A Day Downtown…

One of the things on Henry’s list for this week was taking the kids downtown. Henry loves downtown. Loves.

Ryan woke up not feeling well which was okay since I realized we had a nurse coming to be with him anyway. So he stayed home.

However, the rest of us trekked down in the cold and bitter wind to see Designer Paul Busse’s uh-may-zing train exhibit. (Thanks, Gustavases, for telling us about it!)

Mr. Busse designs buildings made out of organic material based on existing structures. He then builds the structures out of heavy-duty foam board and he and about a dozen apprentices glue on organic matter to decorate the buildings.

Here is where we were today: The National Botanical Gardens. Made out of bark, sticks, mushrooms, etc. and flanked by poinsettias.

The Capitol Building – it’s even more amazing in person. Simply incredible.

A close up of the facade.

Natalie and Ainsley by the Christmas tree. Ainsley didn’t want her picture taken.

Watching the train….

The Supreme Court

There was the District buildings exhibit in the main hall and then a ‘world’s great buildings’ complete with train track in the special exhibit hall.

We saw places like Petra.

The Pyramid at Giza.

The Great Wall of China.

The Taj Mahal.

The Eiffel Tower

Neuschwanstein (only a third of the way complete – and yes, way taller than all the other buildings) And check out the bright hot-air balloon.

Some building in Asia. 😉

After leaving the exhibit, we toured the greenhouses. Natalie is becoming very nurturing to her sister. “Here Ains, you wanna see?”

We took a break for lunch and then headed to the American History Museum. The information desk clerk gave the girls a scavenger hunt list so instead of leisurely walking through the exhibits, we had to first find all the things on the list. Ainsley wouldn’t rest until we did. We tried going to a hands-on exhibit first, because that’s the floor we started on, but she kept saying, “We have to find the stuff! We have to find the stuff!” So we found the stuff and then walked at our own pace.

One of the things we found was a huge doll house.

I love the look on Natalie’s face.

And we found a subway car (the girls sitting in their own seat)

Ainsley rolling down the window.

And Natalie hamming it up.

When we saw the wall of presidents Ainsley said, “Where’s Barack Obama?” I led her along the wall and said, “There he is, the last one.” She said, “But I don’t see her!” I had to explain that Mrs. Obama is not the president, but is the president’s wife. “Oh” she said. I think she remembers last year and is getting things confused. At least she knows what a president is, right?