Our Impromptu Civics Lesson

The other day as we were driving home from picking the boys up from school I saw a helicopter above us.  I told the kids to look at the helicopter and as I was saying it I looked over at the ISU baseball diamonds and practice fields and saw this.

Actually there were 5 helicopters sitting there.  I had forgotten that the president was speaking on central campus and all of the helicopters were here to transport him.  I decided that we would stop so the kids could get a closer look so being so close to home we ran there and grabbed the camera and then drove back over to see the helicopters.  By the time we got back they would no longer let you cross over University Blvd and had the area all blocked off.  We pulled into the stadium lots and found a place to park and walked up to the sidewalk along University.  I tried to get the kids to pose with the helicopters in the background but this was about as good of picture as I got.

I figured the president must be coming soon since the Secret Service started walking up and down the line of people waiting on the sidewalk and instructing them not to get any closer to the street.

The kids weren't super fond of waiting around so they decided to entertain themselves rolling down the hill behind us.

Pretty soon though we saw police cars coming with their lights on and then two big black cars with flags on front.  We were a little too far away from them to get a good picture but then the questions started from Gabe.  He wondered why there were all the police cars, why there were 2 black cars, why there were guys in suits standing on the street, etc, etc, etc.  After explaining as best I could he watched all the people in the Presidents entourage get on the helicopters.  He wondered why we didn't know which one the president got on.  Pretty soon the rotors started up and all the kids were intrigued.  One lifted off first, followed by 2 more and then the last 2.  It was quite a sight.

(there's the secret service in the street, Gabe wondered if they were huntsmen:)
Carl and I had seen this happen in DC several times when we worked there but it was pretty cool to see it take place a couple blocks from your house.  The kids thought the helicopters were cool and loud.  I was glad our timing was right to be able to see it that day.  Regardless what you think about the person in office, it is pretty cool to witness their coming and going and how much goes into it.