Each year in church, the kids get up during our family worship time and share with the congregation all of the things they have learned during the year. They sing songs together and each have a part that they get to recite. I love this because it reinforces all of the things they have learned while giving them an esteem-building opportunity to stand before a large group of people and speak. (Speaking and singing in front of crowds has never been too scary for me because I was given these opportunities as a youth in front of a loving and accepting group of church friends, and I thanked God daily for that gift as I breezed through my public speaking class in college!)
So, I guess you can get from my rambling that I am totally hyped for Maddi to participate in her very first primary program this year. We got her part last Sunday, so today I sat down to go over it with her. It was.... well, here's how it went...
Me: "Maddi, I am SO excited you get to go to the microphone in sacrament meeting and say your part just like big brother this year! Would you like me to help you learn it?"
Maddi: "Yes Mommy! Please help me learn it!"
Me: "Okay. I'll say the words, and you say them after me. Jesus taught me"
Maddi: "Jesus taught me"
Me: "about forgiveness"
Maddi: "about forgiveness"
Me: "by loving those that hurt him"
Maddi: "by loving those that hurt him AND teaching me to keep my body clean and healthy because he made my body and he loves me and Jesus was a baby like I was a baby and he was born like I was borned and...."
Me: "Maddi, that was AWESOME, BUT you only need to say your special part, not teach a whole lesson."
Maddi: all smiles and completely oblivious "Oh! Ok Mommy!"
Me: "Let's try again... Jesus taught me"
Maddi: "about forgiveness"
Me: "Yes, but no, from the beginning sweet girl. Jesus taught me"
Maddi: "about forgiveness"
Me: "Madison, say the words I'm saying.. JESUS "
Maddi: very slowly to mimic me "taught me"
Me: "Madison"
Maddi: "Mommy"
Me: {deep, deep breath}"Seriously, let's start again. Say the words after me... Jesus taught me"
Maddi: brightly in a sing-song voice"about forgiveness!"
Me: flabbergasted "oh. my. goodness. I don't know how to explain this in a different way, so let's just give Mommy a minute to think and we'll try again later"
Maddi: "Ok Mommy! Thanks for helping me Mommy that was so fun!"
Fun? Sometimes I feel so inadequate raising another little version of me, but most of the time I'm just helplessly in love with her.
