U.S. Army Heritage Day

This was a great weekend!

On Friday, we were supposed to attend a free educational symphonic concert in the state capitol, but a traffic jam kept us from arriving on time. Rather than entering late, we opted to skip the exit and move on to Plan B. We drove past this awesome-looking outdoor military museum that we're always too busy to visit, and since we suddenly found ourselves with a few unclaimed hours on a gorgeous morning, we decided spontaneously and unanimously to check it out.

It was terrific - no twins, no pressure, we were free to explore... I didn't have a camera on hand, but let me just say that it was a paradise for any kid (like mine) who thinks the army is mad awesome cool. Helicopters, tanks, pillboxes, redoubts, trenches, barracks, watchtowers, cannons, guns, guns, guns and more guns. All hands-on, all interactive. I can't tell you the last time everybody was interested, nobody fought, nobody whined, nobody wanted to leave (mom included), etc..... you get the picture.

To sweeten the deal, in honor of U.S. Armed Forces Day (which was Saturday, not that I knew in advance), a special day honoring the army throughout American History was planned - think "Renaissance Faire" in camo. So in addition to the regular attractions, the place was starting to fill up with re-enactors. We were priviliged to speak with a tentful of frontiersman from the French & Indian War, a colonial American dressmaker, and an encampment of WW2 German officers, with the promise of countless more re-enactors the next day from every era from the 1750s to the present.

Even though gas money is getting short AND it's a three hour round trip AND we'd be making the trip twice in two days AND our dear husband and father had night shift on Saturday, it was decided that we absolutely could not miss Saturday's event.

And indeed we did not.

My camo kids racing across the parking lot.
They deliberately planned the most appropriate wardrobe for this outing.

Overall, I haven't ever seen this much camo in one place before...



Peering through a sandbag parapet (or so they tell me...)

Observing and interacting with new WW2 "inductees"
assembling and disassembling their rifles.

The twins' new favorite thing is "jeeps."
The delight in those cheesy grins is evident...

Theresa in the pan-denominational chapel

Theresa and Clare interacting with a colonial
and his selection of 18th century toys

This guy had that wooden top spinning for over 4 minutes.
It would have kept going if it hadn't edged off the platform...

Clare, in the WW2 base camp, inspecting a foot locker,
replete with supplies (and girly pinups)

This was a priceless collection of genuine artifacts, even an actual roll of 1942 Life Savers.
Here Clare is holding an Army-issued box of shells.

Let's go back to the twins for a second. I worry that I don't write about them enough.
This picture shows the biggest difference between the twins - their hairlines. Natalie, in the background, has two dramatic cowlicks above her right eye, and her hair always parts sweetly on her right and falls smoothly away from her face. Noelle, in the foreground, usually has hair stuck to falling in her face. Lately, her hair seems to be parting more regularly on the left side, which lends weight to my theory that they might be mirror twins, especially given that Noelle is tending toward right-handedness, while Natalie uses her left hand most often, especially whenever she scribbles on the walls eats.