countdown to 1st day of school

Public schools in start on Sept 2. That is in just 2 days! I know that because we have been doing the countdown for a week. My child and I made 7 foam flowers. We made flowers by gluing the ready cut pressed foam in the shapes of flowers and circles to popsicle sticks. We put them in a glass jar vase and wrapped with pictures of school supplies we drew on paper. We started with 7 flowers for the 7 days until school starts. Each morning my child wakes up and gives me a flower. I thank him for the beautiful flower which I put in another vase in a different location. Then he counts how many flowers he has left and knows how more days he has until school starts. Last year we did this making a chart with apples taped on a posterboard and removing 1 apple each day.

Legos

I usually don’t buy toys for my kids unless it’s a gift for a holiday, but Johnny has been such a good boy these past few weeks; preparing for school, going to bed early and helping clean up around the house. I rewarded him with a toy of his choice; a LEGO SpongeBob SquarePants Rocket Ride! It is for ages 7-12, and Johnny is 5. It’s his first lego set and he loved it! After picking up his old toys and cleaning up the room, we sat down together and played with it . I helped him put the rocketship together and he was able to put together the smaller items by himself. It was nice to sit down and spend sometime with him after working really hard this past week on the magazines. (which by the way, you are in for a treat, it’s a really great issue on air quality for our children, and I did the cover illustration). Johnny played with the Lego set for 5 hours, and then he took it to his room at bedtime and closed the door, so when it came to life at night, it wouldn’t take off and get lost.
He did get frustrated while playing with it and it came apart, but it he easily understood that was the purpose of the toy, to put it back together again and it was part of the fun.
It was a good purchase at $29.95 at Walmart, but you can get it Amazon for 21.95.

You can Park for Free on Sundays in DC

Yes, there are FREE parking spaces near the Whitehouse in Washington DC! You can park for free on the street on Sundays near the National Mall. Get there early, before 10am. We parked on 15th and New York Ave.
For my mother’s 70th birthday (pictured with my son), she wanted to go on a day trip to DC, she’s been all around the world and has never been to the National Mall, and as an artist, she wanted to see the Smithsonian. She had been to the one in NY city many years ago when it was at the Javits Center, which as it turned out was the one she was most impressed with because all the museums were in the same building and it was less walking.
When you go to the National Mall in DC, expect to walk. Unless you are lucky enough to find the “Circular Bus” which goes around the mall and only cost $1. and just .50 for seniors. We couldn’t find the bus until we were in our car driving away. If you want to tour the Whitehouse, you have to contact your congressman 6 months prior to your visit.
I went to the National Mall this past December, and it was very crowded. People were 15 deep around Hope Diamond. This past Sunday they were only 2 deep, but still one of the most crowed areas of the Smithsonian. The most fun we had was at the Air and Space Museum. It was open and airy and didn’t have the crowded feel. The last time I went in Dec, I just walked in and out and it was my least favorite, but this time it was totally different. Maybe because I was with my mother and son who both really enjoyed it. My mom worked for the airlines for most of her career, so it brought back a lot of memories. And tell me; what little boy doesn’t like planes and spaceships.
We will make our first stop on our next trip to the Reflecting Pool by the National Monument . Our feet were just too tired to go the 2 blocks beyond we were parked to see it.