We spent a day of the Kingsley reunion exploring Washington D.C. together, which was a grand adventure spending the day inside several Smithsonian museums. We all loved exploring the different collections, but I think the favorite sites for our kids were the Natural Sciences building and the American History building.
In the American History Smithsonian museum, we were able to participate in a fun activity where a SUPER-huge American flag is opened up in the main entry. Hundreds of visitors help unfold the flag and hold it off the ground. Then we all sang the national anthem together, with our voices echoing off the granite walls. Afterwards it was like a huge team-building game to properly fold the flag up again. It was so memorable.
The Natural Sciences museum was absolutely gorgeous and was the highlight of our day trip. The collections here were so riveting and we all enjoyed several hours exploring. The gems/minerals hall was my favorite spot...there were so many fascinating minerals I had never seen before (like the glowing phosphorescent ones- that was very intriguing!) Daniel really loved the insect hall....there were so many interesting displays and we loved watching exotic creatures.
During our walk between sites, we came across a really talented musician jamming with a drum. His enthusiasm was contagious and he invited the kids to play with him. They had such a delightful time and this man was so encouraging in his feedback.
The ride home on the DC subway was another grand adventure for the children!
We also spent a day at a beach in Delaware, where my kids made their first sand castles and loved riding the waves with cousins. Matthew had a rough ride on one wave that pummeled him face-down in the sand, then lifted his feet and swirled his body around (effectively filling his nose and mouth with sand and scraping his face all up) which was not the thrill ride he had been seeking....so he was a very sad boy for part of the day. He didn't let it dim his spirits too much, and after a breather and a quick cleanup he was back in the water again. Joseph was terrified of the water, so he stayed safely away from the surf and played in the sand.
Nathan kept trying to coax Joseph into getting at least his toes wet, but Joseph would have none of it and would lift his feet up high away from the water.
Cousin Ella dug this hole for-ever, so I asked what she was doing. She cheerfully said, "I'm digging a hole to China! I think I'm getting close!"
Back at the house, the grandchildren all worked together to transform the large play room into a little house, partitioned into rooms. They used giant boxes to construct the walls and doorways, and made separate rooms for groups of cousins to 'live' in. They had so much fun designing the floor plan and decorating their little spaces. They carefully moved bedding into their rooms and spent every night enjoying a slumber party in their house. What a fun way to spend a week with cousins!
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