Kate and the Nursery
by
Grandma
Baadsgaard
Katie,
this is a story I wrote just for you on your 3rd birthday.
Never
forget how much your Grandma loves you.
Today is Sunday. Sunday is church day. Kate
is sitting on a bench at church. Kate is old enough to go to the nursery now.
Kate likes nursery because they have toys and treats in that place and she doesn’t
have to sit down and be quiet any more. But before she goes to nursery, Kate
knows she has to go in the big room with long hard benches. Benches were tall
and block everything Kate wants to see. So Kate pops up to take a look around.
“Sit down,” her Mommy says.
Kate doesn’t sit down. Kate doesn’t want
to sit down because the only thing she can see is the back of the bench in
front of her and her legs have to stick straight out from her hips in a very
uncomfortable way. Sunday shoes squish her toes, so Kate wiggles until she
can’t take it any more then she takes off her shoes.
“Kate, leave your shoes on,” her Daddy
whispers.
Then Kate hears a big loud sound from
the big wood box in the front of the room. Kate stands up just in time to see a
lady stand next to the loud box and wave her arms. So Kate waves her arms.
“Kate, stop waving your arms,” her Mommy
said.
Then someone stands up and talks into a
metal stick with their eyes closed. So Kate makes her arm into a stick, closes
her eyes and talks into her hand.
“Shhh!” her Mommy and Daddy said, “This
is the prayer Kate. Sit down, fold your arms, bow your head and be quiet.”
Kate tries to fold her arms but they get
stuck the wrong way and she can’t remember what bow your head means. Then
another man stands up in the front of the big room and starts talking into the
metal stick. Kate pops up to see who it is.
“Sit down,” her Daddy said.
Kate doesn’t sit down because she is
busy looking at a lady sitting on a bench next to the loud box again. Then the
loud sound comes again. Kate knows what is going to happen next. She watches
another lady stand next to the loud box and wave her arm in the air again. Now
everybody sitting on the benches makes loud noises with their mouths. Kate
makes loud noises with her mouth.
“Not so loud,” her Daddy says. “This is
an opening hymn not shouting time.”
Then three tall boys in white shirts stand
behind a table with a white tablecloth hiding what is under there. But Kate
knows what is hiding under there. Then one boy kneels down and says a short prayer.
Kate likes short prayers. Then two rows of short boys with white shirts carry
around trays with tiny pieces of bread and small cups of water. Kate doesn’t
understand why portions have to be so skimpy at church so she takes matters
into her our hands.
“Just take one,” her Mommy says as Kate
tries to grab a hand full of bread.
“No slurpping,” her Daddy says when Kate
sucks out her water in the little plastic cup.
After everybody has the bread and water,
the boys in white shirts all sit down then stand up and walk to a different
place. Then more people stand up and talk and talk and talk into the metal
stick. But every time Kate pops up to see who is talking, her Mommy and Daddy
pop her right down again. Finally Kate’s Daddy takes her onto his lap and holds
her very still. Then her eyes get so heavy Kate can’t keep looking any more.
Kate wakes up because the lady sitting
in front of the loud box is making noise with her fingers again. Then the other
lady waves her hand and everybody gets to make noise again with their mouths.
Then a man stands up and talks into the stick with his eyes closed. Sometimes
Kate closes her eyes when she’s scared too.
When everybody stands up, Kate knows it
time to go to nursery. She grabs her Mommy’s hand and drags her down the aisle
and through the benches.
“Hurry up,” Kate says when her Mommy
stops to talk to another lady.
“Slow down Kate,” her Mommy says. “Give
your nursery leaders time to get there.”
But Kate can’t slow down. Because she
knows pretty soon she can play with toys, march around the room, wave her arms,
make loud sounds and eat treats. Nobody pops her back down or tells her to be quiet
in nursery.
Kate’s mommy keeps talking and talking
and talking. Kate breaks away and runs down the hall. Then she finds the door
with a happy face on it that is open.
“Kate!” a smiley lady in nursery says
when she opens the door. “I’m so glad you came today.”
Kate smiles too because she knows . . . when
you’re one or two or three . . . nursery is sure the fun place to be.
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