Ellipse 2012...

The National Tree 2012...

Will waiting to cross Independence Ave...

A bad picture of the boys technically, but this is probably the only time I have had them both smiling at me near each other, EVER!

Checking out the trains that run around the tree...

Will and Santa.  Charlie wasn't interested in sitting on the lap.

After Santa, we headed over to the Sculpture Garden for Will to try ice skating...

I sat out with a charming little companion,  we ended up watching Octonauts on my phone while waiting for Daddy and Will to finish. 

Will was a brave little skater.  He didn't leave the wall of course, but I was proud of him for trying! Jason did great for not having skated in more than a decade!

I feel very lucky at times like this to live so close to the Nation's Capital.  I love seeing the White House, and the tree and look over and see the Washington Monument right there!  The mall is such a nice wide open space for kids and I just love looking up and seeing the Capitol all lit up at night.  I always feel just a little bit prouder to be an American when I am down there.... As for the Santa visit, Jason and I both knew Charlie wasn't going to sit, so that was fine.  Will decided though that he was going to ask Santa for his phone number and talk to him about a variety of other things.  I reminded him that he needed to tell him what he wanted for Christmas and to tell him that he had been a good boy.  Instead, William got up there and told Santa all about the naughty little boy in his class who is very mean.  Then he was upset when he had to leave and give the next kid a turn.  I told William that he shouldn't have wasted the time ratting out the other kid, but I reassured him that Santa would know what he wanted.  He didn't seem very sure about that.  We walked up to the Nativity and he started talking to these two women standing there and they asked me about seeing Santa and I told them it was free, etc. and William said " I am William and can you tell him that I want toys that are fighting?"  They laughed and I explained that he had run out of time.  They assured him that they would pass on the message.  He seemed to relax after that.  We walked over the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden Ice Rink and Will and Daddy went skating.  Will was pretty good at walking on skates and considering that this was his first time on ice skates, I was very impressed.  He and Daddy  made it two laps around, which took about an hour and then we went home.  It was a nice evening out and one I will never forget after all that Santa craziness!