Washington, DC! (Days 1 & 2)

with baby four scheduled to make her appearance on or around the Fourth of July (!!), we decided to squeeze in a short trip to Washington, DC, before she arrives. the older girls had never been to DC at all, and even though they haven't studied US history yet, we thought they were old enough to appreciate the sights and absorb living history before they are learning it out of a textbook. Elizabeth, of course, was just along for the ride! 

we left mid-morning on Saturday, stopping along the way for lunch at a fantastic little restaurant called the Potomac River Grill in Hancock, MD. it's a unique amalgamation of farm-to-table cuisine and greasy spoon diner -- they raise their own beef, and the mushroom swiss burger I ordered was absolutely the best I've ever had (and I've had rather a lot of mushroom swiss burgers in my life). 

Elizabeth got tired of waiting and decided to finish getting ready on her own (note the sandal on the wrong foot)

hello, beautiful

Cecilia gave herself a makeover in the car, then ordered a side of sausage and a side of bacon for lunch. #goals

to pass the time in the car, the girls read the books they had chosen at the library (they each just got their own library cards), we turned a Junie B. Jones audiobook onto the rear speakers so Nick and I could enjoy some adult conversation (read: argue about baby names), and tested our memories by naming all 50 states, all 50 capitals, and all of the US presidents in order. well, that was solely on Nick -- I don't remember ever having memorized the list. the girls were surprisingly enthusiastic about fact-checking him, and Cece kept us all in the know with the factoids she gleaned from her library books. I also gave the girls Washington DC scavenger hunt books, which turned out to be a mixed bag -- they were helpful at first to get them excited about various locations (and give me an idea of cool things to look for at each monument), but then they got so caught up in trying to cross things off the list that it became more stressful than it was worth! probably best for a more leisurely trip. 

we arrived in DC proper around 4 PM, and drove around for a while looking for parking near the National Mall. we initially snagged a spot right on Constitution Avenue where other cars were parked, but after Nick and I got out (fortunately before unloading the girls), we spotted parking tickets on the cars surrounding us and decided not to risk it. by 4:15, we had found another spot on the next block and hustled up to the entrance of the Smithsonian Museum of American History. we only had an hour and fifteen minutes before closing time, but even with our rushed visit, it was an amazing experience. 

touching a fragment of a bombshell in the Star-Spangled Banner exhibit

I was not prepared for the depth of my emotional reaction to seeing the original Star-Spangled Banner, made by Mary Pickersgill with the assistance of several other seamstresses, and flown above Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the British bombardment of 1814. it's kept in a darkened room behind glass where no photography is permitted. the flag is absolutely enormous, using 400 yards of fabric, despite the fact that almost half the length has been snipped off for souvenirs over the years. 

one of eleven ambulances used by Clara Barton and the Red Cross in the late 19th century

the Choate-Caldwell house from 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, MA, which was disassembled and moved to the museum. the original house was likely built in the 1690s and then the Choate family built this ten-room house in the 1760s. 

what makes the history of the Choate house so interesting is the varied lives of the families who occupied it over the centuries. these included the Choate family (who were successful merchants), the Dodge family (who owned the house during the Revolutionary War), the Caldwells (who were ardent abolitionists), the Lynches (Irish immigrants who operated laundry services out of their house in the late nineteenth century), and the Scotts (who owned the house during World War II). 

trying their hand at laundry, nineteenth century style. this bucket weighed 20 pounds, the equivalent of 2 1/2 gallons of water. Greta finally got it to budge! 

twisting the spindle to mimic wringing out wet laundry. the dial moves from left to right as you twist, with the far right indicating properly wrung out clothes. neither girl could get it past the halfway point. since both of them recently started doing their own laundry, they now have a new appreciation for our modern appliances!

next, we visited the pop culture exhibit. for the most part, this was more interesting to Nick and myself than the girls. they really have some amazing artifacts!

"I hate Kermit!" she said. no idea where that came from!

the jacket that Wilson Jermaine Heredia wore as the character Angel during the original Broadway show Rent

playing a model of Prince's guitar (the original is in the case behind her)

the jacket from Rocky, Michael Jordan's jersey, and at the far left, Kristi Yamaguchi's ice skates

Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente's jersey

Mr. Rogers' shoes and cardigan, original Sesame Street characters

we had about fifteen minutes to zoom through the presidential exhibit. I truly could have used some more time in here too! but Cece was melting down over not being able to find something in her scavenger hunt book (facepalm), Elizabeth was squealing to be let out of the stroller, and the museum was about to close, so we hit a few highlights and then made sure to use the restroom before leaving!

from left to right: Nancy Reagan's suit (1980), Eleanor Roosevelt's inaugural gown (1933), and Caroline Harrison's evening gown (1889)

Abraham Lincoln's top hat!!

Greta takes the presidential podium. somehow I could see this being in her future!

we emerged from the museum and immediately the girls spotted the ice cream trucks parked all along the street. snow cones lifted everybody's spirits as we ambled down the side walk towards the Washington Monument. however, both girls commented on how noisy and crowded it was (in fact, it was less crowded than I had anticipated). the street vendors waving bracelets in our faces were an instant throwback to Rome, although none of them directly approached the girls (which was the wily norm in Rome -- what little kid isn't going to take a balloon or toy from someone who puts it right in their hand?). at one point Greta said, "I'm just a country mouse! I'm not used to being in the city!" I was reminded again that a huge part of our culture shock after moving to Italy was just the adjustment to big city living, regardless of the language or cultural changes!

36 week bump!

how I love them! (this was one block over from the hubbub of Constitution Ave -- the girls were much happier)!

our Airbnb was just a fifteen minute drive away. I had high hopes for the house we were renting, with one of the main selling points being that it had a designated off-street parking spot (virtually unheard of for a rental in the heart of the city), and it certainly exceeded my expectations! the girls explored the yard and the house. dinner arrived via a very cheerful Uber Eats driver who handed the food to me over the fence, and we all enjoyed a feast of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. 

the lovely garden!

finally getting to stretch her legs

Elizabeth was quite intrigued by a friendly cat who wandered into the yard

snuggle o'clock

on Sunday, we drove fifteen minutes northwest to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for mass. this gargantuan church is, in fact, the largest Catholic church in North America. I had visited here once before with our church choir, and was struck again on this visit by the gorgeous mosaics. 

after mass, we explored some of the side altars in the crypt below the main church. then Cece begged for something at the gift shop, and she was so pleased with her purchase (Picture Book of Saints) that she brought it along everywhere the rest of our trip. 

touching St. Peter's foot for luck (this is a replica of the large St. Peter's statue in the basilica in Rome)

Pope Benedict sat on this chair during his visit to the United States in 2008

coronation tiara of Pope Paul VI (1963), and stole of Pope John XXIII (1962)

Cece with her new prized possession

the rosary garden outside the basilica

I would have loved to walk around the rosary garden more, but the girls were clamoring for lunch

after mass, we had an absolutely delicious lunch at Menomale, a pizzeria certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, making traditional Neapolitan style pizza in a wood-fired oven with ingredients sourced from Italy. I had checked out the menu online beforehand and was quite impressed with how closely it resembled the menu from our favourite Pizzeria Trianon dal Ciro in Naples itself. 

it doesn't get much more authentic than baby octopi on a plate!

salsiccia (sausage) pizza for the adults

margherita pizza for the girls

throwback to 2018

the server brought Elizabeth a tiny glass of apple juice (her first). needless to say, she loved it!

after lunch, we visited the nearby Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land. this is well worth a visit for its beautiful gardens and the unique design of the church, modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

the walls of the portico are lined with the words to the Hail Mary in various languages

I had brought a change of clothes for the girls for after mass, but Cece preferred to stay in her dress all day

interior of the church

the Stone of Anointing, commemorating where Jesus' body was prepared for burial

inside the entrance to the replica of the Holy Sepulchre -- this stone is from Jerusalem. at the original tomb, the stone is believed to be part of the stone that sealed the tomb

replica of the Holy Sepulchre (Christ's tomb)

we climbed up the steps to the Calvary Altar

looking across the church towards the replica of Christ's tomb. the Calvary Altar and the tomb here are exactly the same distance apart as between the actual Calvary Hill and tomb in Jerusalem.

on our way out, the girls discovered a small book where they could write prayer intentions for the friars to include in their daily prayers. Greta's requests melted my heart... while I had to stifle laughter after reading Cecilia's (names redacted to protect the identity of people outside our family!). 

I thought about removing this paper from the book, but then figured the friars could probably use the chuckle!

we then explored the gardens surrounding the monastery. it was quite hot and the girls were wilting, but when we entered the cool stillness of the replica of Mary's tomb, they were happy to explore every nook and cranny. at some point, Cecilia spontaneously started singing the Salve Regina (the traditional Gregorian chant) and Greta joined in. these are the moments I try to soak up and enjoy, in between the squabbling and whining. (towards the end of the video clip, you can see Elizabeth engaged in her favourite activity: buckling her stroller straps over and over again.)

a Corinthian column from Jerusalem

replica of the Grotto at Lourdes

inside the replica of Mary's tomb

our final adventure of the day was to drive south to Alexandria, VA, to meet up with Rebecca and Josh (they live northwest of DC, but suggested Alexandria as a cute historic town where it would be easier to park and find dinner than in downtown DC). and they were right! we strolled around for several blocks, beat the heat with gelato, and then made the last minute decision to book a roundtrip sightseeing cruise back up the Potomac River to see the DC monuments from the water. when we asked the girls if they'd like to go, at first they were screaming with excitement until we pointed out the boat -- they thought we  were suggesting a trip on an oceanworthy cruise ship! they still said they wanted to go, however, and it was absolutely a fun and relaxing way to spend the evening. Elizabeth particularly loved to stand at the railing and wave at the other boats on the water. 

usually Elizabeth looks so much like Nick, but I love that we're essentially making the same face here!

can't you just feel the warm breeze in your own hair?

part of the fun was watching planes take off and land directly over our heads at Reagan Airport!

Washington Monument in the distance

saying hi to all the people

Lincoln Memorial from the water

at one point Elizabeth climbed over and just snuggled up with Aunt Becca

the notorious Watergate Hotel

Jefferson Memorial

upon our return to Alexandria, we had a delicious dinner at the Union Street Public House. then it was time to say goodbye to Rebecca and Josh and head home to bed -- we had a very special day planned for Monday!