Castruccis in DC

Let me start out by saying a few obvious things about our national city:

1. Wow, DC is expensive.  I don't know if it's because I've been living outside of the north east for the last 5 years or not... but wow.
2. DC is beautiful.  It reminds me of European cities.
3. DC is NOT baby friendly.  The restaurants aren't baby friendly, the museums aren't baby friendly, and the people aren't baby friendly.

And now... let me run down our itinerary:

Tuesday, October 19

2:30 PM - We land in Atlanta.  As we are landing... Monkey falls asleep.
3:00 PM - Check in at hotel. 
3:15 PM - Monkey tears apart the hotel room.

4:30 PM - We venture out for an early dinner.  We try Italian.  Little tired monkey has a meltdown in the restaurant, throws food on the floor, spits milk out of his mouth... DC is not amused.

7:00 PM - Silent 7's begins.  Since we were all sharing one hotel room, when Monkey got put to sleep all the lights in the hotel room were extinguished and Brian and I had to be silent until Monkey fell asleep.

7:30 PM - Monkey finally stops crying and falls into an exhausted sleep.

1:30 AM - Screaming Monkey.  Mommy settles him down.

Wednesday, October 20

4:45 AM - Screaming Monkey.  Wide awake - no going back to bed folks.

6:30 AM - First attempt at breakfast with a tired Monkey.  Babies are free at the buffet.  Thank God because we tried scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, toast, omelet, and finally french toast.  Yes... douse it in syrup and Monkey will eat it... at least until he starts spitting it out of his mouth - half chewed.

8:00 AM - Daddy off to the conference, Mommy and Monkey pretend to take a nap (well... Mommy doesn't pretend).

9:30 AM - Mommy and Monkey are off to take on DC.  Cabbie is supposed to take Mommy and Monkey to the Museum of Natural History.  Monkey starts out enthralled by the cab and ends up annoyed that he can't move around and explore - there is some screaming. 

9:50 AM - Mommy pays the cabbie, steps in a gigantic puddle on the way out and as the cabbie moves away she notices they stand in front of the Museum of American History.  But, the good news is that the museums are free and Mommy got to see Julia Childs' kitchen.

 10:30 AM - Mommy and Monkey walk over to the Museum of Natural History where Monkey is awed by the dinosaurs.

 12:00 PM - Mommy and Monkey eat an expensive lunch of yogurt and peanut butter and jelly (Monkey's first) at the museum.  There are a lot of children to watch and this was a successful eating out moment.
12:30 PM - Mommy and Monkey walk around the Mall towards the Capitol.  Monkey makes it very clear he has had it with his stroller.
1:00 PM - Mommy stumbles upon a cabbie who takes us back to the hotel.
1:30 PM - Mommy and Monkey nap for real.
3:00 PM - Monkey plays in hotel room, quickly gets bored and cranky.  Mommy hopes Daddy gets back soon.
4:00 PM - Daddy arrives and Mommy and Daddy get Monkey dressed for the Awards Ceremony that night.  Monkey looks adorable and Mommy and Daddy don't look too shabby either.

5:30 PM - All arrive at the awards ceremony.  Brian's employees and co-workers take Monkey and Mommy doesn't see him again for a few hours (which, considering how cranky Monkey was during the day this wasn't so bad).
6:00 PM - Daddy receives his award.  As Daddy is receiving the award, the crowd goes silent and from the back of the room your hear "Da-Da."

8:30 PM - After having dined on fabulous quesadillas, sliders, and other yumminess at the reception, the Castruccis adjourn to bed.  This time it's "silent 8:30s."
3:00 AM - Monkey wakes up screaming.  Mommy settles him down.

Thursday, October 21

6:00 AM - Monkey wakes up and is ready to go.
6:30 AM - Castruccis make it to breakfast and try the same french toast with Monkey.  This time he eats 2 bites, gets annoyed, and starts to act out.  Daddy eats his breakfast and then takes Monkey to walk around the hotel so Mommy can eat her breakfast.
8:30 AM - Mommy and Monkey nap (both of them this morning).
10:30 AM - Mommy asks the concierge if there is a park or playground close by and (thank the Lord) there is one just few blocks down.
11:00 AM - Monkey, Mommy, and tons of Nannies with their charges are hanging out at the park.  Monkey gets to walk around and explore.  Leaves are the coolest thing ever.

 12:00 PM - Mommy and Monkey meet Daddy for lunch at a restaurant... not a kid friendly restaurant.  Monkey is exhausted and eats some food.  The check is asked for quickly.
12:45 PM - Mommy goes and buys a book at a bookstore (yippee - new book).  Monkey and Mommy make their way back to the park.
1:00 PM - Mommy and a sleeping Monkey hang out in the park.  Mommy reads her book.  Life is good.
2:00 PM - Monkey wakes up and continues to explore the park.
3:30 PM - Mommy and Monkey return to the hotel.  They hang out in the room for 30 minutes before Monkey has a meltdown and then they walk around the hotel... for an hour.
5:00 PM - All go to dinner at a restaurant that Mommy found online that was supposedly "kid friendly."  It was a lie.  Monkey lasts 30 minutes before the start of a meltdown.  The food was bad anyway.
7:00 PM - Silent 7's.

Friday, October 22

6:15 AM - Monkey wakes up... a little bit later every day.
6:45 AM - Breakfast... Mommy eats and then walks with Monkey while Daddy eats.
8:30 AM - Everyone naps.
10:00 AM - All are off to the National Zoo (which, as an aside, I have to say is, hands down, the best zoo I've ever been to and normally I hate zoos because I hate to see the animals captive but I would live at this zoo if they made a habitat for me... a habitat made of chocolate...).  For the next couple of hours, all walk around the zoo in awe.  There are tons of children and Monkey can't decide which is more exciting, the children or the animals... or the statues.

2:00 PM - Sleeping Monkey and Mommy and Daddy start the mile walk back to the hotel.
5:00 PM - Final dinner in DC.  Mommy and Daddy try the Cheesecake Factory... bad idea.  Monkey at his macaroni and cheese in 10 minutes and then was done thank-you-very-much.  Daddy walked with Monkey while Mommy ate.
7:00 PM - Silent 7s... very silent.

Saturday, October 23

7:15 AM - Monkey wakes up.
7:45 AM - Attempt at breakfast.
9:00 AM - Off to the airport... about time.

So, what were our lessons learned on this trip:

1. Staying in a hotel without any family around with a VERY active 14 month old is a bad bad idea.
2. While Brian gets reimbursed for most of his trip because it was a work conference.... Ellen and Monkey do not... it ain't cheap.
3. Babies/todllers don't like eating every meal at a restaurant... they really don't like it.
4. Our baby is still one of the best little fliers around.

Next up... Halloween 2010.