The weather was cold, and Nolan was already fatigued by the long walk from the Metro station. He wasn't a happy camper when we waited for 45 minutes and didn't see daddy run past us. The crowds were heavy and it was difficult to spot a runner in the crowd.
We headed over to the Lincoln Memorial, and I was happy to see Dennis and his dad run by. Unfortunately, the kids couldn't spot him in the mass of runners. Nolan was cold, fatigued, and DONE with the whole marathon idea. He had a major meltdown as we walked all the way back to the Iwo Jima Memorial. I really regret not having a stroller on this trip - he truly needed one.
Fortunately, the third stop was on an uncrowded hill near the finish line. Dennis's Aunt L. and Uncle T. were there, and were an immense help with Nolan. Aunt L. brought donuts, and the increase in blood sugar was definitely helpful to Nolan. Matthew was a real trooper through the entire experience.
We saw our runners go by, but Nolan still couldn't pick them out from the crowd. Dennis is in the grey shirt and black shorts, almost in the center of the picture below. His dad is wearing bright orange and is right beside him.
It took quite some time for the runners to reunite with family after the race. It was nearly 1:00 pm when we were all together again.
Uncle T. gives Nolan a lift.
Dennis's medal from the MCM.
The Metro stop was a literal nightmare, with a line stretching as far as our eyes could see. The kids hadn't had any lunch at this point, and it was a miracle that both were in fairly good spirits. Fortunately, the Marine Corps Marathon has a bus that drops people off in Crystal City - just around the corner from our hotel. We were ushered onto a bus fairly quickly. The kids tucked into the snack boxes that were given to Dennis and Grandpa. Nolan wasn't overly impressed by the snack selection.
We walked to a Chili's in Crystal City and had a late lunch. We made it back to the hotel by 3:00pm, and Dennis was able to relax for a little bit while the kids decompressed from the busy day. We were able to meet a bloggy friend in our hotel that evening - it was so nice that they stopped by to visit. Marielle has a similar hearing loss to Nolan, and it was nice to have a meet-up. The kids had some treats at McDonald's and then ran around the hotel lobby for a few minutes. The weather was terrible due to the approaching hurricane, so there wasn't much else to do.
We went to dinner at a BBQ place in the Crystal City underground mall, and packed everything for our trip home the following morning. We were up early, and Dennis's parents helped us get everything into the car. The pelting rain and wind were intense, but let up as we exited the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We made it home by the late afternoon. Fortunately, the hurricane only caused wind and rain for us, and the only casualties were a few downed trees.
We want to go back to D.C., when we have more time to explore the area with the kids. There are so many things we want to do in the area around the Capital - Monticello, the new children's museum, the zoo, and a White House tour are all on our "to do" list!
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