Dropping Off the Kids
Tuesday night we met Rob's parents halfway between here and Toledo to give them our kids. They took us out to eat and then took Miciah and Elijah with them. They said the whole way there, Miciah kept saying, "I want to go with my Mom and Dad." We'd been prepping her for this big time for about 2 weeks. Talking about what she'd do, what she could expect, who would be up there, who she would have to listen to, all that. We had a FHE on it and even let her help pack her and Elijah's stuff--clothes and toys and books. And yet she still didn't really get it that we wouldn't be up there with her. But, after the car ride, both kids did fine. We'd call, briefly, to talk to Ciah and she'd say, "Hi, Mom. I love you. Bye, I'm going to go play." :) She had fun with her Grandma, Grandpa, and cousins. They even had a ward youth activity at their house. It was a water balloon fight. Miciah was thrilled.
On Our Way
Wednesday I had to myself, so I got some things done around the house that aren't really possible with the kids around. I had really debated what to do Wednesday, after finding out I'd have the day to myself and could do ANYTHING I WANTED. But when it came right down to it, I'm still a mom and the home is still where my priorities are, with or without the kids around. So I focused my energies there. That night we went on a date and didn't even need to find a babysitter! How about that! We went to the store and packed and went over discipline items for the teenagers--what's our stance on their music or their dress or cell phones or blah blah blah. Turns out, we didn't really have to worry about any of that. No one made a big deal about music (which is really good, cause we decided we didn't really care about their music as long as they had headphones--they all did). Two people brought cell phones. One of them turned it over to us (I returned it a few hours after getting it cause I didn't want to be responsible for losing it or whatever. She didn't use it, though), and the other didn't use it the whole time. At least not that we saw. No one dressed inappropriately. They were all good kids. From what I can tell, there were no major Youth Conference incidents. Yea!
And it was fun. Rob and I had a good time with the youth, and they seemed to really like us. We had the opportunity to bear pure testimony to them about the Gospel. That was awesome. We got to dance at the little dance they had. They liked that and we liked that. We're volunteering to be chaperones at every stake dance that comes up (as an excuse to get out and dance ourselves). We got a chance to really get to know some of the youth in the stake, and particularly, I got to bond with the Miamaids in our ward, cause they were in our group. So I was grateful for that.
Youth Mistakes?
A couple funny things. I was standing in line for dinner with 2 of the girls from my ward. Two of the other chaperones were standing right next to us. So I start talking to them. I don't know who they are, just obviously they're chaperones. One's in his late 30's and the other in his 50's or so. And one of them, after kind of hinting that he thought I was a youth, then flat out asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I smiled and thought for a while. What do I want to be when I grow up? Well, there's a 2 part dillema here. 1- What does it mean to be grown up and am I there? 2- What can I say back to him that isn't offensive, but is clever. So I just answered, "Well, I guess I'll be just a mom." He said, "Just a mom. If I told my wife she was just a mom, she'd be pretty mad." So I just smoothly transitioned into talking about my husband and 2 kids, like I hadn't even noticed he thought I was a youth. So then I didn't have to be in his face about it and we could all pretend that he wasn't embarrased about his mistake. It was cute (and I thought it was very nice of me to give him a polite out. I was impressed with myself).
So he came up to me later, at the temple where we're doing baptisms for the dead. All the youth sat down in an area and I was standing around waiting for instructions for how to be helpful. He came up to me and said, "The youth are sitting over there, if you could please join them." I just looked at him, not knowing what to say. Then he smiled and we talked about how he thought I was a miamaid and that was funny.
Next time I saw him, I told him, "Excuse me, where is your chaperone? You're not supposed to be walking around unattended." He said, "Hey, I look a lot more like a chaperone than YOU do." Stuff like that all the time. I told him that he had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. He had conveniently forgotten that. By then, though, I had thought of that clever reply. "You mean, when I'm as old as you?"
On the way home, he got me again. I was trying to get through a crowd and he hollers out (without me even knowing he was there), "Let the youth get through." As I'm walking through a parting crowd, grateful, I look back to see who said that and there he is, smiling away. I just smiled. I caught him later and told him that he really looked at least 5 years younger than he really was. He was, say, 75 and he looked at LEAST 70. Then it was a sequence of me digging a bigger and bigger hole for myself. I asked if he could be my grandfather or my father. He told him I was getting myself in trouble and that they still needed to get speakers for the next Stake Conference. I thought that was low. He said, "Low? You just asked if I was old enough to be your grandfather! How old is your grandfather? Is he even alive!" :) What a good-natured man. I wrote him a note on the last leg of the trip and handed it to him before he left for home. In the note I told him that when I grew up, I hope I'm as nice and fun as he is.
Most of the other chaperones told me that they had thought I was a youth, too. Just none of them asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. One of them did say to me, though, "Well, hello, little one." I couldn't tell if she was thinking I was a youth or not. Cause we were chaperones on the same bus on the way up and I thought surely she'd remember that. So I just assumed, then, that she was referring to my size.
Dancing Shoes
Rob knocked their socks off with his awesome swing dancing skills. He's so fun to watch. There was a period in the dance when there was no music playing, but Rob doesn't need music to dance, so we were there dancing to the music in his head. We got a LOT of comments on us dancing, as we usually do. It doesn't bother me at all, cause then people think that I'm good, too, which isn't really the case. I just let Rob dance circles around me (which he literally does) and do my best to follow his lead. I know about 1/3 of the swing steps and moves that he knows. But I'll learn more and then it'll be way more fun.
Okay, that's our update. We got our kids back this afternoon. It was really nice to see them again. Rob's parents were super nice and drove them all the way down and then, a few hours later, drove all the way back up. Which was really nice cause we've been pretty tired. There wasn't much sleep being had in Nauvoo.
A Gift for Miciah
Oh, something else that's just interesting and nice. Miciah's always talking to anyone and everyone that walks in and out of the doors to our apartment complex. Our balcony is about chin high from the entrance. One of the people that Miciah really is chatty with is a couple downstairs. He's a cab driver named Herb, and her name is Phyllis. They have some grandkids. This is about all I know of them, other than that they carry on like half hour conversations with Miciah. She tells them about the latest cool things she's thinking of, like what movie she just watched or who she's pretending to be right this second. :) Anyways, when we got back, a note was waiting for us that they had some toys that their granddaughter was too old to play with and would we want them because Miciah seems to have a good imagination and they want someone to enjoy these toys. He stopped by today after church before we could call them back. We apologized for not getting back to them because we'd been gone, but yes, we'd love the toys. So now we have this HUGE Fisher Price doll house (ironically enough, is almost exactly like the one Rob's mom bought last week for the grandkids to play with when they came to her house) with a ton of accessories, plus 2 dolls, and a play stroller with a little baby carrier that comes out of it, and a matching crib. Sheesh. It's like Christmas! Now all we have to do is figure out where they'll all fit in our house. But how nice of our neighbors. It's all in really good condition (other than smelling a bit like smoke), and it's worth quite a bit of money. Miciah's been really excited. ... I have been really impressed, in my life with Rob, at how many times things have just come to us through generous acts of others. We've been blessed.
Well, good night, I'm going to bed. Thanks for reading this far! We love you all.
Tamra and Rob and kids
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