I realize you all probably don’t want three weeks of road trip blow-by-blow, so I’m going to try to wrap it up today. First off, I’ve got to say that if you want an ego boost, you should take your children to a retirement community. We couldn’t walk ten feet without having people go completely nutbar, exclaiming, “They’re so beautiful!!” (though the “aren’t you too young to live here?” joke got stale pretty fast). Sometimes they’d talk about us like we weren’t even there (“Aren’t they beautiful?” “I know! Look at those eyes!”) at which point I’d bat my eyes and curtsy (just kidding).
Anyway. We went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum. Both fun, but both also kind of overwhelming after the smaller venues of Dinosaur State Park and the Camden Aquarium. I think we each had a separate meltdown at some point. Highlight for the kids: the metro ride. There was a brush fire next to the tracks on the way back, which certainly heightened the excitement.
It was all-but-impossible to take good photos in the dark Natural History Museum, but here’s a shot from Air and Space:
Our only other stops were to pursue the Great American Pasttime of shopping and go to Trader Joe’s and Ikea. Being in Trader Joe’s actually made me kind of angry. WHY exactly is there no Trader Joe’s in Portland? It makes no sense. What with the whole huge abandoned Wild Oats and all? Everything is so cheap and delicious in Trader Joe’s (organic apples for 69 cents a pound!), and they gave the boys free oranges and animal crackers (ideal shopping snack: oranges and animal crackers) and free balloons. Trader Joe! Come to Portland! Why do you hate us?
I could have spent the whole day in Ikea (does this make me a bad person?). We went with the intention of getting some Poang chairs for our back porch (back poarch?) but decided our car was way too full and at some point we’ll have to go to the Ikea in Massachusetts to get them. While we were Poanging, I suddenly realized I didn’t see the boys anywhere. I hopped up, only to find them 20 feet away:
So we went all the way to Ikea and got a juice box, a milk, table legs, a hamper, and Swedish Fish.
On the way back we drove all in one day, with a too-long-but-yummy stop at Rein’s Deli. For your final shot I’ll give you comfy sleepy Zu, who doesn’t show up in many photos because she’s always strapped to the front of me.
Julie! You did not get the swedish meatballs!! Turn around and go back!
You must tell me when you come to the MA Ikea b/c I am always looking for any reason to justify going there. We can have lunch & the kids can play in the playspace.
It is bizarre that Trader Joes is not in Portland. Isn’t that like one of the top 5 places in the country it should be? What’s up? You need to agitate.
Sarah, we had so many Swedish meatball plans, but we spent way too much time at the chairs, and had to rush back to Dave’s parents’. Next time, we are all about the meatballs.