Adventures from the "Bench"

If you are wondring, yes I am refering to the Church bench. Susanna has made a name for herself in our little Gardner Ward. If you need entertainment come sit behind me!!! One of my dear visiting teaching sisters is a recent convert and nurse who works the Saturday night shift. It is a challenge for her to come to church and even more of a challenge for her to stay alert after working all night. The trooper that she is, she made it on Sunday and settled into the bench behind us. Just her luck it was High Council Sunday. Susanna was determined to do her part to keep poor Julia awake. It began with a constant game of stand up, sit down, turn around ( with me performing the sit down, turn around part). That attempt having failed she turned her attention to physical asault with a book. A big book, well aimed at the face. Surprise, that got Julia's attention. The only possible response to this type of behavior was stuffing Susanna's face with candy. Swedish fish usually do the trick, but before I could blink Susanna stood up, turned around and spit the fish out in the lap of a very stunned Julia. Wihtout missing a beat Burke leaned over the bench and removed the slobbery mess. Susanna started to giggle and the chain reaction was unstoppable. Since the majority of the congregation was focused on us rather than the speaker even the Bishop had to stiffle a grin. All I could do was mutter sorry while handing Julia a diaper wipe to clean the slobbery remains from her skirt. In the end the giggles died down, Burke wisked Susanna away for a walk, Julia managed to stay awake for the closing hymn, and I miraculously surived another adventurous Sunday at church.