Alice's Adventures Underground: Glimpse into the Mind of 4 Year Old

Once yearly at our church, the children (or what we call The Primary) put on a presentation for Sunday services. We, somewhat uninventively, call this The Primary Program. I know, we're a creative bunch, aren't we? The Primary Program is where we dispense with the usual adults giving boring talks and instead are treated to an hour of songs, scriptures and little speaking parts presented by the kids in the congregation who are ages three through eleven. It's always a lot of fun because you can never really count on them saying exactly what they're supposed to and the thought of that kind of uncertainty makes one giddy with excitement. Oh, those crazy adrenaline junkies.

This year, The Caterpillar has one solo speaking part. She's to stand up and say, "I will live with my Heavenly Father again." It's pretty typical for the littlest ones to walk up to the microphone and get stage fright, so there's always an adult leader sitting there to help them with their part and/or whisper it in their ear if necessary.

Sounds easy, right?

OK - so maybe I hadn't exactly worked with her to learn it before their practice last week, but it didn't seem like something that needed a lot of work. Until I saw her try it out in the rehearsal with the other kids and the Primary leader.

Primary leader: "OK, Caterpillar, say your part."

Caterpillar: "..................."

Primary leader: "Repeat after me. I will live..."

Caterpillar: "I will live..."

Primary leader: "...with my Heavenly Father..."

Caterpillar: "...with my Heavenly Father..."

Primary leader: "...again."

Caterpillar: "I will live..."

Primary leader *perplexed but goes with it*: "with my Heavenly Father..."

Caterpillar: "with my Heavenly Father..."

Primary leader: "...again."

Caterpillar: "I will live..."