The Lee Family: Spring Break, Day 6: Arlington National Cemetery

Thursday morning CK had a meeting in Arlington, so I took the girls to Market Lunch again for breakfast before we drove over the bridge to pick him up. It was strange to drive roads that I drove for 12 years. They all seemed familiar, but I had to use my GPS to figure out exactly how to get to downtown Arlington, Virginia! With CK in the car, we drove to Arlington National Cemetery, which I haven't been to for probably 15 years, when I went with my Aunt and Uncle for a Easter sunrise service. It was a beautiful, sunny and crisp day that promised to warm up nicely. Instead of taking the bus up the hill to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we decided to walk. It was pretty steady uphill and by the time we arrived we were all warm! Plus, Olivia wanted to be carried, so she got a piggy back ride from either me or CK as we walked. The area surrounding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was already crowded, so we moved up onto the steps and then split up. Sofia and I found a spot on the stairs while Olivia and CK stayed on the balcony and he put her up on his shoulders.

The ceremony began and it was just as I remember it from when I last saw at 12 years old. The absolute quiet other than the sound of the soldiers' heel clicks and guns is really impressive. We watched the ceremony while standing up and then watched as several school groups were led in from behind us to place a wreath at the tomb. Sofia and I were right next to the soldier when he addressed each group before they went down the stairs to the tomb and also when he walked them back to the doors of the building. It was really cool!

We headed away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and down the hill a bit to enjoy the peaceful spaces away from the crowds. While we walked, Sofia wrote in her journal about her experiences so far. I bought both girls journals hoping that Sofia would enjoy writing her thoughts down. When I was younger, I kept a journal and it was a fun way to reflect on my favorite parts of an experience. I loved that she was doing the same. Olivia used her journal to draw in at restaurants.

After the ceremony we walked down to an area of the cemetery that included a few WWII pilots CK wanted to pay his respects to, as well as other famous men buried there. The girls were hungry, so we found a bench near where CK was walking around and had granola bars, fruit leathers and water. Following our snack, we walked to Robert E. Lee's mansion, which is surrounded by the original garden and the grave sites of Union soldiers. On the far side of the mansion is where Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the architect who designed Washington D.C., is buried. It's a stunning view of D.C. from his grave and I'd never been there before. We took a few pictures before heading just below where we stood to see the eternal flame and the location of John F. Kennedy, his two brothers, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's graves. Sofia enjoyed walking around the wall and reading all of JFK's quotes and Olivia wanted to run around and climb. She was far more interested in playing than being respectful and quiet. We returned to our car from there and headed back into D.C.

Olivia fell asleep on the drive, so CK carried her into the apartment while Sofia and I headed back to Turtle Park for a little playtime. After a while, CK said Olivia was awake so they joined us at the park and the girls had a ball playing together. I love that despite there being kids Sofia's age at the park, she'd rather play with her much-younger sister. They really do enjoy each other most of the time. The played and ran around and were soon warm thanks to the beautiful day it was. I walked over to the corner market that we used to visit often when we lived there, and bought drinks and snacks. The little market sure does look a lot nicer now too!

We walked back to our apartment and got ready to go out to dinner at Montemarte, our very favorite restaurant in D.C. CK went a little early to meet his friend Susan and we joined him a little later. Forrest and my friend Tina then joined us after they were off work. We ordered and enjoyed a delicious (as usual) meal and great fun with friends. The girls were awesome too. Olivia immediately took to Susan and sat on her lap and played after we were done eating, while Sofia wrote in her journal or played quietly while sitting next to "Mr. Forrest." She adores Forrest, which I always see as a good judge of character. Susan had to leave to pick up a friend from the airport, and she promised a visit to Texas which hopefully happens! After our meal, we all headed back to our apartment to visit a little longer and free up the table in the restaurant. CK and Forrest took the girls next door to gelato first while Tina and I returned to our place. It was so fun just to hang out with two good friends and felt like old times.

The girls love their Market Lunch pancakes! Yum!