Morning Nahptime: State Capitol Tour

One part of stay-at-home Momhood I adore is chaperoning field trips with the kiddos. I do get nervous about being the adult responsible for other people's children, but the fear is outweighed by the joy of seeing my kiddos with their peers in these learning environments. Last year I went with Miss V on an overnighter cabin campout with workshops by the Fishlake National Forest Rangers and others.

This year I rode on the bus with Miss V to the Utah State Capitol building and Natural History Museum of Utah. She and her classmates at the back of the bus serenaded us with songs from their end-of-the-year program on the state of Utah. The government officials were not in session, so it was just us, some women posing in formal wear for photographers, a few international tourists, and the next tour group of kids. In the Hall of Governors I spied the portrait of Governor Mike O. Leavitt, who was in office during my school years. I still remember a video we watched of him in drivers' ed in which he told us "If you leave late, you will arrive late," with the encouragement not to drive recklessly.

One display focused on the many languages spoken during the mining heyday in Carbon County. Multi-lingual and -ethnic groups aren't who you normally picture in the small rural towns of Utah. History and memories should be recorded and preserved.

The pillars of stone, tile work, paintings, and history throughout the Capitol Building are pretty incredible to see up close. Those were all eclipsed to the grade-schoolers by the elevator. There's nothing like traveling through the ceiling when you can see the layers. I ended up losing each of the six students in our group here and there. Fortunately, no one died, and we came together in the end.

The museum was hosting a Thai Temple exhibit. The carvings were incredibly detailed and intricate. Most were reproductions, but some were original stone. It is amazing what can be transported to the other side of the globe. I think the students appreciated the multi-sensory exhibits in other parts of the museum. They spent a chunk of time trying to reassemble magnetized rubbery "pottery" which demonstrated some of the challenges archeologists face when finding and examining evidence of past cultures.

By the end of the tours, my feet were ready for a sit. There were lots of sleepy kids on the ride home. I'm glad it's still possible for students learning about the branches of government to travel to the locations about which they learn in the classrooms. I'm also grateful Miss V isn't ashamed to have me tag along on her school trips.