Monday is President’s Day, So Let’s Learn Something!

My kids have often rolled their eyes after hearing (over and over) my thoughts on days like President's Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, etc.

My idea is pretty straightforward and simple. Instead of a day off from school, the day should be spent IN SCHOOL learning about Dr. King, various presidents, soldiers and veterans. Learn about and celebrate their lives, accomplishments, and their many sacrifices. I really don't recall learning much about these folks while enjoying a day off.

In case you thought the real reason behind President's Day was to give you the best opportunity to save (up to 50%!) on sheets and pillowcases, Adrianna Jay at Oddee offers up a look at some of the most iconic items of America's presidents.

Like John Quincy Adams and his hat:

One has to assume that John Quincy Adams' hat meant a great deal to him sentimentally, or else he wouldn't have invited long-standing criticism for wearing the it for so long. He is said to have worn the hat consistently for ten years and it is one of the contributing factors in why history remembers him as the president “least interested in fashion.” Notoriously careless about clothes, he probably wouldn't have done so well with Joan Rivers or Mr. Blackwell on the red carpet.

You mean to tell me that history remembers another president for being "Most Interested in Fashion?" Well...yes, as a matter of fact:

Chester A. Arthur certainly wasn't the first president to wear pants, but he sure made a spectacle of them.

A clothes horse, Arthur changed his outfits several times a day–an easy feat considering he owned approximately 80 pairs of pants. He was the most Lady Gaga-esque president in terms of fashion, leading writer Gore Vidal to conclude that Arthur was surely the “most fastidious and fashionable president."

Moving right along, let's go from clothes horse to mechanical horse:

Calvin Coolidge wasn't a man of many words, but he sure loved to whoop and holler as he rode his mechanical horse, specially installed in the White House at his request.

Coolidge rode the mechanical horse for exercise and entertainment with friends and family. The mechanical horse obviously spoke to Coolidge's admiration of the real animal, but also he may well had a little bit of an obsessive fascination with the object in the spirit of Urban Cowboy.

And of course, there's Bill Clinton. Late night comedians have made a few thousand jokes about the former president's "hobbies and interests." Crazy, risque things like...crossword puzzles?

Clinton is an avid fan crossword puzzles and even appeared in the 2006 documentary “Wordplay” to express his enthusiasm for the hobby. As if we need further evidence of Clinton's honesty in his admission, he also collaborated with The New York Times magazine–known for their nationally famous puzzles–in creating a game.

More on Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, Abraham Lincoln, and George W. Bush can be found here. Ruin your kid's day off with it.