My Day Off

With all the moving stuff, I got behind on work and had a miserably dull but important project that seemed to grind on FOREVER. I finally told myself that if I got it done I could reward myself with a day off. Well Monday night around 1130 I finished it up so Tuesday was my day off!

I decided I would go downtown. I dressed Reuben in a breezy summer outfit, pulled on some capris and headed into the city. It was chilly but it's always chilly in the morning.

Reuben saying hi to a "meow-meow" aka a Red Panda

We were at the zoo more than an hour before it opened which was great because the grounds open at 6 am. So we wandered the mostly empty park and got to see a lot of the animals without the crowds. Reuben described most of the animals - the mongoose, meerkats, the red panda, etc - as being meow meows which means he was a fan.

Around 10 the wind picked up, it started to sprinkle and I started to kick myself for not checking the weather more closely. We had rain coats but it was COLD! I gave Reuben my jacket so he could layer up and hoped a brisk pace and the stroller pushing would help me stay warm until the storm blew over. The storm didn't blow over. It rained ALL day accompanied by a cold wind. So Reuben and I now own souvenier Smithsonian sweatshirts. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Reuben in the Hall of Birds

After the zoo we took the metro in to the Smithsonian and spent the next couple hours at the Natural History museum. It was a good time but I sure hate school groups. And it turns out Reuben hates butterflies. Well, he likes them, he simply wants to kill any that come near him. Th video at the very end of this blog looks laid back but the balance of life and death is tipping every time that little mindless bug swoops close to Reuben.

Reuben sleeping at the National Gallery

Somewhere in the ancient mammal hall Reuben fell asleep so I headed over to the National Gallery for a wonderfully peaceful hour and a half of art appreciation among french and japanese tourists. I even got a chance to sketch a really bored security guard. I love doing that.

And I found myself a couch and sat for a while in front of this portrait Lady Elizabeth Delme and Her Children by Joshua Reynolds. Lady Elizabeth Dulme's depiction intrigued me. Though the mother she is decidedly childlike. Her arm surrounds her children indicating appropriate Maternal care but she is not overwhelmed or overly attached to her children. She is domestic but aloof from the domesticity. She like her setting is pristine, an untouched Eden. Anyway, I found it a well synthesized visualization of the conflicting ideal of an 18th century wife. Basically, a traditional version of the perfect wife - a good mother to a man's children who is immune to any signs (physical, emotional, etc) of maternity.

So if you ever wonder what I think/talk about at the museum, there's a taste. I think a lot of other things about loud middle schoolers and people who wear sharp clicking high heels that wake up sleeping babies but I try to keep this blog free from obscenities so I will not repeat those thoughts.

Reuben waving to the LL Cool J (um..I think?) at the Portrait gallery

Around 4:45 Reuben woke up and became decidedly unimpressed with our surroundings which was fine because it was just about then that the security guards kicked us out for closing time. So we headed to the American Art and Portrait Gallery which is one of my favorite museums. We played in its wonderful courtyard disturbing the collection of first meetings among the internet daters who seem to congregate there.

Then I dragged Reuben through an awesome Community Portrait show which I LOVED. The idea was three artists capturing a whole community through series of individual portraits. The paintings were wonderfully well done. I really want to go back and see it again. You can check out the website here.

Then Reuben found a pho-velvet round couch which he could climb circles around making it his likely highlight of our whole excursion.

Around 630 we fought the crowds and met Aaron in Dupont circle. After a quick stop at Kramer Books (which was fun) to warm up, we snuggled into a cozy booth for dinner at a place by Aaron's office and watched the crowds wander in the rain and wind. Reuben alerted us and the other patrons anytime a bus "BUS!! BUS!!" passed by. Then we commuted home as a family.

It was a great day off.

The Butterfly Movie