Five Brown Kids

Months ago I acquired tickets for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture so we headed up to DC for the boys spring break for a little adventure. The museum is amazing.  But I don't recommend taking kids (if you do move quickly through the bottom floors and save the bulk of your time for the upper floors).  It's so much information and much of it is very sad and very intense.  We were there for 4-5 hours and I still missed so much. I was really concerned that I would leave the museum feeling sad and depressed but just the opposite happened.  I walked out smiling and feeling uplifted.  I was blown away by a people who had everything taken away  - even the right to own their own bodies - and who responded with resiliency and hope and brilliance and success.  It is an outstanding history! (Do I feel ANGER at people past and present who treat others badly?  Yes!  But that is a story for another day...) You enter o...

Tyrone's little sister and her family came to visit for spring break.  I had a nasty cold that week but survived.  We checked out the science museum and Pullen Park downtown.  Went walking down to the lake. Ate yummy suppers, watched Taye swim at Y Nationals, watched Jaxon practice basketball etc. etc.  Nice to catch up with family.        

I love the annual highlight video - it makes all the carpool, cooking and cleaning worth it...

Tyrone got to spend another week in the Dominican Republic providing anesthesia for people in need.  It's a work/vacation trip.  Spend the day at the hospital working where everyone loves you and then back to the hotel to relax in the pool with friends, eat dinner prepared for the team and then relax and visit in the evenings.

It was a quieter spring break than usual - the weather was chilly and wet and made our list of activities challenging. Scotia played with Blythe - she is an amazing babysitter/teacher and makes my life a hundred times easier. Scotia made lots of slime and spent one whole morning making beautiful soaps. We went out for crepes and painted pottery at klaystation. While the girls played on this kid space down at the dam I literally reclined on a big smooth rock and bought a new car.

Thanks to his second mom who is always keeping track of Taye.

Scotia competed in First in Fitness over spring break - running the 100 yard dash. She didn't place but ran fast. I enjoyed coaching the school First in Fitness team one morning a week for the past few months. One of my Brown kids has raced in First in Fitness since Taye was in second grade.  That's a lot of years!