On Saturday we hit the ground running at 8AM for a full day on our feet and in the rain. We were supposed to tour the White House, but the new administration didn't get everything in order for us...so we had to settle for pictures outside.
Here is a picture of a protestor that has lived outside the White House for nearly 29 years - there are several people that take turns holding down the fort! We're told that when they submitted their paperwork for protesting, there was no end date given so they've continued to live here! This gentleman was very happy to pose for pictures, but by the time the crowd cleared enough for me to get a shot, he was no longer paying attention.
Me and the boys outside the White House
Here is the group of 5th graders that were on the trip - we really had a good group of kids!
Here is our tour guide, Ron Page.
The boys were digging their 4D glasses at the Newseum!
We paid $5 for Kolton to be a weather forecaster, he did great!
We paid $5 for Kolton to be a weather forecaster, he did great!
At the top balcony of the Newseum - the kids were a bit uneasy being so high, so we got a quick shot and ran back in!
Changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington Cemetery
The eternal flame near Kennedy's grave, Kolton thought this was pretty cool!
Here you can see Kolton next to the tour guide, he and his friend Jonathan (in the stocking cap) kept playing "Stump the Guide" because their teacher told them that the guide pretty much knew everything! Poor Ron!
Kaden got tired of the cold wind and rain and opted for his parka, but you can see Kolt wouldn't even wear his hood!
Marsha and I decided to stand in the bread line, none of the kids understood that this was a seriously sad time - they kept goofing off. Marsha and I were the only parents goofy enough ourselves to join in the fun.
Then my camera went dead and I had no back up! I thought for sure the batteries would stay charged, but they didn't. So I just enjoyed the rest of the trip and didn't get any pictures. Marsha did take some, so when I get them from her I'll probably add them here. The weather was cold and wet both Saturday and Sunday while we were out both days. We got to see so much, but had very little time to actually enjoy any of it - a whirlwind...but it was an awesome experience with lots of history. On Monday we spent most of the day inside buildings and don't you know it was cloudy, but not as cold and not wet! UGH! We boarded the bus around 6PM (D.C. time) and drove all night through fog and unloaded the bus around 7AM.
