Friday, July 24, 2009

Our Friday Night

This post will be of special interest to you if you have a family where the husband is Bishop, the wife plays piano for everyone and their dog, and the kids are 7 and under.

An investigating couple who are being baptized this Sunday scheduled their wedding for tonight and asked Shawn to marry them. Sure, no problem. I met Amy on Sunday - really nice gal - asked if I could play piano for the wedding. Sure, no problem.

So off we go with kids in tow to the church tonight dressed in our Sunday best. We get to the church early so Shawn can get ready while I feed Aaron his dinner. Kaylee is watching all the picture taking and the pretty dresses. So far, so good. Time comes for me to start playing. Problem - do not recognize anyone to leave baby with besides Sis. Oliva who has her hands full trying to get all the photos taken. Where is Sister Brown when you need her? Seriously, I always have so much help with Aaron at church, it doesn't occur to me that perhaps I will not know anyone there (all non-member family members). Shawn takes Aaron and away I go. I play for 5 minutes or so and Kaylee comes wandering in by the piano with Aaron. Shawn follows after a few minutes and tells Kaylee to take Aaron to the nursery and play with him (I can smell trouble already). So out they go and Shawn disappears. Everything is smooth for another 5 minutes. Then the screaming starts. The groom is standing up at the front, they are about to start the processional (which we're not supposed to do anyway in the church but that's another story) and no sign of Shawn. I continue to faithfully plunk out Pachebels Canon in D, although as the screams continue it takes on a faster tempo. Up march the little girls, the bridesmaid, etc. and Shawn jumps in line just before the bride comes in. He gets them situated, gives me the nod to stop, and I walk as fast as I can around the hall and out the door to the lobby where my little girl sits holding on to her howling brother for dear life. She sees me - the face crumbles and the lips start to quiver. I send her into the wedding and take Aaron into the mothers room to try and calm him. I notice little white specks on his chin, but don't think much of it. He is calm after a few minutes and we head into the wedding where the couple got no postlude music, thank you very much.

Here's what happened WHILE I was playing. Aaron had gotten a piece of chalk in his mouth and when Shawn went out to check on them, he saw Aaron walking down the hall FOAMING AT THE MOUTH! He gets the chalk out, much to baby's distress - he was perfectly happy with the chalk - which produces the wail. All of this happened as the processional that wasn't supposed to happen was happening. Oh, and Kaylee wants me to tell you that Aaron bit her finger when she tried to get the chalk out.

So, what is the moral of this story, you ask? Well, it's simple. If you ever find yourself in the situation of the first and second paragraphs, you either say "no, sorry, I can't play if my husband is performing the ceremony because I need to watch the kids" (duh), or another acceptable alternative would be "sure, we can both help you as long as you make sure there is someone there we can trust to watch the kids" (preferably over the age of 12).

Have a great weekend, my family and friends. :)

5 comments:

Jen Gillespie said...

Oh da! Thanks for the laugh. My goodness you have your hands full. Poor Kaylee, I bet she was so scared. And that he bit her finger...oh dear. And I love that it was all happening when the procession that wasn't supposed to happen was happening as the music got faster! TOO FUNNY! I miss you!

Myra said...

Oh man, what a great story. I wonder this, though: if everything had got perfectly smooth, would you even remember this event? Probably not. Life's hiccups make it interesting. Just poor Kaylee...she's such a big girl! (I miss her so much).

Tiffany said...

It would ONLY happen that way...to think that it could have been easier or gone more smoothly, is just non-sense! :) But, another story for the archives. Thanks for sharing ;)

Mandi said...

Kath- that was hilarious!! I was seriously laughing out loud. Especially the part thinking about you playing faster and faster. I wish I could have been there cause I know I would have been crying from laughing so hard! (Or maybe I would make myself useful and help little Aaron. )

Way to go, Kaylee, on being a great big sister and trying to do your part. Sorry your finger got caught in Aaron's teeth. :)

Love you guys!

Ericka Johnson said...

Kevin said you both did a really great job, despite everything! So funny.