One Woman Show

Today was my first Sunday as Primary President.  Last Sunday the primary chorister had moved and left our ward so I had tracked down a sub to do the music today.  She had never done music in primary before so I told her I'd bring something I'd done with the kids before when I was chorister.  So Saturday I found up my old toss game, added a few more ice cream buckets, changed the songs and found up a ball the kids could toss into the buckets to pick the songs to sing.  I then got sharing time ready, made a few phone calls to parents who hadn't emailed me back with things about their children for a guessing game I was going to do with the kids.  Then grabbed the boys robes and towels for acting out the good samaritan story.  Then I played over the songs for choir and by then it was about 10:00 pm.  Jason and I watched a movie - I barely stayed awake for the end and then off to bed.

This morning brought meetings at 11:00 a.m.  Then choir at 12:00 p.m.  Church at 1:00 p.m. followed by primary.  Had a quick meeting with my new counsellors, got my handouts photocopied and stapled stickers to them.  Checked on the classes and nursery.  Handed in my order for 2011 curriculum and passed in any old primary handbooks. 

Julia - my sub I'd arranged to do singing time stopped by the primary room to find out what I had brought her to do with the kids.  I explained the game to her and then she said the Bishop just needed to see her husband and her for a couple minutes - did she have time?  I said sure.  So the kids start arriving to the primary room after their classes - no sub.  We're ready to start - no sub.  We bring Ephraim to the front and sing happy birthday to him and have him pick something out of the birthday box - no sub.  Rita announces that it is time to start singing time - no sub.  I step in to do singing time.  Julia arrived 2 minutes before we finished singing time.  Then it was time to have sharing time.  These poor kids are going to be sick of me.

Sharing time went great.  The kids enjoyed the guessing game and I was only able to stump them a couple of times.  Then I had 5 children come up and get in costume and act out the story of the "Good Samaritan" as I read it from the bible.  They did a great job.  One little boy was portraying the priest and when it was his turn to walk past the injured traveler he stepped right over her - it was great!  Then we talked about what service they can do for their family and friends.  I gave them their handouts with "service stickers" (happy face stickers) that they can leave with who they do service for this week.

Then I led the two songs in closing exercises and helped Bowen say the prayer.  It was a tiring day but a really good one.  I'm really going to love being in primary.   I love the innocent and sweet testimonies that these children have.  Bowen said to me last night "I love that you are back in primary mom".  It makes all the hard work worth it.