Lots of learning happening

I've already learned some things that will help me with the next move. The first is that clothes may not be the most important things for us to pack in our suitcases. We were here for a week without a single toy, game, art supplies or any other form of entertainment for the kids. If we are kept busy outside the apartment it's okay, but sometimes I have to stay here all day, like to wait for the internet/phone company to arrive. That involves waiting for hours, and will be repeated next week since they didn't show up last week. Games, toys, and other activities are very helpful on those days.

I've also learned how totally dependent on the internet I am. I rely on it to find out things like where there is a grocery store near me, where to register the kids for school, what to cook for dinner, a place to buy toys near me, the nearest car rental agency, and the list goes on and on. Totally dependent. I'll need to print out needful information next time so I have it at hand just in case (GASP) for some reason I have no internet again.

I took the kids on their first metro ride this week. In hind site I should not have done it in rush hour, but we escaped unharmed. Nicholas had a fear of escalators but now he is a pro. At first he needed to hold on to my hand next to me to get on. Now he jumps on by himself and stays to the right so that people can walk (or run) past on the left. The metro is now a preferred mode of transportation. I also took them on their first bus ride. I'm not a fan of the bus. Part of it is my impatience, and, at the time, lack of knowledge. Our internet, when it works, is really slow and unable to load things like maps and bus schedules. We have season passes to Six Flags and thought the kids would enjoy the day out. What would take 45 minutes in a car took us over 3 hours using public transportation. Over one hour of that was waiting at a very hot bus stop for our bus. Without a bathroom for the duration of the trip. Good thing we were sweating so much. While on the bus (both ways) my children also learned a lot of new words that I will not repeat, and I am hoping they won't either.

I am getting my bearings and can now walk to 2 grocery stores without getting lost. (that is quite an accomplishment for me) Lindsay and Nicholas have had to work harder than they like to help carry the groceries back. Near the end of last week we rented a car and heavy items (like watermelon) will most likely be purchased on a non-walking shopping trip. I still prefer walking though. I can spend a lot of time in the parking garage looking for my car, and sometimes the exit evades me too.

There is a HUGE library across the street from us that we have gone to several times already. I can walk there in just a couple of minutes and check out just about any book I can think of. I thought that Lindsay would be in heaven, and I'm sure she would be, except the fact that we have 3 televisions and cable that have kept her from reading as much as she usually does. Adjoining the library is a park that we go to often. Nicholas said we "sort of" have a yard because the park is so close.

Ryan received a list of 17 posts that we had to rate with a 1, 2, or 3 for our desire to go to that location. I had to look at the map for a few of them. My geography is getting better. We spent some time at the Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) to learn about each location before handing in our preferences. Most locations are good but a few of them I would be happy to avoid. We should know where we are going in less than 2 weeks. After spending time at the OBC on Saturday we headed to DC to go through some of the museums. I was shocked at how many people were there. We went to the Castle and then to the Air and Space museum. Nicholas' attention span was too short at the castle but he enjoyed the Air and Space museum.

We are enjoying the beautiful buildings and scenery here. There is so much history and so many places to be explored. I'm happy we'll be here for a few months to learn and see all we can.