School vacations mean visits with grandparents. Treks to New Jersey or Virginia are usually in the cards, although sometimes the grandparents come to us. There is a flurry of activity for those few days, especially when heading to the States. I love history, and I have passed on that love to my children. Summer 2011 we did our own version of a July 4th heritage tour. We camped at Shenandoah National Park, summer home of President Herbert Hoover. We also toured Mt Vernon and Monticello.
We've done the memorials and monuments across the National Mall. We've done all of the Smithsonian, although the kids were young and we should go back to some. My parents are a short drive to New York and to Philadelphia. We've made sure to see the sights there as well.
This year we went to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's a must see, although you probably need three days to see it. The Marines have created an interactive museum where you can feel the noise of incoming ordinance, the cold of Chosin or the vibrations of helicopters. We aslo went to the shooting range. The rifles have been adjusted for laser (no live ammo), and the recoil is absent. Jesse, walking through on his own, missed the range, but the rest of us enjoyed it.
It had us talking about the skill of shooting. There's a gun range near my in-laws, after all this IS the US south. We thought we'd take Jesse and go shooting. They said they were open Christmas eve. Sean's dad, Sean, Jesse, and I headed out Christmas eve. Unfortunately they closed early. We ended up at Target instead.
Spending Christmas Eve shooting as a family. If that's not an American stereotype I don't know what is!
We're home now, but the kids have remained in Virginia. I wonder if they'll be a stereotype before they come home.
To all celebrating- I hope you had a merry Christmas and to all may it be a happy and healthy 2013, hopefully filled with peace.
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