Two Stories

Hola!

OK, now I need to tell you the “Awwww….” part of the story, from last week’s depressing library fines episode (check previous blog post).

STORY #1: LIBRARY SACRIFICES

AFTER Teresa gets out the calculator and figures out that from our overdue pile of books, we owe the library $26 and some-odd cents, my mini-tirade makes it unmistakably clear that I am not a happy camper. I remove myself from the room and go up to my room, to read on my bed, to distract myself, or whatever.

When I come out, Teresa (10 yrs. old) of her own accord, has collected money from her spending stash, and she has also gone to David (12) and Kara (8) and asked them for donations. She presents me with enough money to cover the fines.

Speechless, I take the money and set it aside. Frank comes in and asks, “You’re not really going to make them pay the fine, are you?” I tell him I hadn’t thought about it yet, but now that I was thinking about it, I never had actually told them this was THEIR responsibility. I just always check the calendar, plan a library trip, and we turn in the books. So, no, I would not make them pay this time.

But isn’t it cool that they were willing to?

STORY #2: CAUSING A COMMOTION

Yesterday we went to the California Science Center (check David’s blog), a huge hands-on museum in L.A. with lots of fun experiments! There is a bicycle on a high-wire that you can pay $2 to ride. You get strapped into the bike, and ride it out over their atrium, so you are actually 3 stories up. People-watching goes on from the ground floor up to the bike, as well as from the 3rd floor railings looking down. There is a net just 5 feet underneath the bike. We let Teresa do it. (Not the other two, since Kara is too short, and David is not wearing the required tennis shoes…)

Teresa rides out to the middle, and of course, what happens…her shoe comes off, in a kind of slow motion, landing gracefully in the net under the bike. Initially she thinks the shoe now belongs to the museum…it is a little unnerving for her to contemplate walking around the rest of the day lop-sided.

But the man brings her back to the side, gets on his radio and asks for someone to come get the shoe out of the net. The comical part is watching their process of forming the rescue. From the top of the atrium, where we are waiting, we can see the employees below, talking on THEIR radios. Then there are 4 of them together, conferencing gravely, looking up at the Serious Situation, and conferencing some more. Then one goes to the desk and takes a Very Important Phone Call. Then one lady from the Conferencing Group stands blocking and waving people away from walking exactly below the net with the shoe in it. The Expert Man With The Fishing Hook comes up and gets on the bike. (Quite a crowd is on the ground floor looking up, now…) The Expert Man With The Fishing Hook rides out and carefully fishes for the shoe. He misses a couple of times. The mesmerized crowd holds its collective breath. Oh, there, he’s got it! Rousing applause and whooping from all levels.

At bedtime, I ask Teresa what was her favorite part of the day. “Losing my shoe on the bike ride,” she says. I chuckle and ask why.

“Because it caused a commotion.”