All of our meals today were supposed to be president related, but mom offered to treat us to dinner (even though she's not here), so the boys dropped Nancy Reagan Mac and Cheese in a second. But, anyway, each meal we had presidents favorites, and in a fun game, I had everyone match up the presidents with the food.
(Answers: Waffles is TJ, Breakfast food is McKinley, Potatoes is Millard Fillmore, Coffee is TR, and Apple Cider is John Adams)
(Answers: White Bread is Garfield, Grilled Cheese is FDR, Cucumbers in vinegar is Grant, Pork Rinds is George H.W. Bush, Cottage Cheese and Fruit is Nixon, Crackers is JQA, Peanuts is Jimmy Carter, Chocolate Chip Cookies is Clinton, and Fresca in a styrofoam cup of course is LBJ)
(Answers: Mac and Cheese is Ronald Reagan, Corn Muffins is JFK, Carrots is Calvin Coolidge, Apples is MVB, and Wine is Chester Arthur.)
For dessert the boys had choices of Cherry Cobbler (Washington), Butter Pecan Ice Cream (Ford), New Hampshire Hand Pies (Pierce), Pie with no ice cream (Obama), and Strawberry Ice Cream (Wilson)
We also played True American one last time today. No presidents were studied or featured (although everyone wore their shirts and used their pillowcases and pillows). So we took the presidents that we celebrated since the last time we did True American and gave them a nod in our foods.
We had my brand new pez dispensers, donuts for Martin Van Buren, popcorn for Andrew Johnson, apple pie for James Garfield, and rootbeer for Franklin Pierce. Then, we had prohibition cocktails for Woodrow Wilson, and extra cherries in them for Zachary Taylor.
All the categories were presidents. And I asked questions from the Brainquest presidents flip book. (A lot of those questions were ridiculously easy!)
Hayden and I put together our president's puzzle.
Tonight we will be playing a very special President themed Jeopardy.and a game in which every president's name was put in a jar, and you have to draw them out and get everyone to guess who it was (you can''t use numbers or the order to help).
We've all had our favorites this year. So I asked the boys and Asa to write about which president they liked the best.
"James Polk was my favorite president. I feel bad for him becaause he did so much and nobody remembers. He's even nicknamed 'the best of the forgotten'".
-Hayden
I really liked William McKinley. I specifically liked how he would handle war, there is no reason to unless all diplomatic offers fail.
-Peyton
"My favorite president was Harry Truman. I like Harry Truman because he was not expected to win at all and news papers printed that he would lose. He showed them all wrong and won. I also like him because there really wasn't any scandals surrounding him, unlike many other presidents. That's why Harry Truman is my favorite of the 43 presidents.
-Calib
"My favorite president was LBJ, our nation’s greatest hero. I never would have guessed this at the beginning of the year, honestly, I knew very little about him. Not only was he effective (Medicare, Medicaid), but he never changed as he advanced in politics. If anything, he only became MORE like his true self as the promotions piled up. Nothing says “this is where I belong” like installing a Fresca button on your desk."
-Asa
I can't really pick a favorite. I've spent a long time studying these guys this year, and I find them all (except for Millard Fillmore) pretty interesting. So without further ado, here all all the presidents in order (I typed everything below from memory!), along with links to their blogs, and my favorite thing/most memorable thing about them.
#1 George Washington was rich. But, he was also broke. Having all that land didn't give him a whole lot of cash flow, and our first president had to borrow money to make it to his inauguration.
#2 John Adams sure was full of himself. And that's not something I usually enjoy. But, the fact that he boasted about how great he was is sort of comical (just ask Congress- they had a good chuckle at his diary once). Plus, dude drank a tankard of hard cider every morning. And that's something.
#3 Thomas Jefferson, Oh TJ. The architect, the paleontologist, the botanist. I mean, the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark, and a war against pirates?! But, really, what I love most was the fact that he thought Lewis and Clark would find salt mountains and woolly mammoths on their journey out west.
#4 James Madison was a tiny little guy, more of a writer than a fighter. Until the war of 1812 broke out, and the British came to burn down Washington. And little James Madison grabbed a gun thinking he could fight.
#5 James Monroe is a tricky one for me. I never remember all that much about him (sans things like the Monroe Doctrine, which is really more a JQA accomplishment). But, he is supposed to be the guy holding the flag in that famous George Washington crossing the Delaware thing, and that's pretty cool.
#6 John Quincy Adams was a crazy, crazy dude. In a certifiable way not really matched by any other president. He was self loathing, and punished himself psychically and mentally his whole life. He also swam naked in the Potomac every morning, and was the first president interviewed by a female (when she stole his clothes from the river banks and refused to give them back until he answered her questions.) But then there was the mole people. And the mole people take the cake.
#7 Andrew Jackson is also crazy, but in a less certifiable kind of way than JQA. He killed guys in duels, he beat would-be-assassins with his cane, and he threatened to kill Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. But he also threw some pretty bad ass parties, with cheese, and broken china, and sneaking in and out of windows.
#8 Martin Van Buren is OK (Little inside humor for you). But I think it's funny he fixed elections and bet on them in his retirement. That's just so Martin Van Buren.
#9 William Henry Harrison kept the ball rolling. He toted himself out as a log cabin candidate who came from nothing, which worked all thanks to Martin Van Burens golden spoon eating ways while the country suffered the first Great Depression. And when he finally became president, he kicked the bucket a month later.
#10 John Tyler was an opportunist. He took the presidency and ran with it, buring every bridge he could. Then, when his friend died in that big cannon backfire incident, he took that friend's emotionally distraught daughter, and married her. And then there was that time he became a Senator for the Confederacy. He didn't give a crap.
#11 James Knox Polk, the best of the forgotten, is one of my favorites. Why? Because he did more in his one term than pretty much anyone ever. He set out a plan, and accomplished it all- without any friends. He was a loner, but he was also the guy who added the most land to our country besides the Louisiana Purchase. Yet, he's never remembered. And what I love so much about him, is I don't think he'd care.
#12 Zachary Taylor was famous, like house on a tour of the stars kind of famous. He became president because of the fame, even though he had never held a public office. And then he gorged on cherries. And that was that.
#13 Millard Fillmore. Where do I begin with him? There's nothing remarkable about the guy. He did help fight a fire at the library of Congress. But, other than that..... Can I just say he's the first birthday we did? Yup, that's my favorite thing about him.
#14 Franklin Pierce had a rough go of it. But he does have my favorite nickname of any president ever: "The Hero of Many a Well Fought Bottle."
#15 James Buchanan was mysterious. And he gave me one of my favorite timeline props: the letter we never got to open, and had to burn instead.
#16 Abraham Lincoln is the best president we've ever had. But, he was also a wrestler and a bartender. And that's pretty cool. And he kept important papers in his hat. I love that!
#17 Andrew Johnson was the last president's birthday I did. If he were president today he would provide the late night guys with so much material. Like that time he drunkenly kissed the bible at his inauguration.
#18 Sam Grant takes the title for the biggest disappointment. I always assumed "Unconditional Surrender" General Grant would translate into the presidency. But, that couldn't be further from the truth. He did name his horse Jeff Davis though. And that's pretty awesome.
#19 Rutherford Hayes is my hometown guy! But, I can't help but think Sam Tilden's birthday should have been celebrated instead.
#20 James Garfield died after only 200 days in office. But, he did juggle Indian Clubs for a workout. And that is pretty impressive.
#21 Chester Arthur is the only guy who campaigned to be Vice President. Nobody wants the job that John Adams called the "most insignificant office ever created," but Chet. And he wanted the new wardrobe that went with it. Then he accidentally ended up as president. Oops.
#22 Grover Cleveland personally hanged guys for a living before he became president, which maybe isn't so much my favorite thing about him, as I just find it interesting. He also creepily married a girl he knew since she was born (and was WAY younger than him).
#23 Benjamin Harrison was the first to have lights in the White House. But, that's not what I like the most about him. I like that he got shocked by a light switch, so he made other people turn the lights on for him.
#24 Grover Cleveland is the only guy to serve two non-consecutive terms, so he gets two links/favorite things. He might not have known he'd be back in the White House, but his wife did. She told the staff she'd be back in four years. And she was right!
#25 William McKinley was a good guy, and a good husband. He always wore a red carnation because his invalid/crazy wife liked them. He thought they were lucky. One day he gave his lucky carnation to a little girl. Minutes later he was assassinated.
#26 Teddy Roosevelt, what's not to love? The guy was a cowboy! But, I like his "children's hour" where he blew spit balls at a picture of Andrew Jackson and slid down the stairs on cookie sheets. And he also has one of my favorite personal quotes. "I can run the country, or I can control Alice (his daughter). I cannot possibly do both."
#27 William Howard Taft always makes me kind of sad. He became a Supreme Court Justice after his presidency (which he never wanted in the first place- his wife and Teddy wanted him to be president), he had it really rough with the breakup with Teddy- and yet all he's remembered for is getting stuck in a bathtub. A story which is about as false as George Washington's teeth.
#28 Woodrow Wilson was a good president. He kept us out of WWI as long as humanly possible. But, he should have quit when he was ahead. and then his wife Edith had to run the country. (You go, Edith!)
#29 Warren Harding was a sleazeball. But the book written by Nan Britton about their daughter they had as a result of an affair (a claim not substantiated until this year!) is pretty entertaining. And his timeline was one of my favorites to present- because the public viewed him very differently than he actually was, and I think I did a good job portraying that.
#30 Calvin Coolidge had a zoo at the White House. He had his raccoons running around sitting on his shoulder, and his responsible for pygmy hippos in the U.S!
# 31 Herbert Hoover, two words: Gibson Martini. Ok, so I can't just leave it at that. He's my birthday twin. And what isn't to love at him (pre-presidency anyway-- there was that whole great depression thing)? He learned to shoot a bow and arrow from Indians, he was in the very first class at Stanford, and he was a gold miner! And Lou Henry? She is the COOLEST first lady. Totally badass tomboy.
# 32 Franklin Roosevelt might have been a rich kid. But he did appreciate a good grilled cheese and a hot dog like the rest of us. Also, his dog, Fala was pretty awesome. Even if she ended up nearly naked from sailors taking a lock of her fur as a souvenir.
#33 Harry Truman was the last president not to have a college degree. And I so wish I could shop at Harry's Haberdashery.
#34 Dwight Eisenhower was a coveted candidate by Democrats AND Republicans. If we could get a candidate that well liked these days, it'd be amazing. He also learned his military strategy from his mom's books he read as a child. And, I am all about books!
#35 John Kennedy is so well known, it's hard to find some fun facts nobody else seems to know. But you know, guys like JFK and FDR and Wilson who had all kinds of health issues ended up being some of our best presidents. And that's kind of amazing. And there was that whole swimming with his crew-mates life jacket strap in his teeth to save him from drowning.
#36 Lyndon Johnson was crass, and obnoxious. But it is kind of funny that he used to take people out in his amphicar without telling them it floats, and then drive it into the lake yelling "Oh my god, we're going in!"
#37 Richard Nixon is also a shady guy. But, I do like the story about how he would drive his future wife Pat and her dates around until she finally agreed to go out with him.
#38 Gerald Ford was an NFL draft prospect. And he also became president in a very Frank Underwood kind of way. Plus, my mom met him once (he's her birthday twin, too!)
#39 Jimmy Carter lived in a haunted house, worked on submarines, and taught himself how to run a peanut farm. He overcame some ballot stuffing/ballot hiding shady business and eventually became president. That's pretty impressive.
#40 Ronald Reagan was president when I was born. And my favorite story about him is kind of a sad one (but sweet none the less). When he was sick with Alzheimer's in retirement, his Secret Service Agents would put leaves in his pool every morning so he would have the leaves to clean out (something he liked doing). He also kept nuts from Camp David on his desk to feed the squirrels.
#41 George H.W. Bush wrote us a letter, and it was awesome. Is that cheating? He also spent his 90th birthday jumping out of an airplane, and that's cool.
#42 Bill Clinton met JFK when he was a kid, and decided he wanted to be president. And a guy from a town called Hope can do anything he puts his mind to- including being our only Rhodes Scholar turned president!
#43 George W. Bush was the first president I could vote for (though I didn't). But, this whole project has taught me a lot about the job, and the person who occupies the office. And I will never judge them so harshly again.
#44 Barack Obama also wrote to us. And, despite what people say about him, he was an unlikely guy to become president. I particularly found his childhood interesting. He spent it in Hawaii, and Indonesia- where he ate dog AND tiger!
Here's the thing about this project, the boys learned so much more than I imagined they would, and so did Asa and I. Sure they learned about history. They know facts, and *some* dates, and can tell you all about the history of our country. But, they also gained a certain perspective. People can come from the poorest of the poor, and the richest of the rich and become president. We've had refined presidents, and those who were a little less- um, proper.
Some dream of running the country from a very young age, and their dreams came true. But sometimes, even if you do your best, and position yourself just right, you can't always achieve your goals. (See: Henry Clay, and Willliam Jennings Bryan). And sometimes your dream comes true, but it doesn't work out exactly the way you had planned.
Some become president because they've been lifelong politicians. Some just believe they can do the most good in that position. A few of our presidents never really wanted to be president in the first place, and some of them didn't achieve their true dream job until after the presidency. Sometimes guys didn't exactly shine during their presidency, but came up big in retirement.
The fact of the matter is that all Republicans are not bad, and all Democrats are not good. War heroes might not translate into the best presidents, and good presidents can be guys who never really played the political game.. Sometimes when you finish a job people praise you and you're judged favorably, but sometimes it takes a little bit longer for history to judge you as a hero.
You can disagree with a guys policies, you can vilify his actions, but the fact of the matter is it's a job that deserves some respect. Behind all the machine politics, the scandals, the triumphs, all these guys were people, and that's important to remember. Some gave their lives (and some are barely remembered for doing so), some over came tragedies I can't even imagine. But they all kept on keeping on (well, with one exception).
So as it turns 2016, and we enter an election year, just remember, it's not an easy job. Disagreeing with policies is one thing. Sure this is america, and unless you were planning espionage during WWI you have your right to free speech. But, maybe we should be a little less critical of t the person. Not one of these 43 men you see above were perfect. Nobody is. How many vacation hours someone takes, or something their spouse says, or one little thing they've done in their past doesn't define a person, or a presidency. Only time and history can give you the perspective to judge fairly. But the thick skin you have to have just to endure it all is impressive. And I have a lot more respect for all of them. And the office.
Just some food for thought.
I'll leave you with some pictures of all the awesome activities, new foods, super fun games, field trips, and crafts we've done to honor these guys. It sure has been something, and I couldn't have ever imagined it would be the undertaking that it was. But, I couldn't have picked a better project for 2015.
And with that, I've written 123 blogs this year, a feat which likely will never be topped. Holy geez, you guys! What a year it's been. Happy 2016!
