Washington, DC- Saturday, March 5, 2016

We've occasionally joked that our job as chaperones is to come back with the same number of students that we left with. If that's the case, we're not doing to well this time. We are already two less than what we arrived with. Two parents came to pick up students-- one because he was so sick, and one because of a discipline issue. Mr. P. had stayed back with the sick students yesterday. We all asked him when the last time was that he had basically nothing to do like that, seeing as he is the father of three little one now. He confessed that he enjoyed that aspect of it for the first half of the day, but the boredom started to get to him for the second half. We've got another student sick today. The choice of who was going to stay back this time was easy because his mother was one of the chaperones. Unfortunately, the chaperone, Mrs. C., is also throwing up sick, and we're all holding our breath and washing our hands and hoping we don't get it too.


After breakfast, our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery, and like always, we arrived a few minutes late and had to rush up the hills to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Timing is crucial here, because we had four students scheduled to lay a wreath there after the changing of the guard. I was cursing the poor planning under my breath as we huffed and puffed up the hills, but it was worth it for the moving ceremony. Because I had "the good camera" (i.e., I was the only one not using my phone. I don't think that necessarily means my pictures were better) I was chosen to be our official photographer for the ceremony. After the guards had changed, another guard let me in to a specially chained off area where I was able to take pictures of the faces of our students instead of their backs like everyone else. After that, I escorted one of our wreath layers back to the bus early because her dress shoes were hurting her feet. That gave me a chance to rest on the bus.

The next stop was supposed to be the Air and Space Museum, but we first made an unscheduled stop at the U.S. Botanic Garden because Mike. Unfortunately, we entered the building without a plan on how to get out. People seemed to scatter into the maze of flora. I stood puzzled for a moment or two, and eventually went to the restroom. When I returned, I went to see where people were but couldn't find anyone. Eventually, I went outside and found the entire bus waiting for me for apparently some time. I don't like changing plans at the last minute on trips like this.

When we did get to the Air and Space Museum, I spent a while at the McDonald's talking with other chaperons and relaxing. Unfortunately, I think I accidentally threw out my glasses with the stuff on my tray. All I know for sure is I don't have them now. (Didn't Julie lose Emma's retainer here the same way? [Note added later: No.  It was at the Natural History museum]) I spent a while in the gift shop for shopping I had to do and did take a stroll around some favorite exhibits. I touched the moon rock and saw the first airplane that flew. The Milestones of Flight Hall was undergoing renovation, so all the space capsules like the Mercury and Apollo ones were elsewhere.

When we went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum next. I brought a tie and Anna's selfie-stick with me today because I wanted to get my picture with the first sixteen presidents, at least, but the pictures weren't really turning out. That was a disappointment, certainly.

The dinner cruise on the Potomac was uneventful. Our students were neither good nor enthusiastic dancers. The DJ seemed to pick a lot of songs that no one had an interest in. When we got the kids taped into their rooms, the chaperons relaxed and socialized in one of our rooms. I told them how someone had asked me on the boat if we were going to go by the Statue of Liberty. I didn't tell them it was one of the chaperons that asked me that, but I did enjoy watching his face turn red as I told the story.