Virginia visit (pontoon boats and aquatic gardens)

While Ben was in L.A. for the week, I took the kids up to Virginia to visit friends. We stayed with the Littles and had a great time. The kids were in heaven playing with their friends nonstop. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows the first night. The next morning we headed to the Bladensburg Waterfront Park and did one of their free pontoon boat rides down the Anacostia River. We saw lots of wildlife. We had a picnic lunch and then made a stop at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, one of my favorite hidden gems in the D.C. area. There were still tons of lotus flowers in bloom and it was beautiful. Unfortunately it was also very hot and the kids wore down quickly. Simon also got stung by a bee and I got stung trying to get it out of his shirt. Luckily he got over it quickly, although he would occasionally point to the sting and say "it still hurts mommy."

kenilworth aquatic gardens

Friday morning we took my parents to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to see the lotus and water lilies in full bloom. This place is truly remarkable and one of my favorite hidden gems in the area. The sea of lotus flowers is so unexpected and seems to go on forever. We wandered around the paths and did our best to stay cool on such a hot morning. At least the heat seemed to keep the crowds away.

This was not the only time during the weekend that my dad was carrying Elsa. He was kind enough to walk with her to the playground near our house one day and Elsa wore shoes that were way too big and Grandpa ended up carrying her the whole way.