Boys in the Pool

This year, Grammie and Grampa put the inflatable wading pool up on the deck, reducing the grass and dirt that made it into the water. Here, Ian splashes about as Cam "swims laps."

Ian Meets Danny

Out 10-hour projected trip from DC to Maine was more like 15 hours, thanks to the George Washington Bridge in New York and the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. When we arrived at 11:00 PM, all the boys were asleep (thank goodness!), so Ian didn't get to meet Danny -- "Daniel Patrick," as he insists on calling him -- until this morning.

Bedtime at the Hyatt

This is how our day ended . . . a couple of hours later than it really should have, as, despite being exhausted after walking around DC all day, these two refused to fall asleep.

Cam, Ian, and Kermit

Kermit now lives at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Snacks at the Washington Monument

After the White House, we walked south to the National Mall and stopped for a snack of fruit snacks in the shade of some trees near the Washington Monument. It was warm but dry and breezy -- perfect for a day out.

Washington Monument

Boys at the White House

First stop on the Pierces' Washington tour: the White House. By this time, Cam had already learned two new inappropriate words, thanks to the patrons of the DC Metro system.