Super Secret Surprise REVEALED!

Alecia, where have you been the last few days?  

You seem distracted - what's going on?!

I'm sure that's exactly what each of you have been thinking, and I'm so excited to finally be able to tell you what I've been doing for the past week (or so)!!

I'VE SENT CHRIS TO WASHINGTON, DC!!

I know, I know, what does that have to do with anything?  Everything!  I've schemed up an awesome plan with another mommy-friend and we've planned an entire trip to Washington, DC for our husbands, but they don't know it!!  We got them up at 6am this morning, had them on the road by 6:30am (Chris picked up the friend, not knowing what was going on) and then we sent them "hunting" for breakfast.  I made a whole "surprise" packet filled with "Destination" envelopes and "Mission" envelopes that guide them to each location and reveal where they are and what they're supposed to do!  They open them one by one along the way.  It took quite a bit of planning, a lot of stealth, and a touch of finesse to pull it off, but I think the husbands are completely surprised and having a good time!  Since they'll be too busy having fun, and won't check the blog, I'm confident that I can tell you guys the whole plan without them finding out ... but if you happen to bump into them (or get the urge to call) - SHHHH, you know nothing :).

First stop was for Chris to pick up J, then they opened up their next envelope with directions to an unknown location ... IHOP in Allentown, PA (we don't have an IHOP here, but love it, so this was a special treat).  They had breakfast, then got back in the car, and opened the next envelope with directions to another unknown location ... the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum Hangar in Chantilly, VA (both Chris and J love air & space stuff, and have never been to this cool part of the Air & Space Museum, so they'll be shocked and excited).  Next, they'll be dropping off the car and taking the Metro into Washington, DC.  We've packed each of our husbands a "travel bag" with water bottles, cameras, sunscreen, etc ... and included the Moon Metro Washington, DC book (we love Moon Metro books), so they're good to go!  They'll be getting off the Metro and headed to an unknown location for lunch ... Tortilla Coast, which was a recommendation from my sister who lived in DC for a few years.  Both of the guys LOVE Mexican and this place is supposed to be a cool, local favorite!  Hopefully, they won't eat too much because we have a big dinner planned, but I'm getting ahead of myself!  After lunch, they'll get back on the Metro and head to (yet another) unknown location ... the National Air & Space Museum!!  They'll have the afternoon to browse around, hit any other monuments, museums, or locations that they'd like to tour, and then it will be on to dinner.  When my sister lived in DC, she took us to this great Mongolian restaurant where you pick your food from a huge buffet (all raw ... meat included) and then take it to the giant hibachi bar and they cook it for you!  It was delicious and such a fun place, so that's where the boys will be dining tonight.  I've made reservations for this evening at Tony Cheng's Mongolian Restaurant.  Hopefully after a long day running around the city, they'll be hungry :).  After dinner, it will be pretty late, and they've got a long drive home (about 4 hours), so we've mapped out how to take the Metro back to the car and included return directions to help them get here quickly and safely.  It will be the middle of the night by the time they return, but I don't think they'll mind!

Aside from this being a great adventure and a fun "Father's Day" treat, the trip should be relatively inexpensive!  Granted, we'll pay for gas, we'll have to pay for the meals (although IHOP & Tortilla Coast are each pretty cheap and Tony Cheng's has an all you can eat deal for just $16.95), and we'll pay for parking at the Hangar ($15) & the unlimited Metro pass (around $7 each, I believe), but other than that, everything is FREE!  Parking at the Metro is free on weekends, both of the Air & Space museums are Free, as well as most of the other great museums and monuments located in and around DC.  So, they're having a great day trip and not breaking the bank doing it ... and they don't even know it!!  Best part, by far - the surprise factor!

I have a lazy day planned for Chris tomorrow - I bought him a new grill for Father's Day (we desperately needed a new one and I found a GREAT deal on one at The Home Depot).  I've already put it together (with the help of a neighbor), so it will be ready to go for Chris tomorrow.  I've got some great meals planned to help us break in that grill, and other than that, Chris will be able to do as he pleases.  I might even take the girls to the park for the afternoon so he can have some quiet time here at the house - to play a Wii game or something!

What are your great Father's Day plans??