Last Friday we went up to the Draper Temple open house because we thought it would be fun for the kids to see the inside of the temple. I got our reservations a month ago, and thought we should try for the latest available time on a Friday night. Bad idea. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea, too, and the cultural hall was packed when we got there. We met up with the Tolman's (friends from Florida) at 5:00 and sat down. We sat and sat and sat and sat (just like that potty training book, Once Upon a Potty) for a LONG 45 minutes before we moved anywhere. By this time, the kids were all starting to get bored and hungry and a bit restless. Finally, we made it into the chapel, where we watched the short film introducing temples (during which Allie kept muttering, "It's never going to be over!") before filing out to get on a bus that would take us to the temple.
Once inside, we baby-stepped our way down the plastic covered hallways, peeking into the rooms open for display. A few times we got bottlenecked, nearly coming to a standstill, but we plastered smiles on our faces and did our best to explain what each room was used for to the children. Kyla decided right away that she didn't want to be carried, and my aching arms convinced me to put her down. Instantly, she disappeared into the crowd in front of us, determined to give herself the tour. So, of course, we had to scoop her up and carry her, trading off when one of us had had enough. Jeff tried to entertain her with pictures on his phone, which worked for a while, but she soon tired of that. Screaming "WALK!" with all the force her tiny body could muster, she slapped Jeff across the face. He handed her to me.
Flopping, wriggling and going boneless in my arms (like Trixie from Knuffle Bunny), I tried to reason with her, telling her that I had to carry her because there were so many people around and I didn't want her to get lost. I might as well have been speaking in Japanese for how much she seemed to understand. In a sudden display of anger, she grabbed me by the cheeks and squeezed, grunting like a Williams' sister for emphasis, and getting red in the face. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing, it was just so absurd.
Meanwhile, around me, the other two kids were surviving the tour. As it was now approaching 7:00, I knew they were hungry, and they did remarkably well, despite it all. At the end of the tour, we followed the crowd into the church next door and helped ourselves to the cookies and bottled water waiting there. Kyla really seemed to enjoy this part of the tour, and went back with Allie for seconds while we were waiting for another bus to come and pick us up.
On the way home, Jeff and I disucssed whether or not it was worth it. Then I remembered Damon's face when he saw the celestial room. When I told him we were about to go inside, he told me he wanted to close his eyes. Upon entering, he opened his eyes expectantly, instantly drawn to the enormous chandelier hanging from the impossibly high ceiling. "It's beautiful!" he said happily, confessing it was better than he even expected.
I guess, for that, it was worth it.
5 comments:
I so know how you feel. We took our kids to the Visitors Center one time for FHE so they could see a traveling statue display. Boy were we exhausted when it was over, but then you get a small payoff when something actually touches them. Sometimes I look around at church and I swear we are the only ones having to get up to leave with our kids, good to know we aren't alone.
I just got chills reading the part about Damon...
The good and the bad. You are not alone in difficult children in public. Good for you for continuing to make the effort to go out and do good things.
someday your children will be able to show you the ways that things like that pay off. babies make EVERYTHING so much harder, don't they? way to go Krystal!
We went 3 weeks ago on a Friday but at 11 am, and it was still really crowded. I thought we would miss the crowds because kids were "supposed" to be in school. We had to wait awhile standing out in the freezing cold for a bus, and it was just a long, exhausting process. I had the same experience with Gabe, though, and he enjoyed every second of the temple. It was definitely a good thing, even though by the end I was starving and about to pass out! I am glad you guys were able to make it!
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