Wednesday Summary in Quick Fragments

7:45 = Departed hotel, headed for Arlington
8:30- 11:20 = Laying of wreath at Tomb of the Unknown, then split into two groups. Weathholt & Meagher & 30 kids visit many sites, including Challenger Memorial, Audey Murphy gravesite & JFK grave site. Jones & Cowells and rest of kids see JFK grave site, President/Chief Justice of SCOTUS Taft's grave, and visit Mrs. Schoenherr's grandparents' grave site where kids kids lay flowers.
11:20 = kids hot and tired of walking.
11:30 = bus won't start.
11:45 = bus jumped and starting
12:10 = lunch at Union Station
1PM = designated time to leave for Capitol Building tour. Where are Sam H & Preston M? Weatherholt stays behind to scoop them up, rest of teachers hurry with kids for scheduled tours.
1:20, 1:25 = divided into two groups to tour Capitol. Sam, Preston & Weatherholt run and just barely make it. Cowells promises to deal with the boys later.
1:20-3PM = Tour of Capitol Building. Always before were led by congressional staffers, this time had to take Red Coat tour. It's okay. Do have gallery tickets, though - teachers happy to show kids where State of the Union speech is given and so much important legislation is passed or voted down. Kids keep asking, "Why are we looking at this big empty room?"
Chaperones growl. Kids growl back.
3PM = All assembled on west side of Capitol Building ( where new pres. will take inaugural oath in January). All are hot. And thirsty. Kids keep hinting, "Are we going back to the hotel now?"
3:05PM = Chaperones huddle. Consider giving the kids a refreshing afternoon at hotel pool, but realize that hot days are still to come this week and the kids can't think we'll head back every afternoon. Veto hotel idea.
3:20PM = Cowells makes Preston M. and Sam H. stand on a sidewalk line in the sun. Kyle B & Brodie K say Cowells is softie. Cowells growls.
3:15PM = Offer kids a quick trip back to Union Station for cold drink break. All happy, and soon all are refreshing at Union Station.
4:30PM = Time to hurry from Union Station to Supreme Court building. Cowells psyches kids out on the way by saying they have to hurry for (non-existent) formal lecutre. Kids groan, but move with good speed.
5PM = Cowells makes "deal" with kids -- if they'll pay attention, we'll "skip the formal lecture" and instead he'll give quick lecture in shade. Kids take deal, pay attention. All happy.
5:20PM. Group tries to re-connect with bus to get ride over to FDR Memorial. Much of downtown DC fenced and blocked off for 4th of July fireworks. Some walking in circles. Some groaning. But soon everybody boards bus.
Traffic over to FDR Memorial is slow. Cowells growls that they could've walked the 2 1/2 miles faster. Kids groan, except Kyle B & Brodie K who again call Cowells a softie.
5:45-6:30PM = Relaxed tour of FDR Memorial. Kids like shade and waterfalls. Most happy. Kevin B. asks if they can stay longer. But soon growling stomachs reign supreme and all board bus for ride to neighborhood called Dupont Circle for dinner and Gandhi statue and bocce ball with Cowells' bro-in-law and sister.
7:10PM = Arrive Dupont Circle, everybody scatters for dinner.
8-9PM = Most start drifting back in the circle, all enjoying themselves.Meals for adults take FOREVER. Eventually, decide to abandon meals to continue evening plans. All enjoying fun people-watching in Dupont Circle.
9:45PM = Adults decide to push back rendezvous time to 10PM; after all, bus ride back to hotel will be short this late at night. Cowells' cell dies.
All happy. Several kids say they want to move to Washington, DC.
10PM = Back on bus for return to hotel.
10:15PM = Stopped in standstill traffic. Kids still happy. Chaperones tired; start transferring pics from cameras to laptops.
10:45PM = Get through traffic jam.
11:20PM = Arrive back hotel. Kids pretty good about getting settled down.
11:45PM = Chaperones work upload over 100 pics to photo set here, realize that some kids have done terrific job of hiding from the camera. Wonder how many angry parent emails will arrive tomorrow. Go to bed, promising to capture those kids on film tomorrow.
12:20AM = Shayne, Sam, Brodie & Preston M knock on adjoining wall to Cowells' room.
Cowells growls.

All happy.