I Survived my Weekend

No mean feat, I tell you.

**Why am I blogging about this? Well, because my faith (and my "calling" or "job at church") is important to me. And I know that while I share everything I read, I don't often share much else about me.

Yesterday was our ward (congregation) Primary Program. Those of you who are LDS understand what kind of a weekend I had with just those words.

For those of you unfamiliar with this little event, allow me to explain.

Primary is the LDS church's program for children ages 3 to 12 (well, 3-11, I guess is more accurate). It's a great program. It occupies the children's time during the 2 hours of every Sunday meeting when their parents are in grown-up classes. In one hour the children are all together (well, in most wards Jr primary is all together while Sr is in class and vice versa. Jr. primary is ages 3-7 or 8 while Sr is 8-11) and they have Sharing Time and Singing Time and the other hour they go to class (organized by birth year). Sharing Time is usually a lesson given by a member of the Primary Presidency on a topic relating to the monthly theme. This year, all of the monthly themes involve ways to strengthen families.

Then there's Singing Time. As chorister, that's my job. For the first nine months of the calendar year, Singing Time involves teaching the monthly song (which goes along with the monthly theme) so that when fall rolls around the children have learned all the requisite songs for the Primary Program.

This is a fair amount of work. Trust me.

This year songs included "Families Can Be Together Forever", which is a beautiful song and had the added bonus of the kids already knowing it. Also "Baptism" which is a harder song, but wonderfully teaches the story of Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. (If you're curious, you can listen to a bunch of the songs from this year at LDS.org by following the Primary Music link.)

Now, the Program is a fabulous opportunity for the children to present what they've been learning in Sacrament Meeting (the main worship meeting in which everyone meets together).

It is also the most amazingly stressful time of any chorister's life.

Saturday we spent 2 hours (well, I left after 2 hours-- I had play tickets that I'd bought months ago!) going through the program in the chapel. Kind of a dress rehearsal. Which involved boys smacking each other in the middle of songs.... and Boo spinning so that her hair would make a mushroom cloud. Yeah, you guessed it-- not a lot of singing was happening all the time it was supposed to.

Sunday morning was the true test-- and the big payoff. They did a wonderful job. The psycho boys behaved... mostly. Boo stayed in her seat.... mostly. She also forgot her flawlessly memorized part at the last second, but that's alright. That's why an adult is up there with all the parts.

The Sunbeams (children turning 4 this year) were adorable. That's really their only job. They're good at it.

Mister didn't scream about Mommy being too busy to hold him! This was a true triumph, as he could possibly be the clingiest child known to mankind.

It was great. And now it's over. Which is truly great. :D Honestly, this is my 5th one in 5 years, and I tell you, they do not get easier!

(Forgot to add-- my ward right now, over 100 kids in Primary. That's right. 100. yeah.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to convince Mister to stop eating leftovers out of the garbage. TMI? Sorry. ;)