2016 Family Adventure – Part 3: Washington, D.C.

November 13, 2016 9:16 pm

We got up early on Friday October 7 and took the train from Berlin, CT down to Washington, D.C.  Mom & Dad went on this excursion with us.  We spent 5 days in D.C., so this post is fairly long.

From Union Station we walked to our hotel, the Holiday Inn just south of the National Air & Space Museum.  After dropping off our luggage we popped over to the museum for a little bit before closing.

Lunar Lander!

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Curiosity Rover!  No idea what Heather is doing…2016-10-07_16-54-25

On Saturday we got up, ate breakfast at McDonald’s (the only restaurant anywhere near the hotel open for any useful set of hours [except the two sit-down restaurants attached to the hotel]), and headed off to the Building Museum.  A “Building Museum” may not sound very interesting, but it has a bunch of things in it and many that are geared towards young kids.

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The first snag was that Taste of D.C. was getting set up directly between our hotel and the Building Museum and we had to detour around it since the entire thing was fenced off for several blocks–annoying.  The second snag was that the Building Museum was hosting a pay-to-enter craft fair in their Great Hall which is usually available as a play space–super annoying.

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Fun fact:  The Building Museum building was originally the Pension Bureau.  Brick was chosen to meet the anti-flammability requirements as the facility was going to house all the pension records.  The steps were designed to be shallow and easy to climb to make it easier for war veterans to navigate the building while handling pension issues.2016-10-08_13-07-43

After some time there we grabbed some Subway for lunch nearby.  Then we walked back to the hotel in a light rain in order to get the girls down for a nap.  They were going to need a nap because we were going to be out late getting a West Wing tour of the White House from Mikey.

We took the Metro from the hotel up to the White House and then had dinner at Custom Fuel (a counter-order pizza chain) while we waited for our tour time.  Mikey met us at the restaurant and then off we went.  We made it through guard shacks 1 and 2 successfully and got in to the White House (can’t take any pictures inside, except in the Press Room).  We had to pause shortly after starting because a Secret Service agent didn’t like where we left the stroller and made me move it, but the rest of the tour went without issue.

We saw the Oval Office, the Roosevelt Room, the door to the Situation Room, the Navy Mess, the Rose Garden, and the Press Room.  Jess was really pleased with the “Jumbos”–pictures taken by the White House Photographer that get hung on the walls throughout the building and changed out regularly.

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After our tour we walked across the street to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (formerly the Old Executive Office Building) where Mikey’s office is.  It’s a building with a lot of character.  It’s really sad that the architect was hounded and denounced for its design and eventually killed himself.

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After wandering around the EEOB for a while we got back on the Metro and headed back to the hotel.  Corinne liked the Metro.

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Sunday morning we were off to the National Museum of Natural History.  So much to see and not nearly enough time to see it all.  We got through most of one floor including the dinosaurs, mummies, insects, butterflies, and some geology.  Heather and I read a book about mummies on the train ride out, but in the museum she got all weird in that exhibit and we basically raced through to the other side.  Not sure what her deal was.

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We did the Butterfly Pavilion walk through and the butterflies seemed to like Heather and Jess.

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Lunch was down in the atrium and felt a little like the cafeteria in Jurassic Park.

After lunch we walked down to the Washington Monument and on down to the Lincoln Memorial for sunset.

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Then we went by the Korean War Veterans Memorial and on back to the hotel.

Monday was Columbus Day.  We headed back to Union Station, but not to leave.  We took a Duck Tour (amphibious assault vehicles from WW II refurbished into tour buses that go through the water as well).  While we waited for the tour to leave we watched the Knights of Columbus do their wreath laying ceremony at the statue of Christopher Columbus that stands outside Union Station.

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After the Duck Tour we ate lunch and went to the National Postal Museum (just across the street from Union Station).  Here’s Heather sitting in the cab of a “semi” mail truck.

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Again, you might not think it would be very engaging, but it’s a pretty neat museum and not very crowded.  I wish we had had more time to spend there.  But instead it was off to the other side of town to see the Renwick Gallery and try to pick up an official White House Historical Association Christmas tree ornament.  Unfortunately, the WHHA was closed, so I had to order the ornament online instead. But the Renwick Gallery was pretty neat.

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Tuesday was our final day in D.C.  We went back to the National Air & Space Museum to see some more exhibits before heading to Union Station for the train ride back to Connecticut.

Here’s Heather in front of the Apollo 11 Command Module.

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During this trip Heather developed two new anxieties.  One morning she ran and hopped on the elevator before the rest of us and then the doors closed.  We pushed the call button before it started moving and the doors reopened, but she was freaking out.  After that she would basically glue herself to our sides while entering elevators.

The second incident was on the metro.  We were talking about how many more stops before ours and she had misunderstood something we said.  When we reached the next stop (not ours) she jumped out of the train all excited to be on our way.  We started yelling for her to turn around and get back on the train and she did, but she freaked out about it.  Hindsight: It would probably have been smart for one of us to go out after her and bring her back, presumably one of us would have jumped out if she hadn’t come right back.  So after that she had to be coaxed on to the metro and soothed in order to dare ride again.

We don’t interact much with subways or elevators on a regular basis so we don’t really know if these are still issues for her or not, but I’m sure it will resurface at some inopportune time in the future.

Back at the house was another rest day and then Lyman Orchards for apple picking!

2016 Family Adventure – Part 2: Old Sturbridge Village

November 12, 2016 1:57 pm

The first order of business after our long train ride was a day off.  So we spent a day just hanging around the house letting the girls run around the back yard.

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I’m sure you weren’t, but in case you were wondering, all the pictures on this trip were taken either with a phone or using my new 18-135mm zoom lens that I purchased specifically as a just-take-one traveling lens.  I’m fairly pleased with its performance though it’s not as nice as my 50mm prime.

The next day it was off to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.  A preserved / restored rural New England village representing life from the 1790s to the 1840s.  On the way there we had to make a pit stop to find some Dramamine for Heather, who was becoming carsick.

When we arrived we first ate lunch at the Oliver Wight Tavern.  Then it was into the past:

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The sawmill is always interesting.  There was a lot of ingenuity in these old water-powered automation systems.  Kind of amazing what it takes to bootstrap a society.2016-10-05_14-07-46

 

Here’s Jess taking a break next to the covered bridge.  The covered bridge doesn’t usually have the interior fencing.  They were setting up for a town-wide production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the fencing in the bridge seemed to be to keep the audience on the edges, presumably so they wouldn’t be trampled by a galloping horse.  Side note: I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on the train ride home.  It’s kind of dumb.  I guess it’s a good representation of the “Have you ever heard the story of the….” kind of ghost tale though.2016-10-05_14-31-19

 

I took this picture as Heather and Corinne were chasing chickens around the town green.  The chickens had all hopped off the side of this porch and Corinne was getting ready to follow.2016-10-05_14-50-29

 

Hanging out at the general store eating a snack.2016-10-05_14-58-41

 

The water wheel that operates the gristmill.2016-10-05_15-14-58

 

Squirrel!2016-10-05_15-53-50

 

Corinne was enamored of all the animals, but, unlike the chickens, the sheep didn’t run away.2016-10-05_15-57-41a 2016-10-05_15-58-52

 

After our adventure in the past we made our first Friendly’s stop for dinner and ice-cream (and it’s only like half a mile from the Old Sturbridge Village entrance).  Heather chose the build-your-own kids sundae with mint chocolate-chip ice-cream, strawberries, cookie dough, marshmallow, and rainbow sprinkles.  She thought it was amazing.  I stuck with the Reese’s Pieces Sundae.2016-10-05_18-26-45

Then back home for another day of rest before our adventure-within-an-adventure: Washington, D.C.

2016 Family Adventure – Part 1: The Train

November 5, 2016 2:11 pm

We’re finally getting caught up around the house.  So I can start blogging our big adventure.  Our big family adventure this year was a train trip to the East Coast.

We loaded up on the California Zephyr in Martinez, CA on September 30.  The Martinez station is fairly nice.  It seems to have been recently renovated and the parking is free.

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We booked a private sleeper room and a roomette since 4 people can’t sleep in a single room (you could fit 4 in the “family bedroom,” but then you don’t have a private bathroom/shower).

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Heather was super excited to sleep in the top bunk.  She and I stayed in the roomette while Jess and Corinne stayed in the regular room.

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However, Corinne and Heather completely changed personalities / temperaments while on the train.  We called them “train children.”  They were just…different.  We had a long stop in Denver so we got off the train to walk around a bit.  Which was when we decided maybe Heather was getting motion-sick.  So we bought some Dramamine for her, which helped her significantly, but she was still a “train child.”

Meals generally involved Jess and I attempting to cajole some food into their mouths while they acted loony.  Watching shows on phones was about the only way we could get Corinne to sit still.

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The California Zephyr runs to Chicago at which point we had a long layover before boarding the Lake Shore Limited out to Springfield, MA.  We took the opportunity to walk around Chicago for a bit.

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It was a bit cloudy so we postponed going up in Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) until the return trip.  But we did get some authentic Chicago-style pizza at Giordano’s.

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Okay, the perspective makes the pizza look bigger than it really was, but it was still impressive.

After dinner we hung out at the station–in the Metropolitan Lounge and wandering around to stretch our legs.  The newly renovated Metropolitan Lounge is quite nice with plenty of space.  The dedicated “Kids Corner” was very helpful in keeping the girls contained and entertained.  I also took the opportunity to use their new showers which was quite nice.

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Our train out of Chicago didn’t leave until 9:30pm, so the girls were pretty exhausted, but we got them changed in to pajamas before boarding so they could go straight to sleep.

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Then it was on to Springfield.  Mom and Dad picked us up at the station and we were glad to be in New England and off the train.

A big difference between this trip and the one we did in 2011 was the timeliness of the trains.  Amtrak must have worked out a new agreement with the freight companies or something because we were almost always either ahead of schedule or on time.  Maybe I’m mis-remembering, but it also seemed like last time we always waited at every station until the scheduled departure time.  But this time I think if the stop didn’t have a real station (meaning people couldn’t show up and buy a ticket at the last minute) the train would leave as soon as all expected passengers had deboarded/boarded; which really helped with the time performance.

Happy Birthday to Jess

September 20, 2016 8:00 pm

Despite a rough start on my cake making, Jess’ birthday went well this year.  I don’t have a whole lot to say, so here are pictures:

Severe Cake Failure
Severe Cake Failure – 11PM The Night Before
But, with 2 pounds of sugar, you can't tell the difference!
But, with 2 pounds of sugar, you can’t tell the difference! – Midnight

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Corinne was very impressed by the candles

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They melted fast!
They melted fast!
Look at that tasty cake!
Look at that tasty cake!
Jess sporting her new sapphire heart necklace.
Jess sporting her new sapphire heart necklace.

My children will not be obedient

September 1, 2016 9:01 am

My children will not be obedient and I will never teach them to be obedient.  Obedience is to betray your own sense of morality and instead substitute someone else’s.

Obedience is to do what you’re told regardless of what is right.
Morality is to do what is right regardless of what you’re told. –Unknown

I believe we have an obligation to act morally rather than obediently.  This is one of the fundamental issues that puts me at odds with LDS theology.  LDS theology defines morality as obedience.

For example, the Book of Mormon starts out with a story of Nephi being commanded by God to murder and rob a drunk man lying in the street in order to then go to the man’s home and steal a book.  The LDS Church teaches that this was a great and noble act of obedience and we should all strive to be as obedient as Nephi.  The lesson is that we all must be willing to commit murder if we believe God is commanding us to do it.

Similarly with the story of Abraham and Isaac.  We are taught that we should be so obedient that we will murder our own children and this is adored as virtuous.

The LDS lessons on obedience range from disturbing, to completely nonsensical, to truly concerning.

One of the more disturbing lessons I’ve come across was given by Staheli of the Quorum of the 70 in the April 1998 General Conference:

While I have had my share of lessons on obedience during my life, one of the most memorable was taught to me as a young boy by my dog and my mother. When I was about eight years of age, my father brought home a puppy which I promptly named Spot. We became the greatest of pals as I tried to teach him a few tricks and obedience to my commands. He learned well, except he could not conquer an overwhelming desire to chase and bark at cars as they came down the dusty street by our home in our small southern Utah town. As hard as I tried, I could not break Spot of his bad habit. One day a neighbor came speeding by in his large truck. He knew Spot and he knew Spot’s bad habit. This time, just as Spot approached the truck in his usual aggressive manner, this man swerved toward Spot, running over him with the rear wheel of his truck.

With tears streaming down my face, I cradled Spot in my arms and ran to the house, calling to my mother and brother for help. As we washed the blood from his head, it soon became apparent that Spot’s disobedient act had dealt him a fatal blow. As the burial of Spot was completed and the tears dried, my mother then taught me one of the great lessons of life as she explained the principle of obedience and its application in my life. She made clear that seemingly small acts of disobedience can result in longer-term consequences of unhappiness, regrets, and even fatal results. –Staheli

The lesson here is clearly not that the neighbor who willfully and intentionally murdered his dog was at fault.  Nor was Staheli himself at fault though he was responsible for the dog’s welfare.  It was dog’s fault for being disobedient.  And if we’re not obedient we might be murdered too.

Here’s one example of a nonsensical lesson from a Young Women’s lesson manual (manual 3, Chapter 25):

Explain that one of the primary aims of science is to discover additional laws. When scientists discover these higher laws and obey them, marvelous things can happen. The successful landing of men on the moon is an example of the importance of obedience. Men spent years concentrating on discovering and obeying the natural laws that governed gravity, jet propulsion, and other things. Their obedience resulted in the successful landing of a man on the moon. –YW Lesson Manual

The laws of physics are not something you can choose to obey or not.  The entire paragraph makes no sense in the context of trying to teach that obedience is a virtue.

And finally, the lesson that I find truly concerning and really highlights that in LDS theology there is no greater act than obedience.  In 1980, Ezra Taft Benson gave a talk, “The Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet” in which he quotes Marion G. Romney from the October 1960 General Conference:

I remember years ago when I was a bishop I had President Heber J. Grant talk to our ward. After the meeting I drove him home … Standing by me, he put his arm over my shoulder and said: “My boy, you always keep your eye on the President of the Church and if he ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it.” Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said, “But you don’t need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray.” –Marion Romney

There are two fundamental problems in this quote.  One is that the prophet is infallible.  If “the Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray” then the prophet must be infallible as far as leading the Church is concerned.  Which contradicts the “leaders are not infallible” explanation that is used whenever doctrine has to be revised.

But the truly concerning part of that quote is that we’re told to obey the prophet even when he tells us to do things that are wrong.  That our own sense of morality and our own exercise of agency is so irrelevant that if the prophet tells us to murder our neighbors we need to be obedient and not question else “[we] become [our] own prophet. [We] decide what the Lord wants and what the Lord doesn’t want” (same source, N. Eldon Tanner).  And for some reason a God that granted us agency will find this not only acceptable but laudable.

I find that Galileo had a much more appropriate view on the matter:

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use. –Galileo

Obedience has been used to drive people to great evil throughout history.  I don’t want people learning obedience.  I don’t want my children learning obedience.  Obedience is too easy to corrupt and can only be unblemished under the direction of a benevolent and infallible dictatorship.  Since the LDS Church readily admits that no mortal is infallible (despite teaching that the prophet cannot lead the Church astray) we should really be wary of the constant demand for obedience.

Far better to practice morality rather than obedience.  Morality is to determine for oneself what differentiates right from wrong; to develop your own, internal standard of behavior.  Morality is harder than obedience.  You have to study, ponder, wrestle with, and defend your actions.  You don’t get to explain your actions with, “I was just following orders.”

I will not teach my children obedience.  I will teach them morality.  And I do so with the recognition that morality is harder to teach than obedience.  Teaching obedience can be done with nothing more than fear.  Teaching morality requires teaching awareness, compassion, reasoning, justice, mercy, introspection, empathy, and self-confidence.  I will feel a failure as a parent if my children ever defend their actions by saying, “I was just doing what I was told.”

LDS theology is that our purpose on Earth is to exercise our agency and learn to discern right from wrong.  Supposing that is accurate I have a hard time believing that when we die and stand to be judged that the correct answer to “Why did you act that way?” will be “Because you said so.”