ME: So Rich just turned 18 months old, and we’ve never done this before. How does this work?
SIS. HANSEN: You just leave him here with us...and we go from there!
ME: How often should I check on him?
SIS. HANSEN: Oh, you can check on him whenever. If we need anything, we’ll come find you. Where will you be?
ME: In priesthood right now. In elders quorum.
Now you need to know something. As soon as the door opened and he saw the other kids, Rich just lit up. About halfway through my conversation with Sister Hansen, Rich wanted down from my arms. When I did let him down—again, in the middle of our brief conversation—he walked right up to Sister Hansen and started talking to her. The rest was history.
Until I stopped in between priesthood and Sunday school to check on him. Sister Hansen was in the hallway, so I asked her how Rich was doing.
SIS. HANSEN: Great! He loves it. He just talks and talks and talks!
ME: Haha, yeah he loves kids and he’s a chatterbox.
When the Sunday school hour was up, I went to the nursery to “pick him up” so to speak. When the door opened, I saw him sitting in a little chair at a table against the wall, eating some snacks and having a good time. A few seconds later, he looked over his shoulder and saw me in the doorway, two other parents in front of me. When he made eye contact with me, he smiled that wonderful Richie smile and then went back to eating his snack. I made my way in and grabbed him. He was so happy and had so very much fun. Sister Hansen said he was great and there were no problems.
This one teared me up Tyler. The title alone made me gasp. I'm thinking, really? He's going to his very own class! And then when you came back to find him sitting at that table with his "classmates" and he smiled at you but went right back to eating his snack. I love it! History was being made yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI know! It was a momentous event in our family. You'll have to tell me about my first day in nursery sometime. If there is anything to tell.
DeleteI wish I could have been there for Richie's first nursery. But I'm so glad he had such a good time. Nursery was seriously made for kids like Rich.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though early morning church is hard for me, the timing of nursery is perfect for Richie. He's still happy from sleeping, full (mostly) from breakfast, and ready to play before his afternoon nap.
Hopefully each nursery Sunday will be as successful as this one.
I'm sure he'll have his too-full diapers and whiny days, but I think by and large Rich will enjoy being with other kids and having something new and fun to do.
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