Mad Town Rebels vol. 2

 
  I had a meeting in Madison so it was a good time to swing back through the capitol and have a lesson on civil disobedience.  The kids and I hadn't been in Madison since the big marches so earlier Friday Morning we loaded up our tribe of six and a couple copies of the Constitution and headed south.  There had been plenty of arrests in the rotunda for protesting, singing and just observing without a permit.  The kids practiced for the Capitol tour like two of the three monkeys from see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil.  Our drive was not without the occasional stop to refuel our bellies and Ella's Deli seemed like just the place to completely loose our focuse.  It is a treasure trove of mechanical dolls and table games and breakfast is served with a side of Carosel.  The Capitol was quite when we arrived and we just missed the guided tour but were still able to take a self guided tour.  We walked around the outside observation deck and the kids were able to sit in the Supreme Court, and because it wasn't in session, without fear of being strangled.  The Capitol, unbeknownst to us, also has several fossils in the granite so we did spend some time searching the stairs for the Capitol Starfish and other reminants of the Ordivician period. In the Rotunda a man recited a protest poem in an echoing voice and few ears as most of the crowd was outside.  We watched the protestors sing outside for a while and then when they marched in, we too marched with them.  We mostly watched but when they started singning "which side are you on?"  It was just too good of a tune to not join in with.  Sophia was hip to the idea of civil disobidence and we had a nice talk with an ACLU observer. The Capitol police did come out with a booming PA system to explain that it was an illegal protest because there were more than 4 people and no permits.  Sophia kept making air quotes when she used the word illegal. There were several people arrested but it was very peaceful. I biked over to my meeting and the kids headed to the Children's museum of exploration and ice cream.  We all meet up afterwards for some state street shopping and the kids were able to get a feel for the variety of people and circumstances the exist in their world.  The street musician was great and was able to make 2 ball appear in Sophia's hand where only one was before and not to be out done doubled Merrick's two as well.  A little food and a drive home rounded off the day nicely, a day that felt like three.