My daughter heard about Washington, D.C. in the 3rd grade. About a year ago she began to ask questions about D.C. She then told me that she wanted to visit D.C. It had been a while since we were able to have one on one time together since I had her sister 3 years ago. Children need our one-on-one time. It makes a difference to the relationship with your child. She was 7 years old when she welcomed her sister into her life - she was saying goodbye to being an only child and I knew she would miss all of the quality time we were able to spend together. While she loves her little sister - I know our relationship is strengthened when I set aside time for her.

I spoke to my mother 8 months ago about going to Washington, D.C. originally just wanting her to know that on one of my trips to NC to visit her I may need to go to D.C. for a few days and I wanted her to be prepared for that. I honestly had no clue where to start in planning our trip from the hotel to what monuments and museums to see. I was thankful that she wanted to join us on our trip to D.C. it was very special. My daughter was excited that it was going to be just us three going to D.C. together. It had been a long time since she had spent quality time with my mother and me together. We usually only visit once a year. Everyone knows how difficult it is to enjoy family when many of them live in different states.

Not only did we get to see D.C. for two days, we were also visiting with my sister’s family (her husband and 2 children) and we had the opportunity to see my grandparents at their new home in Charlotte, NC. It was a great visit.

Here are some photos from our trip.