Sunday, SunDAY, SUNDAY!

Sunday we woke up and creaked out of bed (well, at least I did...) and had to pack the rooms.  Amazing to me how much stuff can be in a room with 4 girls.  I have three of my own, but these four... teenagers.. sure collect stuff!  As had been our MO, we all got out to the bus on time.  I still can't believe how well that worked out.  I cannot say enough about the kids and their ability to make it to a place on time.  No more will I believe that they "forgot" or that they didn't know what time it was!  So, it was Goodbye Homewood Suites, and hello zoo!

By this point in the trip we realized that we did not have to be holding the hands of the kids assigned to us.  They aren't going anywhere.  They're too old to be abducted... and furthermore, they could outrun anyone who tried.  I, on the other hand, couldn't outrun the tortoises.  Man was I sore.  But, I put on a brave face and hit the zoo.  We told the kids that they had to stay together, at least by twos, and to meet us up front.  I was most looking forward to the panda bear.  There are only 4 places in the United States where you can see one. And the National Zoo is one of them.  BUT, who wants to go the easy way and head straight there?  Obviously not me!

Turns out that Eric and I were the popular chaperones.  God only knows why.  But, of the 25 kids we had with us on the trip, 13 decided to come with me and Eric to view the zoo.  I know what you're thinking -- LUCKY!  I know, right??

So, zoo, zoo, zoo, blah blah blah.  But there were a few cool things. One was the O Line for the orangutans.  They could leave their hut and walk all over the zoo above you on these cables.  They were just up there taking a stroll.  It had to be one of the coolest things I've seen.  Here, see for yourself...

Hellloooo up there!  Awesome.

We also got to see several gorillas.  They were pretty neat, and a little scary.  I think this one is shaped just like Eric...

After we saw a few animals we decided we better get to the Pandas.  At one point some of the pack wanted some Mini Donuts from a kiosk -- Justin, in his infinite wisdom said, hey guys, it's the zoo, we are here to see stuff, not to eat mini donuts.  So, we skipped the donuts.  Way to go Justin!

As we trekked up Mount Everest, I mean the zoo path, someone said -- Hey, Mr. Reincke said if we started out to the right, we wouldn't have to climb the big hill, we'd be going down it.  I huffed, and puffed, and spit out -- "That would have been helpful information an hour ago when we turned LEFT"... but I digress...

we finally made it to the Panda viewing area.  I have no pictures.  It's a panda.  Looks just like it does on TV and in photos.  Super cute.  That's what the other 280 people piled up against the glass thought too.  I'll use the words of Shawn, one of my favorite students on the trip... "It was Panda-monium in there!"  haha.  It was funny.  Maybe it was the lack of oxygen, the burning in the my legs, or I just couldn't get up enough energy to groan.  At any rate, it was funny!

We once again loaded on the bus and went to the next destination... McDonalds.  For those of you that know me fairly well, McDonalds and I don't get along.  One of my worries on the trip was how/when I was going to use the bathroom.  Well, McDonalds didn't figure into that!  But, the kids love a McDonalds.  Almost as much as they love a gift shop.

After they got back on the bus, in record speed, we headed off to the Holocaust Museum.  There is nothing funny to say here.  I told everyone before we went in that they were welcome to skip this if they didn't want to go.  I knew that this was one spot where I wanted to absorb history without an audience.  The museum is so well done.  It leads you through staring with early years before the war and ends on the bottom floor with the liberation.  now, I've read a number of books about the holocaust.  I even took a WWII class in college.  But nothing can prepare you for what you see there.  Hearing about the atrocities or reading about them, cannot compare to seeing actual footage from the allies when they arrived in Auschwitz.  Or, to walking through a train car that once carried 200 Jews to their death.  That train car was the size of my bathroom, about 3' by 9'.  That's where I started to lose it.  Eric walked behind me, but knew enough not to speak.  Once we were through the museum, there was a reflection area, with an eternal flame and sunlight in it.  I sat down to say a prayer, and a kid poked me and asked when we were leaving.  I turned around and said -- do you see my head bowed, do you see my hands folded?  GO AWAY.  I think they got the point.  I did hear a lot of kids talking about how I cried -- and asking me if I was ok.  Yes, I am ok.  Yes, I cried.  It was a horrific piece of our past that I think everyone needs to remember.  If you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it.  In fact, I would go again.  You can't be reminded too often of the horrible things people can be talked into doing...

This is me and Eric outside the museum with the Washington Monument in the background.  I wanted a picture so that I will never forget...

I would like to say now on to the funny -- but we went to Arlington Cemetery.  Not a lot of funny there either.  But, it is funny that I was able to walk around this place!  I was looking for a rescue bus, but never found it.
This is the last picture we have of the kids together.  I asked them to please dress nicely for this.  Eric is a veteran of the Gulf War, as well as Operation Restore Hope in Somalia.  My father is a disabled veteran of VietNam.  he holds the Bronze Star.  This was a big deal for me as well...

We had 25 minutes to make it to the Tomb of the Unknown for the changing of the guard.  I'm so glad we made it.  Barely -- it was a sight to see.  This tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year since 1937.  The guard is changed every 30 minutes in the summer, every hour in the winter, and every two hours when the cemetery is closed.  Some interesting facts:

The soldiers that guard it are the best of the elite 3rd US Infantry (the Old Guard).  for a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, they must be between 5'11" and 6'4" with a waist size that cannot exceed 30".  (yeah, they're skinny guys!  but that walking helps them too).

The inscription on the tomb says "Here rests in Honored Glory an American Solider known but to God".  Typing this makes me tear up a bit.  It was powerful.

After that we again released the kids on their own.  Several of them went straight to the bus to change and relax.  I decided that I needed to see Arlington house and the grave of President Kennedy and Jackie O.  The cemetery is 624 acres in size.  If you live on a 40 acre property, think of that, times 25.  if you live, as my parents do, on a 5 acre parcel... well, you get the picture.  This place is HUGE!

We hiked over to see the Kennedy tomb and the eternal flame.  I'm glad I did.  Here, you can see it too.

When we got back to the bus, the amazing drivers, Rick and Dave, DROVE us by the Iwo Jima memorial.  you've all seen it, but it is large!

I will continue the bus ride home on the next post!  Stay tuned...