Day 8...US government, air and space, and some classical art

Sorry for the delay in yesterday's post..blogger wasn't working right and I was too tired to figure it out...I felt like I let my readers down..HA HA HA!  So now you will have to go back and read day 7...or not...I know I take a ton of pictures but I just can't stop!  Now for Day 8....Today was more of a relaxed day...finishing up things we had started, doing those last few things before we head home...it was a GORGEOUS day in DC and we enjoyed every minute of it!  First was a stop at the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the US Capitol.  John and I are amazed at all the structures and grand buildings.  The flowers and trees are also in full bloom and just beautiful!

Library of Congress

US Capitol

US Supreme Court

View of the Mall from the Capitol

Cuties!

We went to the National Botanical Garden next which was just beautiful...

The jungle..from above

Kid's area with a cute little playhouse.

After seeing some beautiful flowers and gardens we went back to the air and space museum...have I told you how big these museums are???!!?!?! 

John Daniel wanted his picture taken with every single air craft!

Hubble Telescope 3D movie.

John's favorite WWII plane.

For any man that loves flying, machines, bombers, heavy machinery, boats, guns, power machines...this museum is heaven...John and John Daniel could have spent the entire day in here.  I have never heard J.D. ask so many questions!  He wanted to know about it all, how it worked, what it was used for, and on and on and on!

Next was the National Gallery of Classical Art...which I just wanted to walk in to say I have been there.  There are guards everywhere!  I found the most significant/have to see paintings...they were about to close. 

Again the decorating is amazing!

Rembrandt's Self Portrait

I got a little too close to it when Emily was taking my picture and a guard told me to move away...that is why it looks like I'm scared to stand next to it!

da Vinci's Ginevra's de Benci

My kiddos looking at a da Vinci.  I tried to explain how cool that was...not sure they got it but I have pictures to prove it!

Then we played a little in the green space at the Mall again!

Walking back to the Metro we happen upon the United States Navy Memorial so I took this pics in honor of my Dad!

We ate dinner with Nic Nic at Chipolte Mexican Restaurant when he got off work.  We said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel for an early evening. 

Molly says just let me go to bed!  Some cool odds and ends...we saw lots of WWII veterans around the monuments one day...they have a program called Honor Flight that makes sure every WWII veteran gets to come see the memorials before they die.  John has volunteered in Tallahassee to be a medic.  The program hires Medics to travel with veterans with oxygen or other health needs.  They fly them to Washington DC and let them visit the monuments and memorials.  We got to say lots of Thank Yous as they passed us during the day!  I have a rash on my neck and chest...not sure what it is..It is much like hives.  Nic and his friend "C" diagnosed it as a reaction to the water...they said they have skin issues from the water here in DC.  It itches and today I had to break down and buy some benadryl!  I think Metro riding is cool but if I had to do it for the rest of my life, I think I would be depressed...it makes me feel like I'm a part of a heard of cattle being pushed from one place to another...but that's just me:)  Molly picked up a lollipop from the grass in the Mall today and put it in her mouth before I could stop her...SO DISGUSTED!  John Daniel wants to go eat Ethiopian food again, loves anything that involves space and machinery and likes to work the coffee machine in the hotel.  Emily wants to live in DC and says she will stay here in be Nic's maid.  She also wants Pop Pop to build her a backyard to look like the National Botanical Garden.  Molly says, "COLD" every time we go up the 300 ft elevator from the dungeon of the Metro to the outside...because the wind and cold were wicked the first day we were here and she remembers that.  She also talks or plays peek a boo with a new person every time we get on the train...even showed a man her food the other day....I have so loved seeing the big city through their eyes!