Free The Mohitos!

Had a very nice day in DC. This morning we'd originally planned on going to a museum, but that turned into a late morning of jigsaw puzzles and Worms on the PS3. We got out just after lunch and went to the American History museum a few blocks away, where we did a scavenger hunt - found a scary red mask, George Washington's weird neo-Roman statue, Kermit The Frog, and a couple of things - and then visited the America on the Move exhibit. The kids loved it, and it succeeded at the twin purposes of both engaging them for two or three hours and helping tire them out.

A pair of 4-year-olds, if you didn't know, have a frightening amount of energy. More if they like each other, because then they're constantly egging each other on.

We ended with a visit to the gift shop, of course, where Aidan got a little model of a space shuttle; a Lego pirate book with some pieces in it; and the late Christmas present from my sister, a nifty thing that "drips" colored liquid down - like different types of oil or something. She'd gotten one before Christmas, but it was dropped and shattered before she'd gotten it to New York... So that was an eventual no-go.

Dinner was a lovely meal at Cuba Libre, a couple of blocks south of here. I have to say, the Vaca Frita was just... Oh. My. God. It was *amazing*. It was crispy and seared just right, but so amazingly tender it melted in your mouth, and spiced perfectly. Served over black beans, onions, peppers, long rice, and bacon... Just... Wow. The meal as a whole was great. Mixed meats on one appetizer (that chicken was great!) and mixed fried things (plantains and other things) on the other. The manager just adored the munchkins, and sat with us for almost 15 minutes while they both (separately) counted up to 100, and told her all about the pictures they were coloring for their various mothers and fathers. In fact, the manager gave us two free orders of ice cream for the kids, which was funny but very nice. :) My dessert was... Ummm, Tres Leches de Banana? Vanilla sponge cake soaked in a mix of banana creams; topped by chocolate banana mousse; and served with a caramelized banana. Quite nice.

I was very proud of Aidan, by the way. He tried the steak, pork, chicken, chorizo, toston, and fried plantains off the appetizers; the Yuca fries and bread (which, when served with its cinnamon butter, tasted an awful lot like French toast); some of both my steak and my sister's pork from the entrees; and then most of his serving of mango ice cream (when the waiter said they didn't have Strawberry)... And out of it all, the only thing he didn't like was my sister's pork.

Home in the evening, and the kids are in bed. I'm thinking about bed shortly myself. Flight in the morning, work (for me; school for the boy, of course) in the afternoon. Soooo, I'm out of here soon. But it's been a good trip.

Have a good night, all.