truth
a bit, and pretending as if I hadn’t just secured my mother’s
consent two seconds before Bianca asked about it.
“ Perfect.” A tiny frown
creased her forehead. “You know. Maybe I should ask all the PTA
moms to show up. The decorations group is only six people. Your mom
deserves a bigger crowd.”
Deb stepped in to rescue
me. She said, “We have a big Girl Scouts meeting that day, Bianca,
remember?”
Bianca shook her head, as
if that shouldn’t be a problem. “We’ll combine the events. Give
your mom the audience she deserves. I’ll make it
happen.”
She walked off, obviously
not needing my permission. Or my mother’s.
Deb just laughed and gave
me a what-can-you-do-about-Bianca shrug.
I shrugged back. But it
burned me a little that my mother would probably approve. She liked
a big audience.
If you want to know how many ways there are to
say, “Stop that right now,” just go on a field trip with a bunch of
third-graders.
On the plus side, if you
want to see true wonder, watch the faces of third-graders when they
get to see what its like to wear a space helmet. All the moms had
cell phones out taking pictures to torment their kids for years
with.
They hadn’t had this
exhibit when I chaperoned Ryan’s trip four years ago, so I
dutifully let Anna and Sarah persuade me to try it. I was a little
dubious when the attendant handed me a sanitary wipe and instructed
me to wipe off the inside of the helmet and toss the wipe in the
big garbage can before I lowered it over my head. But then I
shrugged. How can you call it an adventure if there’s no risk of
catching cold, flu, or pink eye?
From a mystery shopper’s
perspective, I would have given the exhibit a perfect 10 score. The
exhibit was set up to cleverly allow everyone to experience wearing
the helmet, while still allowing the line to move along at a good
pace. The helmet was suspended over a wide set of shallow stairs.
Depending on your height, you climbed up to where you could stick
your head into the helmet, and then pulled it down to settle on
your shoulders.
It was spooky. I could
hear my breath, and I could see everyone milling about, including
Anna, who was wildly waving at me. Somehow, though, instead of
seeing everyone in the museum, they were all floating in a field of
stars.
I absolutely felt like I
was in space. I resolved to have Seth bring Ryan and his friend
Elliot to the museum as soon as I could. All three of them were
geeks, who would want to try out this exhibit.
I liked feeling protected
from the noise and drama going on around me by the big helmet, and
I was almost sad when a chime sounded and I heard a gentle reminder
to, “Please let the next person in line experience this
exhibit.”
When I rejoined the girls,
they were all trying to persuade Deb to try it. I joined in, and we
all cheered when she reluctantly got into line. I was delighted
that I’d remembered to charge the cell phone, so I got a great
picture of her look of wonder. I could use that for babysitting
blackmail in the future, I was sure.
As the girls ran off to
get into another line, this one to try seeing what it felt like to
be weightless, via a trampoline and a harness, Deb asked me, “How’s
the job hunt going?”
“ I have the second
interview tomorrow.”
“ I’ll miss having you as
backup,” she said mournfully.
“ You may still have me as
backup. After all, I have Anna and Ryan to worry about. My personal
days may coincide with school days off. If so, Sarah will always be
welcome over at our house.”
“ You know I’ll take you up
on it.”
“ Of course, the price of
that offer is that you share the sick-day babysitter names and
numbers with me.”
She laughed. “Maybe.” Then
she said, “Are you thinking of getting Anna into the afterschool
program? Sarah would love that.”
I nodded. “It seems like
the most convenient for me, plus she’ll be much less anxious if she
knows Sarah is there.”
“ Have you put
a bit, and pretending as if I hadn’t just secured my mother’s
consent two seconds before Bianca asked about it.
“ Perfect.” A tiny frown
creased her forehead. “You know. Maybe I should ask all the PTA
moms to show up. The decorations group is only six people. Your mom
deserves a bigger crowd.”
Deb stepped in to rescue
me. She said, “We have a big Girl Scouts meeting that day, Bianca,
remember?”
Bianca shook her head, as
if that shouldn’t be a problem. “We’ll combine the events. Give
your mom the audience she deserves. I’ll make it
happen.”
She walked off, obviously
not needing my permission. Or my mother’s.
Deb just laughed and gave
me a what-can-you-do-about-Bianca shrug.
I shrugged back. But it
burned me a little that my mother would probably approve. She liked
a big audience.
If you want to know how many ways there are to
say, “Stop that right now,” just go on a field trip with a bunch of
third-graders.
On the plus side, if you
want to see true wonder, watch the faces of third-graders when they
get to see what its like to wear a space helmet. All the moms had
cell phones out taking pictures to torment their kids for years
with.
They hadn’t had this
exhibit when I chaperoned Ryan’s trip four years ago, so I
dutifully let Anna and Sarah persuade me to try it. I was a little
dubious when the attendant handed me a sanitary wipe and instructed
me to wipe off the inside of the helmet and toss the wipe in the
big garbage can before I lowered it over my head. But then I
shrugged. How can you call it an adventure if there’s no risk of
catching cold, flu, or pink eye?
From a mystery shopper’s
perspective, I would have given the exhibit a perfect 10 score. The
exhibit was set up to cleverly allow everyone to experience wearing
the helmet, while still allowing the line to move along at a good
pace. The helmet was suspended over a wide set of shallow stairs.
Depending on your height, you climbed up to where you could stick
your head into the helmet, and then pulled it down to settle on
your shoulders.
It was spooky. I could
hear my breath, and I could see everyone milling about, including
Anna, who was wildly waving at me. Somehow, though, instead of
seeing everyone in the museum, they were all floating in a field of
stars.
I absolutely felt like I
was in space. I resolved to have Seth bring Ryan and his friend
Elliot to the museum as soon as I could. All three of them were
geeks, who would want to try out this exhibit.
I liked feeling protected
from the noise and drama going on around me by the big helmet, and
I was almost sad when a chime sounded and I heard a gentle reminder
to, “Please let the next person in line experience this
exhibit.”
When I rejoined the girls,
they were all trying to persuade Deb to try it. I joined in, and we
all cheered when she reluctantly got into line. I was delighted
that I’d remembered to charge the cell phone, so I got a great
picture of her look of wonder. I could use that for babysitting
blackmail in the future, I was sure.
As the girls ran off to
get into another line, this one to try seeing what it felt like to
be weightless, via a trampoline and a harness, Deb asked me, “How’s
the job hunt going?”
“ I have the second
interview tomorrow.”
“ I’ll miss having you as
backup,” she said mournfully.
“ You may still have me as
backup. After all, I have Anna and Ryan to worry about. My personal
days may coincide with school days off. If so, Sarah will always be
welcome over at our house.”
“ You know I’ll take you up
on it.”
“ Of course, the price of
that offer is that you share the sick-day babysitter names and
numbers with me.”
She laughed. “Maybe.” Then
she said, “Are you thinking of getting Anna into the afterschool
program? Sarah would love that.”
I nodded. “It seems like
the most convenient for me, plus she’ll be much less anxious if she
knows Sarah is there.”
“ Have you put
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