Well, not an actual lottery where you win money or anything. Aunt Ashley and Fammy both entered the lottery to get tickets to the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll and they BOTH got them which enabled all of us to go!!
The event took place on Monday - the day after Easter. I got the boys dressed up in their new plaids (courtesy of Mimi)...
and Maddy in perfect pink patchwork pants (courtesy of Charlotte)...
and we headed off to Fammy's to meet up with everyone. The kids were so happy to see Fammy and Granddad - they'd been in Australia since Tyler's birthday. We all missed them!!
When the Holmquist clan arrived, we hit the metro. Maddy's first time!!
Fammy fed her a bottle on the ride so I could tend to the boys.
Looking sleepy.....
... and OUT!!
When we got there, it was a pretty long wait. This was the line:
FINALLY, after a looooooooooooong time, we made it to the White House lawn.
Ok, so it's slightly (!) bigger than the one our boys are getting next week! Yes, NEXT WEEK! It's a good thing they can't read, because it's a surprise. It is being installed next Tuesday and we aren't going to tell them. We're just going to lead them into the back yard when they get home from school. I'll have to have video ready to capture that reaction!!!!
... and OUT!!
When we got there, it was a pretty long wait. This was the line:
Ok, doesn't look like much, but it was one of those back and forth zig-zag amusement park type lines and there were about 10 back and forths.
30,000 tickets were given out total, and there were five time slots. So each time slot had 6,000 people. Again, doesn't sound that bad. But when you have a field of 6,000 people all trying to merge onto one walkway leading up to the White House lawn, it's a little brutal. Not to mention the temps reached near 90 degrees that day!!
I got a nice sunburn. And when I say nice, I mean OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily, I remembered to put sunscreen on my boys and they spent 90% of the time in the stroller under canopies.
FINALLY, after a looooooooooooong time, we made it to the White House lawn.
Nice digs.
More crowd photos....
There were many activities, but the reason we were there of course, was the Egg Roll. Both Maddy and Charlotte were napping peacefully in their stollers, so Richard and I stayed off on the sidelines while Ashley and Fammy stood in the long line with Nathan, Tyler, and Evan.
Here they are nearing the front of the line!!
And here they getting into place!!
And this, THIS, is what made the entire long, brutally hot day worth it:
I had spent most of the day very cranky and miserable. But when I saw these little boys do the Egg Roll on our President's front lawn, well, it was pretty exciting. Who would have thought we'd get the chance to do that?
And I guess we're going to have to try to do it again in a few years when this one is old enough.... hopefully it won't be as hot!
Each child was given a goodie bag upon entering, and upon exiting, a wooden commemorative egg "signed" by the President and First Lady.
Sorry - couldn't get the camera to focus so close up!!
And lastly, here is a picture of the first daughters' playset:
Ok, so it's slightly (!) bigger than the one our boys are getting next week! Yes, NEXT WEEK! It's a good thing they can't read, because it's a surprise. It is being installed next Tuesday and we aren't going to tell them. We're just going to lead them into the back yard when they get home from school. I'll have to have video ready to capture that reaction!!!!
Still more Easter activity to post about - later this week!!
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