Weekend

 Fun at school:

In November we had jars in the office, one for Matt, Jeff, Caroline and Riley.  Students could bring change and whoever had the most by the end of the month would get a pie in the face.

They used the money to give Thanksgiving dinner to some families in our school.

Of course Matt won.  Two students were randomly selected to throw pie in his face and I love an elementary school with a good principal and that is all.

The field trip:

There were thousands of elementary students at the Marriott Center.  We found our seats; everyone was accounted for.  I was strategically seated where I could keep an eye on my live wires.

BYU does quality everything.  I loved the show.  My students loved the show.  They did a dance from Mexico and the boys in front of me whooped when it was announced and then were enthralled.  

Then they did a dance from Colombia and my Colombian boy was waving his arms in the air and bouncing in his chair and I was so happy.

Then we tried to leave.

I had a styrofoam peppermint on a stick that I had showed my students that I would hold up so they could find me.  I had three so I gave one to Miriam and Alissa too.  I led the charge and holding up my peppermint, led students out of the arena and had them line up against the inner wall on the concourse.  I counted heads and I was missing a student.  Alissa and Miriam joined and I counted again and I was still missing a student!  It was my nightmare.  I sent a boy to the bathroom to see if the missing student was there.

He was not.

The missing boy was not one that I was concerned about wandering off (I had a firm grip on that boy).

The missing boy was one whose name I write on sub plans as a responsible student the sub can turn to for help!

I found a security guard and he was wholly unhelpful.  He suggested that maybe his parents had picked him up.  I don't know what I expected the security guard to do, but that wasn't it.  I walked around the Marriott Center in a panic, praying my little heart out. Alissa took her class outside to see if he was there.  She called me and she said, "I have him!" 

He was missing for probably 5 minutes, but it was the longest 5 minutes of my life!

I gathered my students and walked outside in the falling snow toward the busses.  I felt wobbly with relief.  Alissa was standing outside the bus her class was on and said, "He's on this bus, do you want him?"

I said, "Yes!" I needed to see that boy!

I hugged him and told him that I was sorry we had lost him and I was so glad we'd found him.

In the crush of elementary students, he had thought he was following our class.  He was confused that his friends weren't outside with him because he thought he was with them.  I told him he did a great job staying in one spot when he realized he was lost because I never would have left him.

He looked pale and stressed and we went to the bus and all the rest of the students freaked out and said, "Where were you?!?"

I didn't think it was particularly helpful so I distracted them with asking them about their favorite dances.  Later, I asked my student (who still looked stressed), "Are you OK?  Were you scared?"

He said, "No."

I said, "I was scared.  I was panicking!"

A girl across the aisle on the bus said, "I think we all were scared."

When we were walking back into the school, he asked me, "Teacher, on a scale of one to a million, how scared were you?"

I said, "About 900,000.  I thought I would find you, but I was scared."

He smiled, satisfied that I cared I guess.  

I said, "I would not have left without you."

He said, "What if the seasons changed?"

I said, "I would still be there."

With that he went to lunch and I went to message him mom a "so we lost your son today...." message.

I would rather her hear it from me.

Ward Party:

We had our ward Christmas party and I usually don't love ward Christmas parties (I know my sisters are shaking their heads as they read this).  They are people-y and sometimes long and sometimes awkward choosing where to sit.  It's a me problem. (Also Shannon and Chris and Kim and Rod were not going to be there.  My pals!)

But when your husband is the bishop, it feels like you really can't gracefully get out of them, so I went.  We ended up sitting with and having a nice visit with two other couples who are about our same age.  The food was good.  They had a very short and good program (one song/nativity from some primary children and Adam was asked to "make remarks" and they were brief). 

Then I moved over to Cortney and Jordan's table and had a good chat with them (actually we were about the last people there).

So it was a good ward Christmas party.  Except I went home feeling kind of wonky. 

Lots of people asked me how I was feeling.  People said, "Well, you look good!" (It felt like they were expecting me to look emaciated or something.) And some people said, "It's good to see you out!" (It felt like I have one foot in the grave and it was something of a miracle that I was walking around.)

One man told me, while he was serving me some ham, "I pray for you every night.  We need to keep you around."

I'm not dying!  Do you think I'm dying?!?

I know, me problems.  They are kind and care about me and that means a lot to me.  I guess I just don't love being reminded over and over again that I have cancer.  I just want to be normal socially awkward Thelma who doesn't know where to sit at the ward Christmas party instead of sick socially awkward Thelma who people are amazed to see among the living.

Nate Bargatze

Ammon and Melanee gifted us with tickets to watch him perform at the Delta Center and it was so fun!  I laughed and cry laughed and it felt good to have a night out even though I was very tired being out past my bedtime. 

We took TRAX from the Courthouse Station to the Delta Center because Adam reasoned it was less walking for me and less hassle parking.  We were late (after a pit stop at the Lego store--how old will our boys be when they stop requesting Legos for Christmas?).  I had wanted to leave earlier and Adam said we would be fine.  (Every time we go anywhere our entire marriage that is the exact conversation.)

Well, Adam was right this time.  We slid into our seats and they were just starting the opening acts and we didn't miss a single thing.

Actually Adam is right a lot, we usually are fine.  I still like being early.

Sunday

I led the singing in primary, which is always fun.  In the afternoon a little boy and his dad dropped off a plate of Christmas treats--I think for Adam.  When I answered the door, he was greatly taken aback and said, "Hey!  You're my music teacher!"  He turned to his dad and said, "She's my music teacher!"

I think he thought I must live in the primary room.

Also Sunday I got to talk to QE.  I showed her the Christmas tree she helped decorate and she said, "I want to see more decorations."

I was ready.

She showed me something she was building and she showed me her tree and some Christmas pillows besides.  

It was a festive phone call. (FaceTime was a great invention.)