Let the Good Times Roll!!!

Yesterday we went to the White House Easter Egg Roll and we had a very memorable time!! We saw lots of families that we know there and the weather was so great! It was a little chilly in the beginning, but it was warmer and sunnier than any other year we have been - consequently it was tons more crowded because the weather was so nice. We saw lots of costumed characters (Nina loved seeing Max from Max and Ruby from a distance - up close was not so cool!). We saw Mickey Mouse and Bello the clown on the stages and we heard the Jonas Brothers, but didn't actually see them. I think the kids favorite performer was a yo-yo guy that was walking around. They were mesmerized by his tricks with the yo-yo and both tried to imitate him with the yo-yo's he gave them almost hitting innocent bystanders - we had to put the yo-yo's away for public safety.

This year the actual egg roll was the most memorable part of the day for good and bad. While we were waiting in line Adrian suddenly said "Get the camera Jenni, it's George H.W. Bush right there." So I look up at the White House balconies and said, "I don't see him..." And then I look literally right in front of me and he was like 5 feet away from me talking to the people just behind us in line. It was such a shock. Adrian tried to get Sophie and Ben to go shake his hand but they were not having that (they're so shy) and by the time I got out the camera and gave it to Adrian, President Bush Sr. was already surrounded by tons of people and I lost my chance to shake his hand. It was so neat though!

After that we had to move along in line and have the kids do the egg roll so they all lined up and I was helping Nina. I was so pleasantly surprised that Nina was so excited about the egg roll!! As soon as they blew the whistle for the kids to start rolling their eggs I looked over and realized Ben was working himself up to a huge tantrum, so I tried to help him and Nina, but half way down the very short little egg roll course Ben had a complete melt down. Apparently he was mad that he wasn't doing as well in the race as he wanted to and was extremely ticked that Sophie was so much faster than him. I had to grab him and get him off the course, because in his screaming fit he has completely stopped in the middle and everyone was looking at him. Horrible... For all I know President Bush Sr. might have looked over to see what child was making such a commotion!! So I took him to a less crowded corner of the lawn and "talked him down" you could say. He did calm down but was completely worn out from his incredibly embarrassing tantrum that he spent the rest of the time in the stroller. I'm so glad we brought our double stroller!!

Soon after the Egg Roll meltdown we headed out. We decided to go have lunch and take a break at the Air and Space Museum. I thought for a minute I might persuade everyone to go to the National Museum of Art, but the airplanes won out! We had an incredibly expensive McDonald's lunch (wow they jack the prices up at the Smithsonians), but every one's mood got so much better after eating and sitting down for a long while. We finally saw the upper floor of the Air and Space Museum!! I think we've been there like 4 or 5 times and this was the only time we've seen the 2nd level! Adrian loved the spy planes and I really enjoyed the Red Barron and WWII exhibits. Nina fell asleep in the stroller shortly after lunch, but I think Sophie and Ben most enjoyed the little tour through a passenger plane and picking out a magnet for our fridge in the Museum Shop.

It was such a full and memorable day! When we got home everyone pretty much crashed and their was no bed time whining! Yay!

Oh and here's a few pictures of our other Easter festivities from Saturday and Sunday: