What happens in Vegas?

I've been living it large at the Literacy Research Association conference in Las Vegas the last few days. Today was my "big" day, I suppose, with a study group session and my individual presentation. Yesterday our study group session was attended only by...us, the session organizers. Today we had about nine people attend and had some productive conversations (hopefully). And then I had my presentation, which went well (I hope). At any rate, I made it through. 

View out my window at night

My session was "Inclusion, Humanization, and Socialization: International Experiences in Literature" and I followed a group of presenters talking about representations of refugee children in children's literature. My presentation was on Palestinian children's literature. 

I was already nervous before I started and then [Well-known Scholar] walked into the room. 

I cited [Well-known Scholar] in my presentation. 

The first presenters had cited [Well-known Scholar].

Probably 80% of the presentations I've gone to in the past couple of days have cited [Well-known Scholar].

After we finished presenting and opened the room for questions, [Well-known Scholar] asked a question about the rubric the first group had created. An audience member interjected and suggested that she look into the work of [Well-known Scholar], who co-authored a book about...

"I'm [Well-known Scholar]," [Well-known Scholar] said delicately. 

The poor audience member was so embarrassed. But she recovered well. The room had a good, gentle laugh, and [Well-known Scholar] was gracious. 

It was a good session, I think. Our third presentation didn't end up showing, but we all stayed to chat for the next half hour. It was lovely! 

And...Andrew was right. He told me I'd feel better at about 4:00 in the afternoon today...and I did!

I've hardly been outside of the hotel/casino/convention center, aside from so bravely "walking" to Chick-fil-A (which ordinarily I avoid) to grab dinner...because it's about 600 feet outside of the hotel doors.

(Did they put "Mimsi" down as my name? Yes...but that's okay). 

At this moment I'm feeling relatively stress-free, but Miriam is feeling extra stressed out. 

She has her road test in the morning and the ward Christmas party in the afternoon. 

Grandpa came over to watch the kids while Andrew was on camps, so he could help drive them around to the places they need to be (swimming for Benjamin and party decorating for Miriam). He said Phoebe asked him for a pear and he was a little slower to deliver than she would have liked because the next thing her knew she was running around the house with a pear (and a sharp knife she'd grabbed). 

Sounds like Phoebe. 

Miriam was having an emotional time after Christmas decorating, after Grandpa had left and Andrew had come home. I had just come out of my paper session and was sitting in the general session listening to an address...and texting my kids and husband...as one does. 

I was shocked when Andrew sent me this message:

He was telling me that Miriam could perhaps use a phone call to improve her attitude. I said I was in a session, but my presentation went well. And I'm not just bragging when I say it was a decent paper—it just got (conditionally) accepted at the Journal of Children's Literature. 

"She was sexier????" Andrew asked. 

"Wbaaaaaat?" I asked. "Is happening?"

Because, honestly, his remark seemed a little...out of place.

And then I flipped back over to Miriam. She had told me about setting up the Relief Society rooms, but there are other rooms she was supposed to have decorated, so I asked her if she was setting up the primary room and YW as well. 

She responded to me, "I WAS WJAT????"

And I was like, Oh, no! I've stressed her out! I need to do damage control here!

So I wrote, "Oh, dear. Wait."

"You know...we talked about what things were going to be in the primary room...the gingerbread, etc. Calm down..."

And then I saw what my "you were setting up" had turned into! Oops! 

She and Andrew were laughing together about it at home while I was very dignifiedly trying to not laugh myself out of my seat in the middle of a conference presentation. Andrew told me that, at the very least, I managed to raise Miriam's spirits.