And now a word from the chaperones....

Well it has also been a very interesting trip for us as well! One that I am SURE that none of us will forget!

First...On Thursday Tobey and Lisa...they were making there way up the escalator and a security guard proceeded to jump on them because their group of kids turned around on the escalator! He tells them that our kids were being a bad example to all the little kids that were there running up and down the escalators...I mean COME ON!!! They just turned around and looked behind them. Event number 2....Tobey and Lisa were at this exhibit that morphed your pictures in to neanderthals. Their was a grouchy ole' woman standing there waiting HER turn to warp herself and snaps at them "How many of these kids are you going to bring up to this?" Lisa politely tells her...."YOU ARE RUDE!!!" You go Lisa!!

Second...On our first day we purchased metro cards to ride the subway while we were here. Well we found out that if you put your card next to your cell phone it will mess it up. So instead of buying more metro cards we just started feeding about 3 people at a time (several of the cards weren't working). Well, it just so happened that Denise was the one that got caught! The Metro people told her that if she did it again that they would call the cops. OK i know they are just doing their job but MAN these people are RUDE!!! There is a way to approach people and I guess these people up here have never been taught Southern Hospitality!!

Let's see who should be next....OH YEAH! Lets talk about Tisha's encounter with the old man. Which also includes the involvement of Debbie. We were waiting for the subway and were filed to the side waiting for the ones on the train to get off and there was this old man that was standing on the other side. Seeing as how there was about 15 of us trying to get on at that door the people coming off the subway went toward the side that he was on which blocked him from slipping on the train. THIS is what made him mad! He went to yelling at Tisha telling her she didn't understand how they subway worked and all that junk and that is when Debbie threw her hand up in his face and told him to back off all he was doing was making it worse. He kept yelling and telling Tisha how she was stupid and Debbie got in his face and said BACK OFF!! With her hand out and in his face also! Tisha tried explaining to the man that we had 22 people that we were getting on and he just was not having that! She told him that she was looking out for the best interest of her group and only cared about getting them safely on the train. This OLD GEEZER continued to yell how stupid she was he finally moved on to the back of the train. (Which they ran in to him on the subway again tonight...HOW FUNNY!!!) So this is the full altercation of the grumpy old man that was on the subway and Tisha....oh yeah and Debbie too! LOL!

NOW...I don't guess that we could go just one day with out some altercation! We were riding in the shuttle, I am not really sure of where we were going, when we passed the Pentagon. Our driver was pointing out the side that was hit on 9/11 and Teresa was clicking away taking pictures. we pull in the parking lot surrounding the Pentagon (you would think there would be some massive gate around it or something), our driver was pointing out the 9/11 Memorial and Teresa went snap and that is when the siren went off! Did you know that you can't take pictures of the Pentagon? Yeah well neither did we! The Homeland Security Officer came on the bus and was NOT happy! He told us how many people died at the Pentagon on 9/11 and how taking pictures of it is a serious offense. I know he's just doing his job and protecting the country. So actually this was not one that we are really complaining about! We have just been laughing and picking on Teresa about almost getting arrested for taking the forbidden picture! Or should I say PICTURES!!! Found out later she has about 6-8.

As for me....BTW this is Benita, I've already given my lil run in with security. On the FIRST day none the less! When I tried to take a picture of Tobey getting scanned with the Beep wand, WHATEVER that thing is called! Which I understand we can't be letting people know how security to get in these places work and the officer that approached me was VERY nice about it. Which made me be nice back. Yes I can be nice when I need to be!

All in all this has been a GREAT trip. It's had its bumps as will any trip you plan, I don't think any will go perfectly. As the years go, Tisha will get this trip down to a tee this is still a learning process and I have full faith in Tisha eventually she will know DC like the back of her hand. I can't wait til next year when I get to come back!...but I'm hoping that I can talk her into a trolley, and stay away from the subway, I would hate for her to run into that Grumpy Old Man again! But I have to admit the subway wasn't that bad. Every time we got successfully on and off we would stand in the middle of the platform and clap like a bunch of crazy people. Literally! CRAZY PEOPLE!!! People waiting there would turn around and look at us. But anyway...I can't speak for all the parents in the class but I want to say THANK YOU TISHA!! You did an AWESOME job of getting everyone and everything ready for this trip!! It takes a special teacher to take the undertaking of taking a bunch of kids and their crazy Mommas to DC!

This is Benita saying it is 11:24 PM, on May 8, 2010, Over and Out From DC! Were Coming Home! It's been a GREAT trip!