We started our commute early on Tuesday at 4 am to reach our destination to witness history.  It was no surprise that everyone else had the same idea and that as we took the Metro system towards DC that the excitement of it all was evident!  Everyone had a gleam in their eye and was in "survival mode" to fight the crowd and stay warm!  I knew that we had a long day ahead of us but I did not care because I knew that the purpose of our trip was to have our little ones here to experience history! 

Our first security checkpoint was at 6 am where we meet a line of police barricading the street and only allowing access to people with Press Credentials.  We were cheerful and meet other people who had traveled from California, Las Vegas and Virginia.  A few mommies even offered to hold on my little one if I needed a break.  I appreciated their offers but knew that her feet would not touch the ground and that I was mentally prepared to hold her for the entire day if necessary.  Finally, we got through the 1st checkpoint at 6:30 am and we thought that we were home free to find a spot along the parade route to catch a glimpse of the President.

The next security checkpoint was 2 blocks away from the first one and it really tested our stamina.  This checkpoint was a huge black steel fence with locked gates.  We felt positive that we could see the gates and figured that we were among the first 5,000 people at this "non-ticketed" area.  We had hoped that this entrance would open at 7 am.  Unfortunately, it did not so we were in a "massive sea" of people trying to stay warm as the sun started to come up.  The crowd cheered and chanted and singed to kept our energy up as we stood waiting for the time to pass.  At 7:30 am impatience started to set in and many started cheering "open the gates, let us in."  I was thrilled that my littlest one literally was still sleeping through all the noise.  At 7:45 am we watched police agent go to the 2nd & 3rd floor windows and take pictures of us........the "sea of people" down on 7th street below.  Again, the crowd chanted and gestured to them to "open the gates and let us in." 

At 8 am, the gates were opened and we felt a sense of relief that our standing "shoulder-to-shoulder" in the frigid weather was over.  However, to our dismay we quickly learned that even though the gates were open that we were going no where quickly.  We moved probably 2 feet steps every 40 minutes.  And as we moved forward the space seemed to get tighter.  We could not figure out how this was "organized" because their was only 4 entrance points along the gate and the "massive sea" of people were all being funnelled into those points.  At about 9 am, some people tried to leave but even that was difficult because their were people everywhere and no easy way to carve a path to get out.  We just kept thinking to ourselves that we were "lucky" because we could actually see the gates and that all the people behind us probably would not get in.  Yes, that was our strategy to continue to think positive because we had a reason for being here and it was to witness history. 

At 10 am, we reached the gate door.  We had completely made friends with everyone around us after all we were shoulder-to-shoulder with these people now for 5 hours.  And standing there I again felt optimistic that we were finally going to get through.  There really seemed to be no order as to who was selected to go through next.  But finally, a policeman saw me there and allowed me, the baby and my oldest to go through.  My husband was not allowed "in" but we were FREE on the other side of the gate.  Freedom on the other side....WOW!  Not so much because this was the real security checkpoint were the bag search and metal detectors were.  So, I asked it they would allow my husband through but the policeman told me to just clear the check point and wait for him on the other side.  Another 15 minutes or so, he somehow was chosen to come through and we were finally reunited as a family.  At this point, I felt that it would have to be something extraordinary like "the Inauguration of the first African American president" for me to get up early and subject my kids to this COLD weather and be outside for 6 plus hours in it!!!

We made our way to Pennsylvania Avenue and claimed our spot (across from the National Archives building & the NPR platform) at 11:15 am.  WOW!! I was happy to finally sit down.  There was so much electricity in the air!!!  We were lucky that we had arrived and that we made it here.  We witnessed the motorcade of President Bush and President-elect Obama heading towards the Capitol building for the Swearing In Ceremony.  We could see in the distance the swearing in stands and flagged drapped building.  We could also hear the entire swearing in ceremony.  And as the oath of office was completed, people around us were hugging, crying and high-fiving each other!  I gave my little ones a kiss on the forehead and felt jubilant that we were here.

After a few snacks and a potty break and a few stops into the Army Navy Museum behind us for "heat" and "hot chocolate" breaks, I took the girls back out onto the street hoping that the parade would start soon because we had been "outside and exposed to the elements" for longer than I had anticipated.  The NPR radio announcer started to play "Presidential Trivia" with the crowd and a local radio station played music to keep the crowd spirit high.  Everyone at this point was "dancing"....in part for celebration and in part to keep warm.  By this hour (I am talking 1:30 pm now), it was about 25 degrees with a wind chill of 12 degrees or so it felt.  We had already equipped our gloves & boots with the hand warmers and toe warmers but at this point those extermities were not feeling toasty!!  But we prevailed on because we hope that the parade would start soon and at this point (with the amount of time that we had invested.....there was no way that we were going to turn back OR give up on seeing the President for ourselves)!!!!!

Finally at about 3 pm the parade started (we heard from some other people who had called home to family & friends that Senator Kennedy had a medical emergency at the luncheon and perhaps that this was the reason for the delay).  The military bands played, followed by the presentation of colors and the Secret Service police and then it happened.  Right in front of us, the motorcade STOPPED.  The crowd went wild...yelling and screaming....and pushing in to try to get a picture.  We were right up against the metal barricade and I could feel the push from the back.  I held on to my little one tightly and my oldest eyes were glistening as she saw President Obama standing there just 10 feet in front of her.  This was the moment that I wanted and I could not believe that he was right there.  My husband took pictures and I only hoped that he used the zoom lens and that we were actually would have photo proof that he was right there!!! 

After he went passed us, I felt deep regret that I could not endure any longer and we headed back to the Metro.  I really would have loved to stay and see the entire parade and especially the Taravello band from Florida and the Tuskegee Airmen and all the other bands from all over but it took everything I had to withstand the experience of standing for hours in the COLD to witness history.  It was well worth the effort but I had no idea that a day that started at 4 am would end at 4 pm.  I was filled with excitement and euphoria that we got to see him and that memory will stay with me for as long as I live and I hope my oldest (the baby practically slept through the entire event....I believe that she went into hibernation mode due to the COLD weather) will be able to pass along to her children what she witness first hand as a 6 year old on a COLD January day that changed America!!!!