Eclipsed

6:00 PM, Wednesday February 20, 2008

"Hey, boys, come look!"

"What, mom!? I want to beat this level", from son #2.

"As soon as there is a commercial", from son #1.

"Just come here!"

"In a minute!"

"BOYS!"

"Mom!" Sighs, stomping feet. "Where are you?"

"Come out on the deck!" Stomp, stomp.

"What?"

"Look at the moon."

"What about it?"

"Didn't you guys hear about the eclipse at school?"

"What's an eclipse?" So much for our tax dollars at work.

"It's when the earth casts a shadow on the moon for a short period of time. Can't you see it?"

"The moon always looks like that."

Sigh. "No, it doesn't. This is special. I'm going to go get the telescope."

Tromp downstairs. Lug the huge Jason out of the basement, out onto the deck. Tromp back downstairs. Lug the huge box upstairs so I can find the right lens. Back out on the deck. Fumble with the tripod for about 15 minutes. Swear.

"Do you boys know how to set this up?"

"Huh?"

Finally get the tripod stable.

"Where are the lenses? Ok found them. How do you open these things?"

"I can do it mom."

"No you can't. If I can't figure it out, why do you think you can figure it out?"

"Because I'm smart."

"Ok, let's see you try."

Tug, fumble, twist, groan, sigh.

"Mom, do you know how to open this?"

"I thought YOU said you could open it."

"Well I can't."

"Where the heck is your dad, he's the only one who knows anything about this thing. I'll call Dad on his cell."

"Honey, how do you work this thing?"

"What thing?"

"The telescope. The kids and I have been messing with it for half an hour".

"You have to find the right lens."

"How do you know which is the right one? How do you open the lens cases? And where do you put it?"

Sigh. "I'll be home in five minutes."

Dad gets home. Finds all three of us on the deck yelling at each other, because each one thinks he/she knows how to fix it.

"Here you need the 15mm lens."

"Ok, then what? I can see the moon in the small viewfinder, but can't find it in the big one."

"That's normal."

The three of us (son #2 has gone back to his video game by now) fumble with it for another half-hour.

"Ok, there, I see it. Now if I can only get it to focus." Famous last words.

"Dang it, it won't focus."

"Let me try, Dad."

"I don't think you will be able to get it if I can't."

Son # 1 goes to pout. "You won't even let me TRY. I'm no good at anything." Slams the door.

Mom sighs. This is not going like I planned.

Dad is still trying to get the thing to focus. He gives up.

"I'm going to go eat dinner."

Son #1 comes back. "Can I try now?"

"Yes, you can try."

Five minutes later..."I give up. It won't focus."

"I know. I'm going inside."

And we all proceed to go about our evening.

Fast forward to 10:30 PM.

Son #1 from his bed, "Hey mom, we left the telescope out on the deck."

"Yeah, we did. I'll get it in the morning."

"What if someone steals it?"

"No one is going to steal it. "

"But what if someone does?"

"Well, then we'll let them figure out how to use it."

"MOM!"

"Ok I'll go bring it in. Good night."

"'Night mom."

Oh, well. We did see it, just not through the telescope. It just wasn't feeling cooperative this time.