For all the crappy treatment I received in PA, and for how badly the ward and stake there left me feeling about myself, I really do want to record some of the funny and memorable moments from living in the Chelsea ward before we leave....before things might go back to how they were.
This past week, we had a combined activity at Silver Lake. I must admit that I didn't really want to go, and here's why.
I am a pool mom, as in, when I go to the pool with my kids, I actually get in the pool with my kids. I love to be in the water. I love to swim. I love summer and pools.
I discovered early in my parenting life, however, that most moms are not this way. They prefer to sit on the side, talking to the other moms, while their kids play in the water with each other...and with the one mom who is IN the water....
I can't fathom why anyone would want to sit around a pool, in the heat, sweating and burning, when there is a cool oasis of water right in front of them. I'm the first in.
Going to Silver Lake, I knew the youth leaders were planning on a water activity because I AM a youth leader, and I know the plan ;-). It being almost 90 degrees that day with 85% humidity, I just imagined myself, sitting on the shore, attempting to stay cool, when the kids were all in the water, and basically just hating my life.
In fact, that's what happened last year at Youth Conference. We had spent over 24 hours near a lake, but we hadn't been allowed in, so when we were finally given the all-clear, I could hardly peel off my clothes fast enough and get in the water (and yes, I put a suit on). Turns out, I was the only mom actually swimming in the water and interacting with the kids (there were a couple who stood on the shore and put their feet in).
Why in heaven's name would you want to continue to be hot? Is it a hair thing? My grandmother used to visit the hair salon once a week to get her hair "done" and wouldn't touch it for the following week--is that the problem? Is it a body issue? I mean, I know we don't have bodies equipped to walk the cat walk, but who cares? Nobody but Gisele Bünchen and Heidi Klum have bodies like that. It is a laziness issue? Is it just too much effort to get dressed again?
I don't understand it, but I imagined that once again, I would be put in that awkward position of being either the only adult in the water with the kids or being up on shore, dying a slow and painful death from heatstroke. I didn't put a suit on under my clothes because I didn't want "the ladies" to be unsupported for too long, but I did bring my suit along.
So, we loaded up Greenie with several YW, and we were off to the lake. I was surprised to pull up to the ranger stand and discover that I needed a "recreation passport" (cost = $16.00). Well, I didn't know if I was supposed to pay that or not, and just at the moment, Sister Spencer pulled up behind me in her van. As I got out to go ask her, the pimply, nerdy-but-with-a-hoop-piercing-in-his-ear "ranger" just about went ballistic. I swear every security video he's had to watch for his job went flashing through his mind as he started freaking out and telling me that I HAD to pay it--the girls were watching him and thought that HE thought that we were just going to go through the non-existent gate "ramming speed". He needed to take a chill pill, but I know telling someone that is never helpful...and we all decided that he needed to either embrace his outer (not inner) nerd, or go all out with the hoop earring. You can't be both, son.
Onto the lake. I lugged my watermelon down to the tables and had a look around. Lots of adults, but not one woman in the water. Hallelujah when Rachel Spencer came out of the bathrooms at the lake in a swim suit. Now granted, she has a pretty rocking body which might have intimidated me a bit, but I knew there was hope. At that point, some of the girls came up to me, asking me when (and not if) I was getting in the water. I told them that I wasn't sure it was quite the cool thing to do to go in the water, and I didn't want to seem uncool, to which one of them replied, "Sister Kennedy, you are the ultimate cool mom."
Done.
I needed no other encouragement. I threw on my suit, walked quickly down to the water (it's rather awkward walking past members of the bishopric in my swim suit) and dove in.
And for the next 90 minutes, I spent the most blissful time, out on the water with the girls, talking and laughing and sharing thoughts and feelings. It was heaven. And it was even better when Sister Spencer came over to join us.
Meanwhile, there were so many red-faced and sweaty leaders up on shore. I seriously have no idea what they were thinking, especially a couple of the men who were wearing JEANS!
So I didn't want to change out of my suit before I needed to drive the girls back to the church so I just threw my Pirate Divers shirt over my suit and was cleaning up the watermelon that I had brought. I heard laughing and looked up to see Maddie Christie and Phoebe Gibb looking at me...and laughing. I asked them point blank if they were laughing at me, always down for laughing at myself. Maddie piped up that she always finds it funny when people *ahem* women put dry t-shirts over wet swimsuits. I looked down, and sure enough, there was a boob water pattern. I looked straight at them, grabbed my G-sized boobs, and said, you mean THIS??? They busted out laughing, at which point, I told them that the pattern reminded me of Meeko from Pocahontas when he uses his two front
paws to make paw prints on his chest like the big, manly Indian brave, Kocoum...but in my case, it's boobs. Meanwhile, I'm acting like him, again putting my hands over my boobs.
At this point, I look to the side, and there are three men from our ward....watching me....with their mouths half-hanging open...and just staring. I muttered to myself that I probably should have saved that joke for Girls' Camp....
Let me just say this: it's good we're moving, and I'll be released soon enough from my calling, because if it wasn't because we were moving, it's probably because I walk the line of being inappropriate at all times. #WelcomeToTheKennedyFamily
As we were driving out, the girls who had been on the passenger side of the car (and who hadn't seen Mr. Ranger Boy) asked if I would slow down so they could see him...and his earring. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I'm totally down for something like that, and as we neared the booth, they started second-guessing asking me to do that. I was prepared though....and he wasn't there #disappointment
During the short drive back to the church, I was asked by one of the Young Women if I was going to Girls' Camp, and how wonderful was it to hear how happy SHE was when I replied in the affirmative. In fact, today after church, Isabel Spencer came up to me and asked me if I was going. I told her "yes" but only Monday through Wednesday at which point she started fake crying because she isn't arriving until Wednesday....and insists that there's no point in going now.
_______________________________
Being in YW has been such a blessing in my life. For some reason, I'm rarely tapped to work with the youth which always makes me really sad, because I love them. Is it selfish for me to love how good they make me feel about myself? Probably, but I'm riding this wave as long as possible.
This past week, we had a combined activity at Silver Lake. I must admit that I didn't really want to go, and here's why.
I am a pool mom, as in, when I go to the pool with my kids, I actually get in the pool with my kids. I love to be in the water. I love to swim. I love summer and pools.
I discovered early in my parenting life, however, that most moms are not this way. They prefer to sit on the side, talking to the other moms, while their kids play in the water with each other...and with the one mom who is IN the water....
I can't fathom why anyone would want to sit around a pool, in the heat, sweating and burning, when there is a cool oasis of water right in front of them. I'm the first in.
Going to Silver Lake, I knew the youth leaders were planning on a water activity because I AM a youth leader, and I know the plan ;-). It being almost 90 degrees that day with 85% humidity, I just imagined myself, sitting on the shore, attempting to stay cool, when the kids were all in the water, and basically just hating my life.
In fact, that's what happened last year at Youth Conference. We had spent over 24 hours near a lake, but we hadn't been allowed in, so when we were finally given the all-clear, I could hardly peel off my clothes fast enough and get in the water (and yes, I put a suit on). Turns out, I was the only mom actually swimming in the water and interacting with the kids (there were a couple who stood on the shore and put their feet in).
Why in heaven's name would you want to continue to be hot? Is it a hair thing? My grandmother used to visit the hair salon once a week to get her hair "done" and wouldn't touch it for the following week--is that the problem? Is it a body issue? I mean, I know we don't have bodies equipped to walk the cat walk, but who cares? Nobody but Gisele Bünchen and Heidi Klum have bodies like that. It is a laziness issue? Is it just too much effort to get dressed again?
I don't understand it, but I imagined that once again, I would be put in that awkward position of being either the only adult in the water with the kids or being up on shore, dying a slow and painful death from heatstroke. I didn't put a suit on under my clothes because I didn't want "the ladies" to be unsupported for too long, but I did bring my suit along.
So, we loaded up Greenie with several YW, and we were off to the lake. I was surprised to pull up to the ranger stand and discover that I needed a "recreation passport" (cost = $16.00). Well, I didn't know if I was supposed to pay that or not, and just at the moment, Sister Spencer pulled up behind me in her van. As I got out to go ask her, the pimply, nerdy-but-with-a-hoop-piercing-in-his-ear "ranger" just about went ballistic. I swear every security video he's had to watch for his job went flashing through his mind as he started freaking out and telling me that I HAD to pay it--the girls were watching him and thought that HE thought that we were just going to go through the non-existent gate "ramming speed". He needed to take a chill pill, but I know telling someone that is never helpful...and we all decided that he needed to either embrace his outer (not inner) nerd, or go all out with the hoop earring. You can't be both, son.
Onto the lake. I lugged my watermelon down to the tables and had a look around. Lots of adults, but not one woman in the water. Hallelujah when Rachel Spencer came out of the bathrooms at the lake in a swim suit. Now granted, she has a pretty rocking body which might have intimidated me a bit, but I knew there was hope. At that point, some of the girls came up to me, asking me when (and not if) I was getting in the water. I told them that I wasn't sure it was quite the cool thing to do to go in the water, and I didn't want to seem uncool, to which one of them replied, "Sister Kennedy, you are the ultimate cool mom."
Done.
I needed no other encouragement. I threw on my suit, walked quickly down to the water (it's rather awkward walking past members of the bishopric in my swim suit) and dove in.
And for the next 90 minutes, I spent the most blissful time, out on the water with the girls, talking and laughing and sharing thoughts and feelings. It was heaven. And it was even better when Sister Spencer came over to join us.
Meanwhile, there were so many red-faced and sweaty leaders up on shore. I seriously have no idea what they were thinking, especially a couple of the men who were wearing JEANS!
So I didn't want to change out of my suit before I needed to drive the girls back to the church so I just threw my Pirate Divers shirt over my suit and was cleaning up the watermelon that I had brought. I heard laughing and looked up to see Maddie Christie and Phoebe Gibb looking at me...and laughing. I asked them point blank if they were laughing at me, always down for laughing at myself. Maddie piped up that she always finds it funny when people *ahem* women put dry t-shirts over wet swimsuits. I looked down, and sure enough, there was a boob water pattern. I looked straight at them, grabbed my G-sized boobs, and said, you mean THIS??? They busted out laughing, at which point, I told them that the pattern reminded me of Meeko from Pocahontas when he uses his two front paws to make paw prints on his chest like the big, manly Indian brave, Kocoum...but in my case, it's boobs. Meanwhile, I'm acting like him, again putting my hands over my boobs.
At this point, I look to the side, and there are three men from our ward....watching me....with their mouths half-hanging open...and just staring. I muttered to myself that I probably should have saved that joke for Girls' Camp....
Let me just say this: it's good we're moving, and I'll be released soon enough from my calling, because if it wasn't because we were moving, it's probably because I walk the line of being inappropriate at all times. #WelcomeToTheKennedyFamily
As we were driving out, the girls who had been on the passenger side of the car (and who hadn't seen Mr. Ranger Boy) asked if I would slow down so they could see him...and his earring. Well, anyone who knows me knows that I'm totally down for something like that, and as we neared the booth, they started second-guessing asking me to do that. I was prepared though....and he wasn't there #disappointment
During the short drive back to the church, I was asked by one of the Young Women if I was going to Girls' Camp, and how wonderful was it to hear how happy SHE was when I replied in the affirmative. In fact, today after church, Isabel Spencer came up to me and asked me if I was going. I told her "yes" but only Monday through Wednesday at which point she started fake crying because she isn't arriving until Wednesday....and insists that there's no point in going now.
_______________________________
Being in YW has been such a blessing in my life. For some reason, I'm rarely tapped to work with the youth which always makes me really sad, because I love them. Is it selfish for me to love how good they make me feel about myself? Probably, but I'm riding this wave as long as possible.
Comments
Post a Comment