Many people might not know about this about me, but I used to be quite the Social Studies nerd. I even minored in it in college. The second thing on the list of what I wanted to be when I grew up was to be Sergeant at Arms. You know, so that I could announce the president during the State of the Union Address. Duh. Anyway, I like the hoopla, the ceremony, and the people watching. Sure – I don’t like the complete lying and screwing people over, and narrow-mindedness, etc. But the sheer fanfare of it all and being part of history (blah blah blah) appeals to me. So when the Vice President of the United States is going to be 5 miles from my house at an event open to the public on a gorgeous Iowa day when our only other plans were toddler time at the library…..yep – we’re going on a field trip to the capitol!

I’m obviously excited. Ben – a little unsure.

From what I read on a website ahead of time, there was going to be “airport like” security. Umbrellas, big bags, etc., were not allowed, so I was a bit wary of taking the stroller. I shoved a couple diapers and some snacks in a small purse, put on Ben’s walking shoes, and crossed my fingers. Ben walked from the parking garage to the capitol, which was pretty amazing. That led to him wanting to cuddle and be held in line to get in, which I was just fine with since it took a while. I got to teach him new vocabulary words, like “bomb-sniffing dogs” and “secret service”. Other than the fact that there was only ONE metal detector for the entire line, things moved along pretty smoothly. My bag was checked, and luckily they let me take in a sippy cup. I was glad that I didn’t have the stroller at this point, because the only one that I saw go in had to be inspected by the dogs!

It was a great day to people watch and enjoy Iowa. I didn’t invite any friends, as taking kids to a political rally is a gamble and I wanted the option to bust out of there as soon as possible if needed. I think I saw only 3 other kids total! So it was nice to run into my former teaching partner and catch up a bit.  🙂

This was the kick off rally for the “Nuns on the Bus” tour. They promote their trip as a bipartisan get-out-the-vote effort, but really, it was a liberal’s gathering. I pretty much keep my mouth shut around people from either party who wear t-shirts to express their viewpoints and carry clipboards, so I took my moderate views and indifferent toddler to hang out in the back and soak it all in.

It was cool to see Father Michael (the priest who married us) give the opening blessing. There were a few speeches from local advocates and some cute discussion questions from the nuns, and then it was time for Vice President Biden. By the time he came out, we had been standing in the sun for over an hour and a half, so we were ready to get the show on the road. I was AMAZED at my little buddy, who was happy to be either in my arms or standing at my feet. Best toddler ever.

Then it was time for VP Biden. I was really hoping that we would all chant “MOVE THAT BUS” like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to give a big Biden reveal, but it didn’t happen. He just got out of his car….It was pretty cool to see the motorcade though. And the secret service. SO COOL. I think watching the secret service is more interesting than any candidate or politician, but I tried not to be too creepy. My husband gave me strict instructions NOT to get on a watch list today…

So there was our vice president. The teeth. The hair. Very vice presidential!

He spoke about the middle class and many other issues that basically said, “I’m not running in 2016, but I’m totally running you guys….”

Ben decided to relax and take a seat. You can still see Biden in the background between those two guys. I was surprised at the rather small crowd for this event, but that made it pretty neat too.

Here we are with the VP shaking hands in the background.

We were going to stay and watch the motorcade leave, but nap time sounded better for this trooper who humored his mother for over 2 1/2 hours at a political rally without whining. Let’s just say that he got all his favorite foods for lunch when we got home!

And now he is entering hour 3 of his afternoon nap. USA! USA! USA!