We Didn't Move Like Jagger

Several months ago I mentioned that our family had been asked to sing in church and the kids suggested that we sing "Moves Like Jagger." Although I got a lot of encouragement to go with the kids' choice (Tera even offered to fly back from New York to see it), we eventually settled on a song from The Friend instead. Not as much fun, perhaps, but a bit more likely to be approved by the bishop.

We were supposed to sing back in October, I think, but due to a long string of things like illnesses and conferences and holidays and other musical numbers we only finally sang last Sunday.

I practiced with the kids for a couple of weeks beforehand. Every time we got in the car, I had them singing the song a capella. Usually, I could get only one - maybe two - of the kids to sing part of the song. I almost never got anyone to sing the whole song. Brekken (who doesn't really like music most of the time) often covered his ears and shouted: "Stop it! Stop singing! I hate the singing!"

I had visions of Brekken doing exactly that in the middle of our musical number on Sunday. But on the stand. In front of the whole ward.

Last Friday, we took the kids to the church so we could practice in the chapel. I wanted them to practice standing at the front and behaving themselves while they sang. (I must say, it sure makes it easier to coordinate practices when you have the pianist right in the family!) We were partially successful, in that they were at the front. I wouldn't go so far as to say they behaved themselves. But they sang more of the song than usual. I felt mostly okay about Sunday.

And when Sunday came, we headed for church. In the car they started singing the song with no prompting from me - just sang through the whole thing to practice and did it just right. When it was time to go up to the stand, they all came right up, stood in the places we had chosen, and sang out loud and clear. Brekken didn't shout at us to stop singing, in fact he sang right along. Rylen chose not to sing (sometimes he likes to make a lot of noise while we sing - I choose to believe that he's singing along, not protesting the singing), but he also didn't squirm to get down and go bang on the piano with Daddy while we sang.

I was so proud of my kids for going up there and singing out loud and strong in front of the whole congregation. They did a great job!