Boston ... my dogs are barking!

You know it has been a rigorous trip when everyone is EXCITED to be able to sleep in until 7 AM!!! The students enjoyed their "sleep in" and were up and out to Boston by around 9.

We started with a quick drive through the city. The bus stopped at the Boston Commons where we began our walking tour of the Freedom Trail ... also known as the Torture Trail (at least I am pretty sure that is what some of the students thought about having to WALK 2 1/2 miles! We are slave drivers after all ... we only gave them about 6 hours to complete the 2.5 miles, so the complaining was only to be expected).

We saw the Massachusetts State House, the Granary Burying Ground -- which has many distinguished guests: Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine. They also saw the first Public School site -- this is the school that Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams and John Hancock all attended. We walked to the Boston Massacre site - it was at this site that five people were shot and killed by British soldiers. Massacre: the vicious killing of a large number of people. Five people ... hmmmm. We also walked by Paul Revere's home, which is surrounded by cobble stone streets. It was a very pretty, picturesque walk! Lunch was at Faneuil Hall, where a lot of us had lobster rolls -- can't go to New England without having a little lobster!

After lunch there was a vigorous and refreshing walk to the Old North Church. It was here that Zach Bart wanted to know "What is so special about this church?" After telling him that this is where the lanterns from "one if by land, two if by sea" were placed he said, "Oh, is that all?"

Some of us walked from this site over the bridge and all the way to the Bunker Hill Monument ... a total of about 1 mile - There was only about 15 of the students who were willing to make the hike. We stopped at the other side of the bridge to take a picture, and the students posed as if they had just conquered Mount Everest!

At Bunker Hill Monument many of us hiked to the top -- a total of 294 very steep steps. The view from the top made the hike very worth while ... but it didn't keep my muscles from shaking violently.

Our tour guide informed us that the phrase "My dogs are barking" comes from the fact that shoes in the 1600s were sometimes made out of dog skin! Yikes ... poor Clifford. By the end of all of this we definitely had some barking dogs ... and crying students ... apparently "nobody walks in L.A."

Our tour guide showed us the newest addition to Boston - a huge bridge that was supposed to help with traffic over the river. This city project cost about 15 billion dollars -- an amount that forced the government to put into action a "luxury tax" of 6% (on things like alcohol and cigarettes). She then informed us that this fancy new bridge did not help the traffic at all, it sometimes took her 45 minutes to drive what would normally be a 20 minute drive! As we drove around the city she kept announcing on the microphone, "If you look out the left window you will see all of our city traffic. Look at all that traffic! And that is after a 15 billion dollar bridge that was supposed to get rid of traffic! Can you imagine driving in that??!!" We tried to explain that we were from Los Angeles and that YES we could imagine driving in that!!! Alas, she did not seem to understand and continued to repeat -- over and over and over again -- how much traffic the 15 billion dollar bridge caused!

Some of the students (several actually) decided to wear Laker jerseys ... in Boston. At one point a man loading a truck began to tell students to take their Laker shirts elsewhere. Our kids tried to defend their team's honor (which was obviously what they were hoping to do when they put the shirts on in the morning). As the students walked away the man waved his arms and said "Ahhhh forget about it!" It was a very Bostonian experience.

Dinner was at the Boston Hard Rock Cafe. There was some kind of Ducati showing ... so after dinner the students surrounded the bikes and took pictures -- images of these beautiful motorcycles falling down in a domino effect were flashing through my mind -- we made it through with out getting into any Boston Biker Fights ... phew. I have never seen one, but I can imagine a Boston biker might be VERY VERY scary.

After dinner we headed home for swimming and packing ... this is our last night on the East Coast trip and we are all very sad to be going home ... at least I know I am, I wish I could stay here in this hotel with 57 8th graders for weeks and weeks ...

It has been a great trip. The students have been excellent, but we are all happy to be heading back home to our families. I will send out one more blog after I get home -- by then, however, you will have your son or daughter back and they can tell you all about our East Coast trip in person!

Plymouth Rock - what a crock!

Today began as a travel day. We left New York this morning and headed for Plymouth Rock. This is quite a long drive, so many of us caught up on some sleep ... not that we need to catch up on sleep, we are all EXTREMELY well rested ...

We arrived at Plymouth Rock around 2 this afternoon. The tour began at the Mayflower II, a ship that is modeled after the original. It was built in the 1950's and then sailed to the United States where it became a part of the Plymouth Plantation Museum. The student's were shocked by the limited amount of space below. I think that the PCS lockers might actually have more room than the corners the pilgrims shared. While looking at the small wooden beds the students began to compare them to their own beds ... apparently their beds are better (shocking, I know).

No trip to Plymouth Rock is complete without a visit to the actual Plymouth ROCK. Don't ever believe anyone who tells you this. Your trip can be VERY complete, in fact, QUITE PLEASANT, without a trip to the Plymouth Rock. The truth of this can be seen on the faces of Dana, Emily, Kelby, Joe and Zach ... who were sorely disappointed in the size of Plymouth Rock -- "It's just a normal rock!" "How is that rock any different from all the other rocks?" "It's tiny!!" I am afraid we have crushed the high expectations that the students always had for this rock.

Desperately trying to redeem ourselves, we took everyone to Plymouth Plantation, where the volunteers actually ACT like the pilgrims! Sounds exciting doesn't it? Actually, I think the students might have been a little freaked out by it. They were encouraged to ask the settlers questions, but I think they were scared. One student expressed some concern over the fact that he didn't know how to respond in proper the Old English -- I explained to this young man that he didn't have to try to speak like them, WE were allowed to act normal. This seem to relieve him a little. Other students had some difficulty understanding the language. "What does 'morrow' mean Ms. Curtis?" ... "ohhhh" ... then there was a whole lot of "Good Morrow!" amongst our group.

Michael DeMeester was apparently inspired by the work of some of the pilgrims, as he began trying to form a figure out of a stick. As he was playing with his new toy he smiled widely and shouted "Good Morrow Ms. Curtis!" It was right at this moment that the stick snapped out of his hand and hit his sweet smiling face. I'm sorry to say, it was not a good morrow for DeMeester! (I'll add that he was fine and we all had a good laugh over it!)

The Plantation also has a Native American Reservation. The Natives here do not "act" like Native Americans ... as they ARE Native Americans. The natives all wear their traditional clothing ... which resulted in more than one giggle and blush (almost all coming from the boys). One of the volunteers explained to the students that their clothing was not available in any of their shops. The natives feel that only a member of their tribe should be dressed in their traditional attire. He equated it to someone dressing up like a priest -- this, he said, is very disrespectful, since this is a position that demands respect. Dressing like a native is much the same -- the tribes feel that it is disrespectful, as it is an honor to wear the clothing. While he was speaking, visions of little Indian boys running around on Halloween were dancing through my head ... I'll admit, I was afraid to ask what he thought of our October 31st traditions.

As you can imagine, the students were VERY curious about the clothing of the natives. They had MANY questions about what exactly the natives were required to wear, and what exactly they were NOT wearing ... these questions brought a blush to the faces of a few of the chaperones. The volunteers did not seem to be phased by the student's "natural" curiosity.

At the end of the afternoon we had a traditional Thanksgiving feast at the Plantation. This was followed by a refreshing swim at the hotel -- which by the way is modeled after a castle -- it has a moat and everything! Random.

I Love New York!!

New York!

The students were bursting with excitement as we headed into the Big City. We arrived at Battery Park around 8:30 and got on the boat for Liberty and Ellis Island. We went to Liberty Island first. Many of the students seemed disappointed in the lady's height -- they were expecting it to be much taller! Jalen seemed especially disappointed -- he was expecting her to be much prettier and ... ahem ... thinner! Apparently Lady Liberty is no Cindy Crawford (maybe Cindy Crawford is no Cindy Crawford these days ... uhh Kate Moss?)

After taking several hundred pictures in front of the statue we got on the boat for Ellis Island. Here the students were able to tour the museum. As we walked up to the second floor we heard a very familiar voice over the microphone (at least the adults recognized the voice). Candace Bergen was a speaker at an Ellis Island event! Joe Namath was there speaking as well!

Some of us decided to look up our family members to see if they had come through Ellis Island -- which is why some of you received random phone calls asking for family names. Justin Coats and Michael DeMeester were able to locate some of their ancestors on the museum database. We then walked to the Wall of Honor, where we found their names engraved on the wall!

Next we headed to 5th Avenue for shopping!! This was the day they had all been waiting for! The students were able to walk up and down 5th Avenue ducking in and out of all of the stores. There was a mad rush to the NBA store (where several of your kids bought new shoes -- shoes that they refused to wear -- they might get dirty!). The girls all made sure to browse Tiffany & Co. There were a few shiny necklaces on the bus at the end of the day. And of course there was Juicy ... lots of Juicy. A few of the students decided to give some of their money to the poor that were wandering the streets, foregoing the Juicy bag for the sake of these individuals.

Brianna, along with her shopping pals, saw Tony Hawk while they were shopping! Brianna snapped a photo of him with her cell phone - there was much "oooing" "aawwwing" and drooling.

Once we had dropped our shopping bags onto the bus we walked to Time Square. Time Square is difficult to maneuver when you are all alone -- now imagine it with 57 8th graders ... it was great! I suppose New York is the one place in the world where it is okay that our students are completely oblivious and in the way while they walk ... no one seemed to notice!

While we waited in line for our show, "Shrek", Coach Pirozko and I saw Melanie Griffith walking with her husband Antonio Banderas! All my dreams came true right at that moment -- okay no they didn't, but I am pretty sure all Coach Pirozko's dreams came true!

The students absolutely LOVED "Shrek" -- it was ridiculous, crude, and hilarious; the perfect combination for 14 year-olds! At one point in the play there was quite a bit of "bathroom humor" and the sound of the student's laughter was echoing all throughout the theater! There was nothing to do but laugh with them!

The ride back to the hotel was very quiet -- except for the sound of growling stomachs! Once at the hotel Mr. Orr made a trip to McDonald's to get everyone a hamburger and fries. They all had a quick midnight bite in their rooms and dropped quietly off to sleep .. no really, this was the first quiet night of the whole trip! Ah the sweet sound of silence.

From Amish Country to New York

Day 6 began with an early morning tour of Amish Country -- or as Zach Bart calls it "Amishland". The students were able to visit a petting zoo that had goats and chickens. Many of them stood around feeding the animals. As I was attempting to take this picture of Nick, I suddenly felt something moving around my leg. I turned around quickly to find a goat digging in my pocket!! It was then I heard the mischievous cackle of Andrew, who had placed some goat food in my pocket when I wasn't looking!!! How many more days of this do I have???

We went to an Amish quilt shop, where many of the students bought the famous quillow! For those who don't know, this is a quilt that folds up into a pillow -- the Amish never cease to amaze! We also climbed into an Amish buggy and spoke to a real live Amish boy! The students resisted the temptation to pepper the young man with questions -- although you could see the questions burning in their eyes! They were all shocked when they discovered that Amish children stop going to school after the 8th grade! I am afraid some of you may have some Amish converts on your hands. We tried to explain that this meant they had to use an outhouse and they could NOT use their cell phones ... but apparently that is a small price to pay for freedom.

Amish Country is very well known for their bakeries -- so of course we stopped off. The fact that it was 8:30 in the morning did not stop them from enjoying a nice cold ice cream cone. Coach Evans was kind enough to buy her group some Whoopi Pies ... the students were very curious about where the name came from -- Coach Evans claimed to have no idea (whether or not she really knows the meaning, I don't know ... my question is, do the Amish know?).

After Amishland we headed off to New York. This was a rather long drive, so to entertain the students we watched "High School Musical" on the bus. As I am sure you can all imagine, it quickly turned into East Coast Musical ... and I'm not going to lie, it was not a very good one. Ashley belted out just about every song there was and was accompanied by none other than Andrew Elffers! At key moments the entire bus broke out into song together - we were able to contain their urge to dance -- but it was touch and go for a while.

Anyone who was not singing, was SLEEPING -- including Mr. Zach Bart and Kevin Geddes ... who were thrilled to discover that their picture was "blog worthy" -- as stated by Bart.

Once we arrived in New York we headed to the Empire State Building. Everyone made it to the top ... overcoming their fear of heights. This was a good introduction to New York City -- from the top of the building the students were able to see the yellow snakes down below -- 9 out of every 10 cars on the New York streets are cabs (this of course is a very accurate statistic -- not one that I just made up ... okay I made it up, but I think I'm close).

Off to bed, in preparation for a BIG New York visit tomorrow.

Down Time

Today began with a trip to Gettysburg. We had a fantastic tour of the battleground. As we sat comfortably on the nice warm bus (the weather turned a bit nippy today -- okay it was downright cold!) our tour guide David took us through the three day battle at Gettysburg. The students were full of questions ... "How many people died?" "What was the ratio of Union soldier's to Confederate Soldiers?" "Why did they shoot the horses?" "You mean he wasn't tried for treason?" and, of course, "Can't we just stay on the bus and look from here, it's COLD outside!"

We stepped off the bus a few times to view monuments and key locations in the battle. The students, who were in short sleeve shirts and shorts, refused to believe us when we told them today would be cold -- to be fair, I have to admit we have been telling them this every day of the trip and this was the only day we were right. It has been in the upper eighties and very HUMID up until today ... so I suppose it is no surprise that they chose to ignore us. As we got off the bus the students, mainly the boys, formed a tight huddle -- they stood shivering as a unit while our guide took us through the story. Then, purple from the cold, they sprinted back to the bus.

By about 4:30 this afternoon we reached Lancaster, PA. We were surprised to find a very special guest waiting for us -- Karyn Farrar-Perkins has joined our ranks!! After many hugs and hellos the students checked into their rooms and spread out for an afternoon of relaxation.

Many of the students headed to the pool to swim, while others went to play basketball, tennis or miniature golf. After dinner some of us headed outside for some more games. While some of the boys were playing basketball a few of the neighborhood guys came to use the court. As they got out of their cars the hotel came over to ask them not to stay, because we were using the court for the evening. Julian must have heard this, because he shouted across the yard, "You guys can come play with us if you want!"

The guys quickly agreed. Julian, Nathan, Nick, Brandon, Will and Coach Pirozko all joined in a friendly game. Our 14 year-olds beat the neighborhood two games in a row. As they were playing Coach Pirozko began to wonder how all his varsity boys would do against these big boys. Word quickly went out that there was a little competition on the court.

As the sun was setting in the horizon, the court echoing with the sound of laughter, seven members of the Pasadena Christian Varsity Basketball Team opened the door of the hotel and began to strut, as a team, across the yard. This was one of those moments that just begged for a sound track ... the boys walked quietly in a line, slowly measuring their opponents as they approached -- I honestly heard music in my head.

They quickly grouped together with Coach and planned their strategy. For the next hour and a half our boys ripped the neighborhood team apart. They laughed as Coach yelled directions to them from the sideline - and grinned with satisfaction as their opponents yelled out in frustration. Every few minutes the players would become a jumble of legs and arms, all scrambling for the ball. Then, suddenly, one of our boys would come flying through the air -- high above the rest -- to capture the ball and score.

After we had won several games and were headed in for the night, Coach Pirozko went to thank the neighborhood team. It turns out these weren't just kids (we assumed they were older than our students, as most of them were incredibly large) -- these were high school seniors headed off to college. Andrew, Omar, Jeremy, Connor, Jalen, Diran and Zach crushed a team of 18 year-olds who were twice their size and weight. And the winning streak continues.

It was a memorable victory.

Mount Vernon

Another great day! We began with a trip to Mount Vernon ... here we learned that Washington did NOT have wooden teeth and never actually cut down a cherry tree ... who knew?? This, however, did not stop them from selling t-shirts with a big bold picture of Washington chopping down a tree! I always thought he needed the wood from the cherry tree for his teeth ... wrong after all these years!

The students had a great time wandering the very expansive grounds. We took a walk to George Washington's original tomb - a very happy homey looking crypt ... okay no, it was creepy. Then we headed to his "new" tomb - where you can see his sarcophagus - this is one of those words that truly fits it's definition. sarcophagus. creepy ... but very cool (especially for 8th grade boys).

Over by George Washington's tomb we were able to watch a woman shear a sheep. This was a very traumatic experience, at least for some of us. We were told it doesn't hurt the sheep, but honestly, it did not look pleasant. Not all the students were moved in the same way, however. While watching the poor, helpless, struggling animal Julian exclaimed, "mmmmm lamb shanks ... their much better than beef, they don't need nearly as much seasoning."

After Mount Vernon we went to Annapolis where the students were able to tour the academy grounds. Here they learned the importance of team work, discipline and honor. These lessons, however, stayed on campus -- as evidenced by their evening demonstration of packing skills. We will be heading out of Washington in the morning. We are off to Pennsylvania and the Amish Country -- maybe the Amish can teach them how to keep their suitcases in order ... or maybe not.

The Capitol -- aka Security Day!

Today began with a tour of the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Before entering the Supreme Court the students were required to head through a security check. While in the Supreme Court the student's were able to see the room where the Chief Justice along with the eight other Supreme Court Justices meet. We learned that once a week all of the judges meet together for a completely private meeting. During this meeting the newest Court Justice is required to serve the coffee -- even if he has been there for 15 years, if he is the newest member, that is his job! I am wondering if this is something like being a 7th grader for 15 years ... scary.

Before entering the Library of Congress the students were once again required to walk through a metal detector. Here we were able to view the many different drafts of the Declaration of Independence. Books from Thomas Jefferson's private library were also on display.

From here we walked over to the capitol, where yet another security checkpoint awaited us. Rachel was forced to hand over her granola bar immediately -- for the safety of the nation! Miss Hill, however, breezed through with a sandwich in her bag -- I am pretty sure she is now wanted in 9 different states.

While in the Capitol Building the students ate lunch and then headed over to the orientation room ... where we waited in a very long line. In order to pass time, a few of us played games... "I am going on a trip and I am going to bring an apple, a book, a carp a ...."

After orientation we did a walk through of the Capitol - we even saw the President!!! Oh wait, no, we didn't. We did, however, see a lot of statues of former Presidents and more importantly we were able to witness the mysterious acoustics of the old senate chambers. Our tour guide stood us in the middle of the room and then walked to the completely opposite side. She then began to speak in a quiet voice - and we (on the opposite side of a very loud, very busy room) could hear her perfectly! (Quite honestly, we could hear her better than we had before). Very cool.

Next, we headed to the White House. Although we were not able to tour the White House we did stand in front of the gate and take 15 million pictures ...

The last big stop of the day was Arlington National Cemetery. Here we saw John F. Kennedy's grave, and the tomb of the unknown soldier -- along with the changing of the guards. The students silently watched as the soldier took 21 steps in front of the tomb.

While in the cemetery, Katelyn asked if she could look for her great grandfather's grave. This has been a Brown-Franklin family search for three years. Every Brown-Franklin child has done a search for their great grandfather on the PCS East Coast trip. This marked the third and final year that Mr. Bailey would have the opportunity to search for this family member. The tram pulled over to the side to allow Mr. Bailey, Katelyn and Rachel to dash off and scan the area. After several minutes of waiting the tram finally began to pull away -- knowing that Mr. Bailey would follow us to the bottom when his mission was complete. However, as the tram rumbles down the hill a student at the back of the tram yells, "Is that Mr. Bailey ... running??!!" Our heads whip back in time to see Katelyn and Rachel gracefully dashing across the lawn, with Mr. Bailey huffing behind them! The student's proceeded to shout in unison, in true 8th grade fashion, "Run Mr. Bailey, RUN!" As the three entered the tram they gleeful announced they had found Katelyn's great grandfather and the tram erupted with cheers!

We ended our night with a trip to the mall (for dinner) and sunset photos in front of the Marine Corps Memorial (also known Iwo Jima).

The students are exhausted after a long day, and as I sit writing this blog I am sure that they are all fast asleep -- well, maybe not fast asleep...

Williamsburg

Oh the joys of the first night away from home...

For 8th graders this means staying up as late as possible -- no matter that your teacher begged you to go to bed, stating that a lack of sleep would absolutely ruin your trip! -- and of course, laughing all night long.

Then comes morning.

5:30 wake-up call.

More accurately, 2:30 (California time) wake-up call.

What does this mean for us? ONE VERY QUIET BUS RIDE!

The ride to Colonial Williamsburg is about three hours, but with a bus full of sleeping 8th graders it goes by pretty quick.

A tour guide took all of us, in three groups, around the little town. As we walked, men and women dressed in authentic colonial apparel meandered around the streets. Some spoke in quiet accents, others played flutes, while some carried long scary looking weapons around...

I must, of course, not forget to mention the horses ... and the horse droppings of course. Nothing screams authentic like the smell of horses! With all these people walking around, the students couldn't quite figure out why someone couldn't stop and pick it up! (I don't know if any of them realized they might just be echoing the words of their parents...)

Wandering the town, we went to the "palace" of the governor -- where there was an incredible amount of weaponry lining the walls. Mr. Orr and I are not sure why, with all these weapons, the governor of this English colony didn't win. Apparently they were for decoration only.

The students were also given a lesson on rolling hula hoops with a stick -- I am pretty sure that is not the correct terminology for this game, but I can't be sure of what it is, as I wasn't listening... (you start to pick up dirty little habits when you spend a lot of time with jr. high students). This game, which somehow reminds me of little European children, is much more difficult than it looks. The pictures in the slideshow from yesterday's blog may clue you in on the skill level required for this game -- ahem ... not all of the students had quite as much skill as little European girls apparently do.

After lunch we walked over to William and Mary College where the students went on a scavenger hunt all over the campus. It was fun to see Thomas Jefferson's alma mater!

And of course, there was shopping. Little tourist shops dot the main street and the students walked up and down it chatting, ducking into shops, eating ice cream and enjoying the afternoon.

After a little down time, and a fantastic dinner at the Golden Corral, we all piled into the bus and headed back to the hotel for devotions and bed.

The Arrival

57 8th graders

8 Adults

100 Strangers

1 Five Hour Flight ...

Who knew we would make it?

We landed in Washington around 5pm eastern time Wednesday afternoon. After a long flight the students were just a little bit anxious to be off the plane and on their way ... so we grabbed our luggage and loaded onto a bus -- just the reprieve they had been looking for! Ha!

We then headed to the Pentagon City Mall -- nothing stretches out travel weary 14-year-old legs like a mall!

After dinner we headed over to the National Mall where everyone got their first look at the historic Washington. The site was breathtaking!

The first stop was the Vietnam War Memorial. Everyone was overwhelmed by the number of names on the wall. What a moving experience. Remembering that a family member had been killed in the war, Brandon Pomroy, along with the help of some friends, began searching for his grandfather's name. Within minutes Michael DeMeester spotted the name -- one name, engulfed in the multitude of names. With a smile on his face, Brandon began taking pictures of the name; the name of a man, a hero, a grandfather he had never met. I do not know if the student's fully grasped the significance of this -- but I do know it was an incredible moment to watch.

Walking through the winding path we came to the clearing of the Lincoln Memorial. The massive building, along with the beauty of the National Mall lit up as the sun set, brought exclamations of awe from the students. Let the photos begin! For me, and I believe for the students, this is when Washington became a reality.

The students ran up the steps -- a few debating over whether or not these were the steps from "Rocky" -- and began to circle the memorial of the great Abraham Lincoln.

After a few million photos we all piled back on the bus and headed for the hotel ... where the students proceeded to get into bed and pretend to sleep.

Time to Pack!

Washington D.C. Weather

It's almost time! (And you thought the science fair would never be over!)

Make sure you are checking the weather as you start to pack (lets just be honest here, your mom is packing for you isn't she? -- I hope you gave her a nice Mother's Day present!)

The key word for this trip is LAYER. It's not too cold and it's not too hot, so be prepared to throw the sweatshirt on and off!