The Tangrens

The homeward route thus far has NOT been the blissful happy and smooth road trip the Michigan bound route was.  We got a later start out of Joliet and had to stop twice in the first hours of our trip to Nauvoo.  When we were actually making headway Hyrum kept complaining that he wanted a prize and Noah who is now in the very back all by himself was either screaming at the top of his lungs to get attention and then laughing when we asked him to stop or crying because he didn’t want the first or second thing he demanded that he have.  But Elijah was much happier today just grinning at me as I sat next to a screaming crying Noah.  I think our secret weapon may need to make itself known sooner than we once thought.  We got a portable DVD player with two screens to have in our back pocket if need became desperation.  We didn’t want to get it out any sooner than we really HAD to since once it was known we had one they would be BEGGING to watch it all the time.  They’ve already gotten a ton of screen time on vacation already, which might be contributing to their restlessness. Of course, we are also out of the habit of entertaining our boys at all as well.

Since we were going to break out the secret weapon before the end I decided that I should start pulling out all of my bells and whistles.  This was our first activity. They were to make something amazing

They had fun doing it too.

We began to be much happier travelers.

After lunch we learned road signs and read a few stories. Then as we got closer to Nauvoo we told the boys about what would be in Nauvoo.  We started off telling them that Great Grandma and Grandpa Wadsworth were missionaries in Nauvoo and how Grandpa made bricks and Grandma made cookies in the bakery. (Derek reminded me that my dad took my Grandma Pauline into a bar along the way to Nauvoo to use the bathroom when we went to get married. J I’d forgotten that.) We were telling them about a place where we’d learn how to make rope and a place where we’d make our own candles. Hyrum perked up and said “Kindles?!?” Can we tell that he’s been addicted to electronics?

We introduced Elijah to the monkey he got when he was born from Derek’s client and friend in Minneapolis.

He really thought it was great!  

We got to Nauvoo and started at the visitors center as we were sure it would have air conditioning and weren’t sure about the rest.


The boys were really excited to see the Christus. Noah was nervous to go near it but Hyrum was all about it.

Finally Noah got close enough to see it a little better and announced. “Jesus has piggies!!”


He also realized that the Jesus statue wasn’t real and he announced it to the Visitors Center ("Jesus is not real!!"). Of course not knowing exactly what he was talking about was probably wondering what I was teaching my boys.

We wandered the Woman’s statue garden and of course had to get this picture

While we were walking around there was a bagpipe band that came through.

Hyrum whispered to me that he thought he knew who the one with the things in his ears was. I asked him who and he whispered excitedly “Joseph Smith!”

I can see it ...a younger Joseph Smith though,

They were also having a short production about the establishment of the Relief Society which was really good


but the boys were restless in the heat and we decided to try out the Family Living Center.

The boys were very excited to make rope.

We also went to the candle making demonstration but they aren’t actually making candles anymore. (or Kindles for that matter) Hyrum did think it was cool that it was the boy's job to pick out the rocks and sticks though.

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They were spared the discussion about the daily bread baking but were given a taste of the bread anyway

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We also hit the Scovil  Bakery which we’d told them about and they were excited for the cookies…not necessarily the discussion.

I tried to show how not into it they were but she said “cookies” which of course perks up any boys ears (even Hyrum's ears which were plugged at the time )

The person that really surprised me was Elijah. Normally when I put him in the belly pack he falls asleep almost instantaneously. But he stayed awake for all of our touring around Nauvoo. If I put the blanket over him he’d fuss. And as soon as we were done and headed back to the car he fell asleep.

This little boy wants to see what’s going on and was much more interested in the tours than the other boys.

Then we were off to save our seats for the pageant that was going on that night. We were a little nervous how the boys would do with being so crazy and uninterested during the rest of the day. There were the normal “protestors” but only two which was surprising.  They called us arrogant as we passed. Lovely.

Around the pageant area there were all kinds of activities for young and old. There was this little girl that approached us about learning a dance who was surprisingly persistent.

We roped off our chairs with the rope we made today and went back to do some activities. First up was "the climbing wooden bears"…no I’m sure that’s the official name. :)

Then we hit the puppet show

After that Hyrum was amazed by a Jacobs ladder and the wooden crickets and frogs.


By then the boys were dripping with sweat.  We headed over to the gazebo where they had ice cold water and gave them drinks and dumped some on their heads.

We quickly ran to grab wooden Nauvoo pageant souvenirs and then to make whirly gigs and by then the show was about to start. This whole time Elijah slept in the belly pack, even as we sat in the chairs waiting for the show he slept

But as soon as the show started for real he woke up and was completely attentive. When the show started the actor portraying Joseph Smith came out.


Hyrum looked at me with wild eyes and said "That's Joseph Smith?!" and then pretended to faint.  He thought it was amazing that he SAW Joseph Smith. :) ( again!) He was so excited!

Eli got a little fussy, after awhile, so I stood and bounced with him for the rest of the show ( which he watched over my shoulder ).  He let me sit for the closing few moments of the show and when the lights came on we gathered up our things.  All of a sudden Noah started wailing, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.   Throughout the show they “build the temple” with wood

and then fabric


and then they take it down when they talk about the temple being destroyed.  That apparently was really traumatic for Noah.  He kept saying  “Where is the temple going?” And that’s why he was crying even though they lit the actual temple when they talked about rebuilding it.

We had to keep showing him the temple to remind him that it was still there. So cute!