Bode's public speaking debut

Life is going full-throttle and will continue at warp speed until summer vacation begins in a couple of weeks. Haddie's birthday bash is this weekend, followed by her actual birthday next Tuesday. We recently returned from a fabulous weekend in Glenwood Springs and did I mention the big Mile High Mamas event I'm in charge of at the Children's Musem of Denver tomorrow night?

Whew. Venting does have its therapeutic advantages.

One highlight of my week was when Bode gave his first talk in church on Sunday. When children are 3 they enter Primary, a children's organization where they have lessons, a community sharing time and fun singing hour. And then there are talks. Every child is asked to present a talk to his peers at least once a year and speaking for the first time is a big rite-of-passage.

I would like to say we prepped Bode for weeks leading up to his first talk but that would be a lie.

The truth? I remembered after we put him to bed on Saturday night. I raced down to the computer, cranked out his talk on baptism and Jamie woke him up to run through it.

And yes, we usually live life on the fly like this. If you had any question, you must be a newbie to this mommy blog.

Bode groggily repeated the talk and fell back asleep. He is not one who enjoys getting up in front of a crowd (as opposed to his spotlight-craving sister's first talk). So, the next morning, I prepped him.

"Be sure to talk directly into the microphone."
"Speak clearly and slowly so people can hear you."
"Be sure to remember to smile!"

I thought we had our bases covered and I promised to bring his beloved orange Webkinz cat Tabby to watch.

Bode didn't even look nervous when he went to the podium. The microphone wasn't working so Jamie crouched behind him and told him to speak loudly. Bode took one look at me and then proceeded to fold his arms, close his eyes, bow his head and give his talk. My first thought was "What is he doing?" And then I realized the poor kid thought he was saying a prayer.

Jamie was so intent on helping him that he didn't realize Bode's eyes were closed. By the time Jamie had him correct course, the adults at the back of the room were doubled over trying to stifle their laughter. But the damage was done. For the rest of the talk, Bode shied away and refused to look at the audience. All my public-speaking tips were thrown to the wayside.

Not that I can blame the kid. He is, after all, only 3 and speaking to a room full of people would be pretty darn intimidating.

Maybe for my next public speaking tutorial, I'll just tell him to keep his eyes closed.