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They'll never forget

Chet was invited to participate in a September 11 program at the high school yesterday, along with all the Buffalo firefighters, police officers and reserves. I didn't work so I thought I'd come along with the kids and cheer them on.

I dropped Chet off at the doors. The kids and I sneaked in as the honor guard was marching and hollering and we found ourselves a seat in the back, next to the exit in case anyone had a meltdown. The auditorium was about half full, with most guests being middle aged. The only children that were there were all older than five and knew how to sit still for an hour without making a peep. Let me tell you, this room was silent. As the opening prayer was starting, my kids were starting to get restless.

"Mom, who is that guy?"
"Shhhh!"
"Bow-wow!"  Tucker roofed.
"Tucker! Shhh!"  I hissed.
"SCREAM!"  Piper had to put her two cents in.
"Bow-wow! Bow wow!"  Tucker said.

Enter the choir and hallelujah for some noise!
The kids sat quietly throughout the mayor's speech, I think. Then Tucker dropped a shoe. Tragedy.

"Wook, Mom! My shoe!"  he yelled.
"We'll get it when it's done." I said.
"My shoe! Sob! Sob!"  he bawled.
"Avery, get his shoe, please."  I said.

She hops off her seat and her chair makes all sorts of racket swiveling back and forth. The lady in front of us turns around. Piper shrieks as she spies Daddy sitting ten rows ahead. Tucker cries because now he can't get his shoe on. Thank goodness the band has started up again.

Tucker still isn't happy. He starts pinching Avery because her arm was on his armrest. I beam to myself as I remember I packed along his train. Mistake. I give him the train and every hard surface has become a train track and in this silent auditorium where you can hear someone chewing on their gum, a toy train driving over the textured surface of a seat back is almost deafening.

Piper spies the train and she wants it. Avery is again wondering who is talking now. I tell her to read her program. She does but now has six more questions.

I hear a little girl from the front section make a peep and her mother quickly escorted her out the door. Should I be bringing my noisy bunch out too?

Then the mayor asks us to join him for a moment of silence.

Silence.

"Bow wow!"
"Ba-bye!"
"Hey, Mom!"

Silence.

(Please stay quiet, please stay quiet.)

I told Chet afterward that if this was church, the kids would have been considered angels. We mingled for about an hour after the program with the rest of the police department, taking pictures and watching them go for rides in the firetruck ladder bucket thing. I apologized for how noisy my kids were but they said they didn't even notice. So nice of them to say that. I'm sure they didn't mean it. I wouldn't be surprised if next year, there was a rule that says no kids allowed.

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 12, 2011 at 7:38 AM

    who was bow-wowing?

    ReplyDelete
  2. LauraSeptember 12, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    Tucker. His new favorite thing to say. He's a puppy, you know.

    ReplyDelete

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