Next door is partying like crazy. These sixty-somethings certainly seem to know how to have a good time when they put their minds to it. There is much drunken laughter and splashing and shrieking. Our house, on the other hand, is filled with quiet tired people throwing random things into suitcases, and the noisiest thing is the washing machine finishing up its final load.

We need to be at the airport at 5.30 tomorrow morning which means leaving home at 5 at the latest. Groan. Still, the early start gives us a whole museum-filled day in DC. When we're done there, we'll drive to our hotel in Richmond - a couple of hours away - and hopefully have a wonderful dinner somewhere. It has to be wonderful, because tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary. Hence the nice (albeit pricelined) hotel and the separate room for the kids!

Saturday is the kids' competition, and then Sunday we'll either explore Richmond or go climbing with a friend at Great Falls. Our friend seems very keen for us to join him, but Bobby and Stephen aren't very enthusiastic as they read up about the area and apparently that the only climbs there are top-roped, so they feel it's too tame for them. I don't mind either way; I think we'll have a fun day whichever option we choose.