Once they entered the house the kids were in awe of the artifacts on the walls of the foyer. When Hank said, “Point to the most interesting thing in this room”, there were index fingers everywhere! Some of the kids pointed to the ancient jaw bones of a wooly mastodon, others towards the shrine of American Indian artifacts (not originals however) gathered during the Lewis and Clark expedition, and several pointed their fingers towards river maps drawn on animal hides. “Exactly”, said Hank. “Thomas Jefferson placed so many interesting items in this room for his guests to look at while they waited to be received, kind of like us right now!”
When Thomas Jefferson was not receiving or entertaining guests he was learning and creating new things. The man was a fascinating character with eccentric qualities. The children thought it was hysterical that Jefferson would train his favorite mockingbird to fetch grape seeds from his mouth when he was done eating the juicy outer layer. They were also amazed by the fact that his library once contained over 6,000 books before he sold them to the Library of Congress in 1815.
Of all the fun facts and knowledge of Thomas Jefferson the kids received that day, their favorite one came to them in the dining room. “How many of you kids like ice cream?” asked Hank. Each hand was raised so high it was as if they were trying to touch the ceiling. “Why am I not surprised?” chuckled Hank. He continued, “Who also likes macaroni and cheese?” Not a single hand dropped. “Well if you were a guest here 200 years ago you would be in luck! Monticello was one of the first homes in America to serve ice cream and macaroni and cheese.” The kids, with hope in their hearts, asked if they could try some then and there. The only disappointment of the trip came when they were told no.