Our kids don't have a lot of experience with city walking, either. Our first week here, I vacillated between panic (Do not run behind the truck backing out of that garage) and amusement.
Children do not walk in a straight line. They move like drunken Mardi Gras revelers -- they zig, they zag. They cut people off and run at full speed while looking back at you instead of where they're going, which is sometimes into a pole or fountain.
They shriek, startling other pedestrians, and stop unexpectedly to inspect cigarette butts and pick up stones.
Occasionally they behave inappropriately in solemn places.
For a people with a reputation for having so much energy, children tire easily. Energy and stamina are not the same thing.
The boys were duly impressed by the Library of Congress, but the big thrill was spotting parts of the library featured in "National Treasure."
Children also get hungry all the time, usually within 15 minutes of arriving somewhere. I am a walking vending machine, my purse filled with granola bars and baggies of grapes. When things start to get really hairy, I hand out M&M "power pellets."
The best finds, the real gems, are the ones where the kids feel comfortable and can relax, like the children's reading room at the Library of Congress.
Oh George, how we've missed you! Callie's favorite Library of Congress find.
Last week, during our tour of Arlington National Cemetery, we had a rare phenomenal day -- the whole day. Everyone was in sync. We got out the door without a lot of drama.
We had a tour with a ton of walking, lots of it uphill. And nobody complained (mostly). The boys were engaged with our tour guide, happy to be with Uncle Dan and Char. Callie held it together despite not really having any idea where we were or why.
Callie, pensive at Arlington. It turned out she was sizing up the best angle from which to roll herself down the hill.
The morning of the tour, I pulled up a bit of JFK's inauguration speech so the boys could see the Ask not what your country can do for you... part and would recognize the words engraved near the flame. (YouTube = World's Best Resource for lazy homeschooling parents.)
When we got to President Kennedy's grave and the eternal flame, the boys understood a bit about it because we had asked their grandparents to write and tell us where they were when they heard the President had been shot.
There are signs all over Arlington that say 'Silence. Respect.' but since we have not managed to teach Callie to read yet, I was whispering to her that we really had to be super quiet. A caretaker psssst'd at Callie and motioned for her to come over, then handed her a red carnation to put on JFK's grave. She was so excited, and I hope she remembers that as she gets older.
Who knows how long we'll wait till another Great (Entire) Day rolls around?
So we make the most of our Great Moments. We talk about them later, look at photos of them, wonder what made them so Great. And enjoy each one.
Some photos from Arlington, Iwo Jima and the Air Force Memorial:
