kaleidoscoping chaos...: I am King of the World!!!

When we arrived in Vegas this past weekend, we walked into our hotel and before we could process anything there was this huge ship in a glass box staring at us... the sign in front read, "100th year anniversary - The Titanic" - Wow! (see here)

We both stopped in our tracks. For the past few weeks, Jocelyn has been singing the Titanic theme song all the time... not because she loves the song - but because she has felt like she was on the Titanic... in the Big Law sense. There have been many jokes about people "going down with the ship" and stuff like that in the press and at the firm. Especially since there has been all the press about Titanic because it is the 100 year anniversary of her sinking. It all hits way to close to home (literally, we just bought a 100 year old house, built the same year the Titanic sunk - and Dewey Ballentine of the Dewey & LeBoeuf is a 100 year old firm...) So this big ship staring at us in our face was nothing, if not ironic...

On Sunday, we had a little bit of time so we went to the exhibit. It was fantastic. Very well done. They make the whole thing very personal with tons of personal stories about the victims and the survivors. You get a ticket with a passenger dossier when you enter and are told to figure out what happened to them by the time you leave. The exhibit takes you from decadence and opulence to dark and dismal - in every way. The physicality of the exhibit is beautiful and intense and there are moments that you feel as if you are on the ship (you can have your picture taken on the grand staircase and you walk onto the grand promenade in the moonlight and can see only stars). At one point, you are presented with an ice berg and instructed to touch it - specifically to feel the temperature of the water the victims were swimming in after the ship went down. The whole thing is very powerful. The artifacts are completely interesting: the dishes, pieces of the boat, perfume bottles with perfume still in it and the knowledge of who owned them, champagne bottles with champagne still in them, pieces of clothing still perfectly in tact and the ability to link them to their owners, the same with certain pieces of jewelry. It was a very humbling exhibit.

Of course it ends in a gift shop. I was excited to buy Jonah a small boat-he is obsessed with anything transportation. There were almost no boats to buy. I found this small one that was totally age inappropriate (I think it was ceramic) and bought it. I couldn't help myself.

Today was Titanic Day! I gave Jonah the boat this morning! He loved it. He was sailing it all over the house. I also needed to get the car washed and detailed because it smelled like rotten something-completely GROSS!!! (I think it was old spilt formula from Vera) The car cleaning takes 2.5 hours and there is one right near the metro near our house. Vera slept till 7:30am today (she usually gets up at 6am) and Jonah was up at 7am (he usually sleeps until 9am). I hatched a plan with my kaleidoscope and the "mommy goddess" must have been listening. I figured we'd go do something "boat" related and thought we might end up at the U.S. Navy Museum over in southeast (there is a huge ship there you can go on and the museum is cool - we went when Jonah was just 1 but have not been back-it is on our list), but then at the last minute I figured I should just google Washington, DC and Titanic... and SCORE! You guessed it! There is currently a Titanic - 100 Years Obsession Exhibit at National Geographic. NO WAY! Yup!!!

We were up and out early. Dropped off the car, transferred to the stroller, walked to the metro and hopped on - Jonah was super pleased by this unexpected metro trip! He also had his little Titanic with him. We got out at Farragut North and walked a few blocks to 17th & M. As we were approaching the building Jonah yells, "Mom, I see it, there it is, the big boat, it is really big" - he spotted the sign!

We got our tickets and went inside. It doesn't really compare to the Vegas exhibit, but it was a perfect outing with the kids. There is another really big ship encased in glass which both of my kids adored! There were a number of videos which my kids also liked (they do love TV). There were a number of "hands on" kind of stuff. Jonah got to ring the ship announcement bell wheel thing. Jonah and Vera played with this touch table with magnifying glass thingys. Jonah loved the floor images that changed when you stepped on them of the ship in the water. It wasn't very crowded and it was cool. Lots of information if you didn't have two kids to read and learn about the ship. My favorite part was the end. Right before the exit into the gift shop, there is a 3D backdrop scene of the Titanic at her bow (I think that is what you call it) - basically it is the "I am King of the World" spot from the movie. Being the cheese ball that I am, I taught my kids to say "I am King of the world" and climb up there... seriously Jonah was yelling it out loud...

After Titanic, our tickets allowed us entry to the other exhibit there, "Samurai-The Warrior Tranformed" - so we checked that out. I thought it was very nice. Jonah didn't like it, he said it was scary and wanted to leave right away and see the boat again. So we did. The Samurai exhibit has all different armors set up in glass cases and almost looks like costumes from Star Wars - I think my 11 year old nephew would have loved it! We went back to see the "boat" again and stopped in the gift shop. Again, no "boats" to buy - so I ended up buying these little beaded ornaments - again totally age inappropriate but the kids were happy.

We left the exhibit had a bit of snack/lunch and headed back to the metro. But as I was walking, I remembered the great post from KidFriendlyDC about "Look Both Ways" (the Kennedy Center's Street Art Festival this week) and low and behold, I was standing across the street from the park that I thought had performers today from 11:30-1:00 and it was 11:45. Kaleidoscope that baby right up! We crossed the street and saw a yo yo troop and a juggling act during the 20 odd minutes of beautiful sunshine today!

Back to the train, then walked to the car wash place. By the time, we made it to the car wash place, Vera was fast asleep and Jonah was crashing big time into a huge temper tantrum. He didn't want the car, only boats or trains... By the time I paid for the car wash, reinstalled both car seats, and put the kids into them - we had a kicking, screaming, frothing at the mouth Jonah - who also managed to break the Titanic from Vegas into 45 pieces... I completely ignored him - the car wash guys were somewhat freaked out. I think one of them told another one, hey look that kid is so crazy he is acting like a rabid dog... or something like that. I drove away and after 2 minutes he was asleep.

We got home and I managed to get them both in their beds without waking them up and they slept for two hours. Apparently being "King of the World" is somewhat exhausting for a 1 year old and an almost 3 year old...

Yep, keep watching there is also a Vegas part 3 coming up...

Mama & Mommy at the Vegas Titanic Exhibit

Mommy & Mama on the Grand Staircase - this was no "blue wall" - we were really standing on this "over the top" staircase in this room that was a recreation of the foyer... might have been my favorite part!