Don't touch the Van Gough and other helpful hints.

I just got back from a great trip to Washington DC with 18 of my students and three other adults. We had a marvelous time and saw a whole lot, some of which I'd already seen and some which was totally new. None of my kids had been before and it was a great experience for all.

Here are some highlights and fun quotes. If you'd like to see some of the 1,000 pictures I took...well, then you're weird or family (both in some cases).

1) When we ordered dinner at LAX before our flight, I asked the server if she was having a good day, said please and thank you and all the usual. Afterward, one of my students said, "Ms. Dempsey, I always wondered if you were as polite in public as you were in class. I guess you are." I laughed.

2) We took a tour package through Smithsonian tours. Our tour guide was great and from Brazil. Our first coach driver was actually the owner. He was very talkative and I found out that he flew airplanes for missionaries in New Guinea for Wycliffe Bible Translators. He knew the missionary family of a guy that's been coming to my parents' Wednesday night Bible study. Small world, right?

3) While in the National Museum of Art, I showed my kids (only three of them) the Impressionists. I love Impressionists so I was telling them what to look for. We came to the Van Gough room and I said, "Look at the painting from far away. Notice the pretty colors. When we get close, notice the chunks of paint." Somehow 'look' and 'notice' translated into 'touch'. Yep, one of my students touched a Van Gough. I instantly and urgently told her to stop and that you cannot touch anything or even get too close. That each of these was worth hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. She seemed unfazed. I, however, was secretly jealous. She got to touch a Van Gough!

4) I met up with Laura Kellam! I was nervous that our plans wouldn't work out, but we met up at the Natural History Museum and walked around the Mall (not a shopping one). Her sister-in-law, Anita, was with us too. We saw the Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, and Washington Monument.

5) While at the Vietnam memorial we heard a little girl say,
Girl: Grandma, what was your friend's name?
Grandma: Jack, we called him Jack.
Girl: And how old was he when he died?
Grandma: 19, he was just 19.Then she cried and so did we.

6) While at the Lincoln with Laura and Anita, there was a lightning storm like none I'd ever seen. We waited out the storm sitting next to Lincoln with 100's of other people for about 30 minutes or so. Thunder boomed and echoed throughout the building. It was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen.

7) To get back to my hotel, after hanging out with Laura, I had to take the subway by myself. This wasn't too bad because I've ridden many subways and I'm pretty familiar with DC's but it was about 11:30 at night and I was only hoping that the subway was going toward my hotel that was about 30 minutes from DC's downtown. I rode safely and then exited to find a taxi waiting. I rode the taxi the three blocks to my hotel and I paid him too much because I was just so happy to have arrived safely.

8) I received over 25 phone calls on my birthday. Many of which were Paul, Erin, and the kids singing me various birthday tunes, including ones they made up. Grandma R accidentally sang happy birthday to the wrong number before she got to me.

9) Student: Some people are grumpy in the morning and some people are grumpy at night, but Ms. Dempsey is never grumpy. Me: I'm grumpy when I'm tired and people are disrespectful. Student: pauses. Yeah, but I think that's right.
My kids are so cool.

10) Our kids were good, but they don't really understand about proper etiquette sometimes. On the day we visited Arlington Cemetery, I gave them a speech about honor and behavior.Me: "We are going to a place where men and women who have served our nation have chosen, or their families have chosen for them, to be buried. This is a place where you must show the utmost respect. This means no running, play fighting, or even giggling. If you are unable to show this kind of respect I will be very mad, not just Ms. Dempsey mad, VERY mad. Thank you."
They were phenomenal! Our tour guide said that they were one of the most respectful groups she'd seen. I was so proud of them.

11) I loved sharing DC with my kids. I made sure they noticed details that made things even cooler (at least I thought so), like: "Did you notice G. Washington's signature? That's really his signature." or "Look, that's the first book that was EVER printed -EVER!!" or "This is where Martin Luther King, Jr gave his 'I have a dream speech.'" or "Yes, this is where they filmed National Treasure 2"

12) Some fun quotes and questions from my kids (and some sad ones):
"Is that the real ___________" fill in anything from Constitution to White House.
"What's the secret service?"
"Do you eat ice cream every day?"
"But that was back in the times when people believed the Bible was real." (I responded, "People still do believe the Bible is real.")
"What's the Holocaust?"
"More museums!"
"I'm so excited, the SPY museum!"
"22, oh no, 21!" (we counted to 22 fifty times a day to make sure that all of our kids were with us. Several times we got to 21 instead. We had a wanderer.)
"Is that a homeless?" (this came from someone from Arkansas).