The King

We just got back from a long vacation over Thanksgiving. I had intended on doing several posts from that trip. BUT since I have somehow lost my camera (UGH...why do I have to be such a scatterbrain all the time. Seriously frustrated with myself) those wont be happening. But I do want to remember some conversations Saffryn and I had before we went on our trip because they are priceless.

We were planning (and made) several stops on our way to see family over Thanksgiving. One of them was in Memphis, Tennessee. Yup that's right, Graceland!!!

I knew the kids would not care about it very much, but I thought maybe if we got really excited about it before hand it would help them be patient while we toured the mansion. So that's what we did. We listened to Elvis and told the kids we were going to visit his house. It started working and the kids thought it was going to be pretty cool...

Saffryn a couple of days before we left, "We are going to Elvis' house!!! We get to meet him, too."
Oh dear...we had never specifically said we WEREN'T going to meet him and it never occurred to me to tell her otherwise.
Me very tentatively: "Well...no we aren't going to meet him at his house."
Saffryn: "Why?"
Me: "Well...because he died."
Saffryn does an audible gasp as this registers. Pure shock across her face. "Mom, who knows about this?"
Me: "Well....everyone."
Saffryn: "Do my friends?"
Me: "I dont know about them. But most grown ups know about it."
Saffryn's face is just so sad looking. "Mom I am going to miss him."
Don't we all....don't we all.

Saffryn: "Does Elvis remember meeting us?"
Me: "We never met Elvis."
Saffryn: "Then how do we know him?"
Me: "He is a rockstar and we know him, but he never knew us."
Saffryn perplexed: "So if Elvis isn't going to be at his house how do we get in?"
Me: "His family said we could go in and see his house."
Saffryn: "Oh!" Satisfied and like a lightbulb went off. "So his family will be there and we will meet them."
Me: "Uhhhhh. No. They wont be there but they said we could go in and look at his house. That was very kind of them."
Saffryn again looking perplexed drops it for a bit while she ponders this over. Never realized how weird this all sounded until she started asking these questions. Lol.

Later in the day...

S: "How did Elvis die?"
Me: "His heart stopped beating."
S: "Why?"
Me: "He got sick and his heart stopped beating."
S forlorn again: "I am going to miss him so much."

While watching a video of Elvis performing...
S: "Why does he do that weird shaky thing with his legs?"
Hahaha! That is only his trademark move...

S: "Will you please tell Dad that Elvis died."
M: "He already knows. Elvis died a long time ago."
S: "But my friends don't know."
M: "They will know if a grown up tells them."
S looking very proud: "Ya. Me and Pierce know cause you telled us."

The first thing Saffryn does when we get to Graceland as we are purchasing tickets is turns around to the lady behind us and in a very serious and sad voice she says, "Elvis died."

So in this news worthy post just in case you missed it...Elvis has died and we all miss him!!!