Day 6: The National Zoo

I am proud to say I've kept up my goal of blogging each day of vacation. Writing is like exercise: it's something I love having done, but starting can feel like a chore. The more I do it, the easier it becomes.

Speaking of exercise, our zoo outing racked up 15,000 steps and 6.78 miles. My Fitbit was impressed.

We arrived via Metro. Felix loved the train ride; don't let his cool demeanor fool you.

Day 5: Sometimes You Just Need a Nap (Washington, DC)

The kids are very happy at their second cousins' house.

There is a bounce house in the basement.

Day 4: Washington, DC

Our morning started in Lexington, about as well as a morning could. I went for a run, we ate homemade raspberry lemon muffins, and we explored Washington and Lee University with our hostess, Sam's aunt Sally, who teaches at the law school.

Evie liked learning about the history of the university and its namesakes.

Felix liked the stairs, the grassy spaces, and the construction vehicles.

Day 3: Virginia

We saw 5 states today: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. We started the day in Indianapolis and ended it at Sam's Aunt Sally's house in Lexington.

We are all tired.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Evie asked if she could go to bed. Felix chimed in, "I want to go to bed, too!" On normal days, we have to drag these kids to bed at 8:30.

I did not go to bed at 7 p.m., though I probably could have. Driving is hard work.

Day 2: Indianapolis

Today's word was "relaxed." After late-night merriment in Milwaukee, my plan to run along Lake Michigan was sidelined for time with friends, a leisurely breakfast, and a little bit of extra rest. Toll roads and traffic accidents slowed us down, but a low-key evening with our friends washed away any residual stress.

The scenery was pleasant if not especially dramatic: green grass, tall rows of corn, the occasional "Oasis" - a giant food court stretching over the freeway.

Sam remembered eating at one during a childhood vacation to Washington, D.C.. He recalled being fascinated by cars whizzing by below; he remembered a Hardees turkey sandwich and his toddler sister taking a bite of their father's thumb.

Day 1: Milwaukee

Today, Sam and I packed up the kids and embarked on a road trip. Our destination is Washington, D.C., but the journey is half the adventure.

The drive through Wisconsin was lovely: purple and yellow wildflowers filled the median, and billowy clouds drifted across the blue sky. We were surprised by the abundance of adult bookstores, highway patrol cars, and roadside cheese emporia. We avoided the first two but couldn't resist the pull of the third.

The worst part of the day came courtesy of a trucker with a self-satisfied obscenity painted on his cab. I was in the left lane when he abruptly merged left, forcing me off the road. Hurtling along the dirt and grass at 75 mph, I felt the panic of losing control, the fear as I merged back onto the road in a cloud of dust, and the relief when I realized we were safely back on the freeway.

A letter to Evie on her 6th Birthday

Dear Evie,
This is the first year that you'll be able to read your birthday blog, although I'll probably have to help you sound out a few of the words.

Five was a big year for you.

It was a year of learning and discovery. You started school at Excelsior Elementary, jumping into the Chinese immersion program with all the enthusiasm and joy that make you Evie.