A Song By June

Today on the way home from church, I was telling Dan about the Relief Society lesson I had just listened to when he interrupted me so that we could listen in on the song June was singing to herself in the back seat.

Set to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?", June sang as follows:

I'm your bottom,

I'm your bottom,

I'm your bottom,

I'm your bottom,

I'm your bot-tom

I'm your bot-tom

I'm your bottom. I'm your bottom.

"June," I called back. "What on earth are you singing?"

To which she replied, "It's the song my bottom would sing if it were alive."

We really value the arts, you might say.

Which is why the girls participated in an online drawing class this week.

We also painted. Harris painted too, which was only a little stressful. Little, meaning I couldn't leave the kitchen or even walk across the kitchen to get a glass of water from the sink or even sneeze because that would mean I would blink.

We tried another week at story time. It was another week of failure. Story time was extra full and so my stroller wouldn't fit into the room. Which means I had to get Beck out of the stroller and carry him around. Which made Harris mad because he wanted to be held. Harris also refused to step a foot into the story time room and would cry if I did. I eventually put Beck back into the stroller so I could calm a screaming, jealous Harris. At which point, another mom came up to me and said those famous oft-uttered words, 

"Are you Gwen's mom?"

At which point, I briefly considered saying no. 

Despite my reluctance, I answered in the affirmative. The other mom informed me that Gwen had jumped up and down at story time and had bonked her chin and was screaming her head off.

I left sleeping Beck in the stroller near some librarians I know and took a sorta-getting-calm Harris into the story time room, which caused him to start screaming again. There was Gwen, crying into the arms of the story time librarian, who was valiantly attempting to finish a story by holding the book over Gwen's head and projecting her voice over Gwen's moans and groans.

I called to Gwen to come to me and tried to calm both crying Gwen and crying Harris, while also wondering if baby Beck was still asleep in the stroller and if June was taking to heart the conversation we had on the drive to the library that morning, the talk where I had reminded her that she can no longer dominate Miss Kellyanne's time with her zillions of questions.

When story time was over, and the group was waiting for June (who was dominating story time with her zillions of questions), I saw the looks of the other moms and dads who were filing out of the room. They were all so kind and smiled sympathetically toward me and not one of the managed to say what we all must have been thinking--LADY WHY ARE YOU HERE WITH ALL OF THESE LITTLE KIDS.

I think we may be taking a break from story time for a little while.

The other big event of the week was that Aunt Lindsey came to visit. She was here for a work trip and also because the choir she sings in was performing at Carnegie Hall. I didn't think I would be up to going so soon after having Beck, so I didn't buy a ticket a few months back. But then I decided I definitely could go, so Linz tracked down a ticket for me.

Saturday night, I took a train into the city. The train was 30 minutes late, which should have been an omen to me. Once I got to the city, I noticed there were tons of fire trucks everywhere. Most of the subways were down. A lot of buildings were dark.

Yes, I got caught in that NYC blackout you all read about.

I met up with Linz's parents and sister, and we headed to Carnegie Hall. They had evacuated the building and canceled the concert. It was SO SAD. So many people had traveled so far for that concert, and then it didn't happen. They did sing some songs outside the concert hall though, and many of the videos were posted on news sites.

I started to worry about whether I would be able to get home easily or not when a lady from my ward sent me a text telling me she was there and would I like a ride home?

Yes, yes I would.

My friend's husband took this pic. It was eerie how dark the city was! And it was so gross outside--hot and humid.

I was very glad to be home after that.

Today was my first time back to church after having Beck, as well as Beck's first Sunday at church ever.

Would you believe this is the best photo of Dan and the kids from this morning?

After that library story, I'm sure you would.

And a close-up on THE Beck.

He slept all through church. I did too but nobody oohed and awed over me.

The End.