Remembering

My memory can be pretty bad. Not about the trivial things, mind you, but about the things that really matter. Or the things I want to matter, which aren't always the same things. I know that, last year, I wanted to remember August sixth. But I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't been going through pictures of Japan. I'm trying to get my scrapbook put together (finally) and the first step is figuring out which of the 2,000 pictures I want to print out. I've narrowed it down to one hundred so far, I'm hoping to print out only twenty.

 If it means denial, then yes, I'm an optimist. 

I promised you a report on my family's trip to the Smithsonian, so here it is:

       If you are planning on going to the Smitsonian, and you are planning on taking small children, and you are not on some kind of mental medication, then let me now advise you to first consult a psychratrist. After you have been assured that your mental health is okay you should:

1. Double check your travel method. We left the house thinking we'd take the MARC train to Carrollton. We left the MARC train station disillusioned, and in our van. It turns out that it is cheaper to drive six people than ship them along in a train. The distance is pretty much the same, too.   
   
2. Take time. Little kids especially resist this rule, but older people have trouble with it too. "Three musems and one restraunt, and all in six hours? We have plenty of time."  Is what you might be thinking, but no. Plan at least two hours for each museum. And unless you plan on dining on location, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to eat too. 
3. Know what interest you. We went to the air and space museum first (which was so crowded it was hard to interest the non-readers) and, besides the imax presentation of Fly, didn't really know what to look at. We had a lot more fun at the natural history museum ( who else can't stop calling it the national history museum?), but we also had less time. The American history muesum was fun too, and reminds me of point number 4.

4. Know when things close. Though the musems stay open late, certain activites stop after 4:30. For instance, the American Museum's SparkLab, which is a hands on chemistry lab for children, was already shut down by the time we wandered over to it. Things may be less crowded after five, but remember that space comes with a price. 
5. Bring Your Happy Face. The best way to insure that your trip will go sour is to be sour. It's good to be structured during the planning stages but once you get there relax. 

If you haven't been (or haven't been in a while) you really should go. It's not only fun, it's informative. It also beats watching repeats on Hulu. 

P.S. Don't forget lesson number six. If your going to bring a camera, make sure you know how to work it.