Okay... Even More to Post

Once I thought about it, April and May have been even busier than I thought.  Here are even more pictures (from my phone) that show how much fun we've been having this spring.  

The first weekend of May, Sean was asked to a conference in San Antonio at a giant resort and (alleluia) spouses were invited!  Sean got there a couple days ahead of me, but we were spoiled rotten with a beautiful hotel room, an enormous water park with a lazy river, the kids stayed at my parents', and I even got to race an armadillo (who knew that was a thing?)

One night we went downtown to the RiverWalk.  A little crowded for me, but still a fun night out!

While we were gone, the boys got to go to their first Rockies game of the season!

In mid-May, two other teachers and I took 27 fifth and sixth graders to Philadelphia and Washington, DC.  It was quite an adventure.  We walked miles each day and saw as much as possible in our time there.  I'm honestly not sure each kid got out of it what I had hoped, but as for me... it was my first time ever being there and as a teacher of American history, specifically the Revolutionary War and the Constitution, it was amazing to see.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I got teary on many occasions along our journey (Vietnam Memorial Wall, Pentagon Memorial, basically any time I saw an old veteran walking along the sidewalk or being pushed in a wheelchair at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).  Both DC and Philadelphia are such powerful cities with such rich, overwhelming stories and histories.

My favorite places of all were Arlington National Cemetery (I've never seen a more beautiful,sacred place in my life), Mt Vernon ("Kids, now can you see why George Washington loved it here so much?!"), and Independence Hall.

I kept saying to the kids, "This is where it happened!!  Everything I've taught you this year happened IN THIS ROOM!!"

My two fellow teachers/chaperones/crazy volunteers to take this on!!

 At the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.... I use this quote throughout the year when we talk about bullying and how to treat others.  It was so cool to see here.

With a life-size George Washington at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  I cried here, too, at a live performance celebrating the Constitution... historical montages get me every time!

My good friend and instructional coach, Mike.  So glad he was on the trip with me!!

 The Library of Congress... pretty breathtaking!!