wondrous weekend #6: DC

for my final installment of the wondrous weekend series (which, let's face it, has amounted to almost all of the summer blog entries -- when a weary girl goes on summer vacation, it's not just from working), i bring you our photos from a quick trip up to DC.  from over a month ago.

ever since their successful trip last year down to atlanta to see their beloved dodgers play the braves, the mann men (chris, chris's dad, and liam) have been chomping at the bit to do it again.  so this summer's plan was a boys' trip up to see them square off against the nationals.  the tickets were purchased, the hotel was booked ... and then, one day prior to departure, chris's dad found out he had to stay home for a funeral.

and while we were all super sad that granddad couldn't make the trip, this opened the door for two certain girls to get in on the fun.  packing took susanna and me all of a minute -- because what else would we need besides toothbrushes and a few american girl dolls as companions?

with baseball being the all-day affair that it is (don't get me started), we really only had time to do one tourist attraction.  we chose the newseum -- and i daresay it's the best museum we have ever taken the kids to.  this was taken on their deck right after we looked at a huge chunk of the berlin wall

there were so many hands-on activities for the kids to try.  here's one of our children looking like a normal person, and our other child hamming it up for the entire fourth floor to see on the gigantic screen

at the "be a newscaster!" exhibit, liam had a plethora of background and subject options.  we were shocked he chose to be a sportscaster at a baseball game

dining in style with caroline and kit at the american girl place 

hanging out with a lifesize version of the girl of the year, saige.  (who names these dolls?!)  susanna actually began compiling her christmas list after we got home (!) and has requested the $150 hot air balloon from santa.  somehow i can hear him chuckling all the way from the north pole

hanging with the enemy -- chris's fraternity brother and groomsman, bill, who has season tickets to the nationals and scored their seats.  as someone with extensive baseball experience, i can say with authority that the dodgers' jersey is so much more attractive.  (sorry, bill.)  and really, isn't that the most important thing?

two elated fans as the dodgers secured another victory -- a 3-1 win in the 10th inning.  just add one more W to the longest road-game winning streak that baseball has seen in like a hundred years. (note: i guarantee you something in this statement is wrong, and will surely be corrected by liam when he sees this)