Kite Day...

This Saturday, Seth, Sarah (she was down visiting from New York!), and I went down to the Mall for Kite Day. Each year, the Smithsonian sponsors Kite Day as part of their Cherry Blossom Festival Activities. It's become a tradition for our little family to go, starting when David and I were living in DC the first time around. That time, we went with Jenny and Sean and picnicked behind the Smithsonian Castle. It was one of my favorite things to do in DC, and it was definitely a favorite memory of mine from that time. We also went last year because David's Supreme Court interview happened to fall right after the weekend of the event, so we went again. That time, the wind was blowing hard, and we got our kite up easily, but it crashed hard into the ground several times because the wind was a little too strong. And it was freezing that day. This Kite Day was absolutely perfect. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, it wasn't too hot or too cold, and there was just enough wind so that everybody could get their kites up. We didn't take a kite this year, but we enjoyed watching. These pictures don't do the day justice, but I hope they bring you a little taste of springtime in DC.

After we checked out the kites, Sarah, Seth, and I went to the Museum of the American Indian for lunch. They have a fantastic cafeteria with food from several different Native American cultures from all over the globe. We went to the Great Plains station and had buffalo chili and pinto beans on indian fry bread. Yum...

Seth and I enjoyed some good lighting and a good photographer for this picture. We haven't gotten to take many pics outside yet because it's been so cold. Spring is here, baby boy. We're going to have so much fun outside, just you and me.

And here's some info on the Kite Festival tradition, for those of you that are interested:

The first documented Japanese kite dates back to the year 981 A.D., and kites have continued to play an important artistic and cultural role in Japan ever since. Today there are 130 different styles and types of Japanese kite, each region having its own unique shape. The Smithsonian honors the importance of the kite in Japanese culture with this year’s festival theme, Tako Age Taikai (Japanese for “kite festival”.) Colorful, traditional Japanese kites will fly over the Washington Monument grounds, and we challenge you to create your own Japan-inspired kite for our annual kitemaking competition. Special elements of this year’s festival include demonstration booths by Japanese kitemakers, displays of Japanese kite art, and a tremendous opening ceremony featuring a local Taiko drum group. This year’s festival will again feature hands-on activities led by representatives from kite organizations. Spectators can learn about kite flying, participate in kite-making activities, learn about the history of kites and the Smithsonian Kite Festival, and much more. As usual, the festival features three competitions. For those who build their own kites, you are invited to enter the handmade kite competition. Please click on “Festival Awards” to learn about our new format for the handmade kite competition. Teams may also enter into two additional heart-stopping events. The always popular traditional Rokkaku kite battle will be held at the end of the day. We are also excited to offer the third annual Smithsonian Hot Tricks competition. Kite flyers strut their stuff on the field while dazzling the crowd with trick kite moves.