January 20, 2009 10:01 PM

We watch Obama become number 44!

WOW! WOW! WOW! This is all I can write to explain our day! So many highs and a few lows but definitely all worth it!! In years to come when people are talking about this day they may ask, "Where were you for Obama's inauguration?" I'll be able to say, "I was there!" I haven't heard the official head count but I absolutely know that I have never been around soooo many millions of people at one time. It was truly memorable!

There was a lot of waiting around but it was fun to just people watch. The excitement over Obama was contagious and the people we encountered were all in a good mood. When we first arrived downtown we were waiting in a HUGE crowd of people to get though security. Me, being the ex-cheerleader that I am started a "We're from Colorado where are you from" cheer. People jumped in and we heard Chicago, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Detroit! We had to leave that fun crowd because our tour guides thought we would move threw faster if we went to another block. Every block held the same thing; thousands and thousands of people waiting to get in "the mall." We had to keep going further and further around as we found out these first sections were for people just waiting to see the inaugural parade. As we maneuvered through the streets,  the police started barricading entrances because these sections were already filled. Finally we made it. People were thankful for the big jumbo trons that were placed all around. We were there and that was all that mattered.

It was good to take a break from all the walking. We still had about three hours to wait so we sat and had our inauguration provisions; food we had stuffed in every pocket we had. Granola bars, dry cereal, pretzels and water kept our hunger at bay. We were told of the long list of things we couldn't bring in, but people had full picnic lunches.

The jumbo trons were showing Bono and I excitedly called my husband Darren because he likes U2. "Can you hear Bono?" I yelled as I held up the phone. The girl next to us politely tapped my shoulder and informed me that this was a concert from Sunday. Opps! Then every time the picture showed someone new I would ask Stacy, "Is this real or recorded?"

We had naively thought we lucked into a relatively open section. The kids ran around taking pictures and playing. Where they got their energy after the three-hour hike we had just endured was beyond me! As the morning went on, the crowds got bigger and bigger. The inauguration was set to start at noon. By the time it rolled around we were cold, hungry, and did I say cold? Our toes were O.K. when we were walking but when we had to stand the chill set in. Thank God for the neck warmers we had to keep the wind off our faces and we were going through the hand and toe warmers like crazy. The inauguration itself was short and sweet. I had to tell the kids a couple times, "Get up, pay attention. This is why we came to DC!"  I would have loved to keep Jason on my shoulders all day but one quick look around at all the crowds was all I could handle. Obama's speech was of course memorable but we needed to hoof it out of there as soon as his speech ended. We were to meet up with the rest of our group at 1 p.m. at the American History Museum. It soon became obvious that getting millions of people out at once would create havoc. More streets were closed and we were also dealing with the parade people.

We called Mrs. Pearson to tell her that there was no way we were getting to the meeting place by 1 p.m. She had the same report from other chaperones and the new plan was to grab lunch on our own and then meet at 4:30. O.K. this sounded fine until we realized we had not factored in the crowds. It took an hour to move only a few blocks. I know that sounds unbelievable but it's true!

We managed to spot a sea of matching blue knit hats. "Hey, I think they are part of our group!" Adam shouted. Hallelujah, we had ran into the group from Mullen High School! Stacy and I decided to stick with them. I jokingly told Stacy, "Six of us they could easily leave behind, but not the 20 or 30 that are in their group." They were so sweet to make sure we were not left behind and were also impressed that our kids kept together so well and had not complained once! Gold stars for them!

The street we were on didn't have any restaurants or fast food places. One of the Mullen leaders found out that we were closer to our bus than the meeting point so we decided to skip step two and head directly to warmth and rest. After approximately nine hours of walking, we were done!  We got on the bus and promptly raided Mrs. Pearson's snack supply. It wouldn't hurt us this one time if we had fruit snacks, cheese crackers and more granola bars for lunch. We were hungry! As soon as the others arrived, we headed to the Pentagon Mall for dinner. Unfortunately we only had a half hour to look around but I did manage to buy my commemorative Washington Post. I had heard that they were supposed to put out an "Extra" edition but I never did see any.

It will be nice to get to bed early tonight. I can tell I am really out of it because I just conditioned my hair with lotion! I may have to re-wash in the morning but right now I could care less. As we were making our way to our rooms I asked Stacy, "How many Advil can I safely take?" She laughed and I said, "No, I'm serious." 800 milligrams later and the soreness in my legs has subsided. I am so glad I bought a light weight knee brace for my "trick" knee. I could not have made the nine hours of walking without it.

Tomorrow we are going to see Mount Vernon and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We are also looking forward to a kid's inaugural ball at a hotel in Washington. The boys will be sporting new dress shirts and Rachel will be in maroon and black velvet. I will be in a sparkly top that leaves red glitter everywhere I go. I hope my feet can handle three hours in heels!

Comment below from Jason Trujillo, Mrs. Carillo's 3rd grade class at Hulstrom Options K-8:

I feel that the inauguration was fun. I had a great time looking at the monuments. Yes, it was cold, but we kept walking. At the end of the day we were worn out and finally got on our bus.

Comment below from Rachel Trujillo, Mrs. Kusuno's 5th grade class, Hulstrom Options K-8:

I am so excited I got to see the inauguration when Barack Obama became the 44th president. This was a great opportunity for me to learn about politics and history. I've learned a lot so far and I'm having a great time! I miss my friends and family back in Colorado but I'm having fun with friends I have here.

I realize that the Washington Monument was way taller than I expected. It is so beautiful. There are a bunch of red, white and blue flags surrounding it.

I remember Barack Obama talked about war, the economy, and being a good citizen. It was so cool to see history in the making. One of the things I will always remember is that when Barack Obama was sworn in he used Abraham Lincoln's bible. The bible he used was so old and priceless.

Comment below from Adam Trujillo, 6th Grade, Hulstrom Options K-8:

I know that I will never forget the day I saw President Obama get sworn in. It was really cool watching this historic event, but I was really cold at the same time. Still I had a lot of fun. Also the Washington Monument was GIANT! And around this monument were many American flags. Well, other than the cold, everything we did today was awesome!

Comment below from Madison Allen, 5th grade, Mrs. Kusuno's class, Hulstrom Options:

The Inauguration of Barack Obama was awesome!!  It was cold, crowded, and cool!! I am very proud to have been a part of history!  It was an unbelievable day that I will never forget! Thank you Uncle Richard for making this happen for me.

Posted by Darlene Trujillo at 10:01 PM | Comments (5)