Eli can see history in his imagination as if it happened yesterday. He couldn't wait to see how Thomas Jefferson lived and the home he built. He woke up early, much earlier than we wanted to, excited and ready to go. He was so excited as he saw us approaching the mountains and realized we were close to where Thomas Jefferson once lived. When we arrived at Monticello we bought our tickets for the guided tour. We had some time to kill so Eli ran towards the museum.
Really! How many kids get excited about a museum?
He was most interested in the pictures of Thomas Jefferson and wanted to read every description. He was interested and excited to learn that Jefferson didn't always have gray hair and he in fact had red hair and freckles as a young man, like his little Nana does.
He searched for pictures of him when he was “medium old” (like Mom and Dad).
He spent a great deal of time in the discovery center for kids. He tried his hand at building a home out of building blocks and, even though it looked remarkably similar the roman coliseum, he said it was his version of Monticello. He laid on the replica bed and told me he was as tall as Thomas Jefferson because he fit “just right” in the bed and “really liked” the satin bedspread with the fringe. There was a volunteer who became so impressed by Eli's extensive knowledge, she offered him a JOB!
HE spent most of his time in the small slave cabin dressed in a slave shirt and cooking over a small fake fire. He cooked onion and strawberry soup and served it to everyone that passed through. After the Discovery Center he couldn't wait for the short shuttle ride to the main house. He made conversation with everyone on the bus and asked them questions about Jefferson which he quickly answered before giving them a chance.
When he saw the house through the window an audible gasp escaped his lips and he began jumping in his seat. Our tour didn't start for an hour so we walked around the grounds and he was most interested in where the slaves slept and where Jefferson kept his horses. Eli took in every detail and asked a ton of questions about how they kept their food cold and why the kitchen wasn't in the house and “can we eat those hams hanging up?”
He couldn't believe how big the cold storage was and said “they must have had a lot of food!” When it was our turn for the tour he was first in line. His eyes were big in every room and he asked the guide a thousand questions. The guide graciously told Eli he would answer all his questions after the tour, and he kept his word.
Eli’s favorite room was the parlor where the games were played and where the picture of John the Baptist beheaded hung…Eli asked "Why did Thomas Jefferson have a picture of John the Baptist on a plate?
When we entered the room known as the “Madison Room” Eli yelled out that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day and that when they died they were best friends. The guide told Eli he was right and everyone applauded while Eli broke out in a huge smile. Eli was particularly amazed that Jefferson could oversee the construction of the University of Virginia from his deck using a para-scope (spy glass).
The tour ended and many of the people stopped to tell Eli “nice job” or “so nice to meet you”. One couple in particular were quite taken with Eli. They were from England and the gentleman told Eli he was "quite a character". "What's a character?" Eli asked. The gentleman's wife bent down and put her hand on Eli’s shoulder and said “someone you remember forever”. Her husband told Eli his name would be famous in England soon because they were going to go home and tell everyone about the little boy who loved the little mountain.
The guide enthusiastically answered all of Eli’s questions, as he promised. Eli was obviously excited to talk to someone who knew as much about Thomas Jefferson as he did. When the guide had to leave he shook Eli’s hand and thanked him for making his day.
I was so impressed with Eli’s ability to contain his excitement during the tour and hold his questions till the end. He brought many smiles to the guests during that 45 minutes. I know Thomas Jefferson would have been impressed with Eli.
written by Eli's Photography Teacher, and favorite person on the planet, Nana
*Please don't copy or steal his work. If you'd like prints shoot me a message and we can get some for you.*
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