Hi from the Capital of the USA!

Hello first graders,

I have been here for four days. Dr. Kristie has been in lots of meetings in the daytime, but afterwards she likes to go out for a walk or a run, and she takes me along. I have seen a lot of famous places.

We walked by this house. Do you know who lives in it?

 

That's right...President Obama and his family! It is the White House. I didn't know that it had such a big fountain in the front yard. It looked very pretty as it was just starting to get dark, and the lights came on.

 

I saw some statues of three important men who helped our country become great. The first one lived the longest time ago. He is called a "Founding Father" because he is one of the people who started the USA. He was the 3rd president.

 

 

 His name is Thomas Jefferson. You can see his picture on a nickel, and a $2.00 bill. (Did you know that there are $2.00 bills? There are some, but not too many.) Ask Mrs. North to show you one.

The next one was a president, too. He was the 16th president. He helped our country come back together when some people wanted to break it apart.

 

His name is Abraham Lincoln. You can see his picture on a penny and a $5.00 bill.

 

 

The last one was not a president. He was a minister, a great speaker, and a leader. He helped change some laws in our country to make them more fair for everyone.

 



 

His name is Dr. Martin Luther King. His birthday in January is a national holiday.

 

 

Another place that I went was the National Mall. Have you been to a mall? What did you see there? Stores? A food court? A big parking lot? A play structure? Well this mall doesn't have any of those things. It is a big grassy lawn - blocks and blocks long.

 



 



Some people call it the nation's front yard. There are fireworks there in the summer, and picnics, and band concerts, and lots of other special events. The day we visited, it was pretty quiet and empty.
Can you see the Washington Monument in the background?  We got a lot closer to it later.

 

 

There are 50 flags in a circle around the bottom of the monument - one for every state. There was a pretty strong wind, so the flags were all waving. Look at the yellow thing up in the air. That is not a bird - it's a kite! Windy days are great for flying kites!

 

Washington D.C. is not as far away as the other places I have traveled this year. I know that some of you have visited here yourselves. I hope that many more of you will have the chance to come here when you get older. There is so much to see and do.

 

My trip is almost over. I enjoyed sharing it with you. Tomorrow morning I'll leave to come home.



See you soon!

Your friend,
Flat Stanley