To the moon!

My dad visited Henry's class on Wednesday afternoon, to talk about his days as an astronaut.

All right, actually he was an engineer at Grumman Aerospace, where he worked on the design of the lunar module. Among other things. I am unclear as to what he did. Only I know it was impressive!

"You know," I told him, "You could have just said you were an astronaut. They were ready and willing to believe whatever you told them."

"Right," he laughed, and gave me that look. That do you mean it? I think you mean it, Alice, you nut, what kind of values did I teach you look.

"'It's Henry's grandpa, Buzz Aldrin!'"

"Hmm."

Anyway, because Henry's grandpa built something (or designed something, WHATEVER) that made it to the moon, he was as good as an astronaut to these kids. They were in awe. "I like your glasses," one of them said, as soon as he walked in. "You look cool," another kid observed.

My favorite thing about visiting Henry's classroom is that the kids act like you're a celebrity. An adult, in our midst! But--but you're not normally here! Can I get your autograph?

Anyway, my dad told them all about the design of the lunar module, sometimes in more detail than I thought they could comprehend, but damned if they didn't eat it up.

Plus he had a cool model. That our household is going to get, one of these days. My parents have it in their basement. Their basement! That thing deserves a display case.

The kids were scandalized at the fact that the astronauts had to leave detritus on the moon. "That's littering," was the collective murmur. "And someday the moon-people will come to our planet and steal our children in order to get their revenge," I whispered to the back row of kids. (No I didn't.)

One question no one asked: where did the astronauts go to the bathroom? Scott, my mom, and I were all standing in the back, waiting for that one. But alas.

"Could you imagine," I said later, "what would have happened if you had told them that astronauts wear diapers? Chaos! They would have had to end the day early!"

My mom sighed. "I knew I should have asked it. I was going to," she said.

"I would have told them that there was a special porthole built into the shuttle, out of which the astronauts could stick their butts," I said.

My dad just shook his head. It's not easy, being the smartest person in this family.

Comments

[Shannon M.]

Funny, the kids in my daughter's class seem more critical than awestruck. "What did you do to your hair?" one asked last week in a way that really said, "WHY oh WHY did you do that horrible thing to your hair?" ;)

[Kalisa]

I like that stylish kid in the front with his bangs sticking up. Is that Henry?

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Okay, I must bite, even if I sound like a 5 year old. Do they really wear diapers?? As a nurse I always assumed they had catheters in. The rest, I just let myself drift into denial...

[Andrea]

I wish my dad was an astronaut! heehee. I did have a fireman daddy though, which was enough to buy the abundant love of my peers for a few months.

[Megan]

Your dad is so cute! I have dad envy.

[Erin @ Fierce Beagle]

HOLY CRAP! I want your Dad's autograph! I'm a closeted space nerd! This post has given me the confidence to come out.

The lunar module! More affectionately known as the LEM! OMG OMG you have the COOLEST Dad!

My dad once met and got the autograph of Gene Kranz, and he won't give it to me. That caused a rift.

[Boston Mamas]

That. is. awesome. On all counts.

[Alexandra]

Henry must've been so very proud. That's a special memory.

[Emily D]

Another space nerd here - OMG, this is the most exciting thing I've read online all week, your Dad worked for Northrup Grumman on the LEM??? Are you kidding me?! That is too amazingly cool for words. Have you seen the "Spider" ep in the "From the Earth to the Moon" series? My favorite - I would give my right arm to have that model. Wow.

[Zoë]

My 5 year old would have been high in hog heaven listening to your Dad. They had Space Week at his kindergarten last month and he ate that stuff up. Your Dad is like a rock star, but waaaay cooler.

[amigurumigirl]

hahahah love it. especially the closing. too funny.

[mermil]

I think your dad is cool. My dad is a psychiatrist, which meant growing up my classmates would be appalled that he saw patients at my house, where he had an office in the back. "Really? Crazy people?" [in a whisper] "Did they pee in your BATHROOM?"

[LPC]

Your dad is so classic. I love his shirt. And his white hair. The whole thing, actually.

[Karen from Chookooloonks]

I love your dad. Does he love me?

Tell him I live in the same town as NASA. Surely that would do it.

[Isabel @AlphaMom]

so so awesome.

[Stephanie]

This post, it made my day. It is SO SWEET to think about how Henry's grandpa loves him...enough to appear in class! With a model! I hope someday my dad will do the same for my son. Thanks so much, Alice, for sharing this.

[Rachel]

I guess I'm going to have to give up on my "they never really landed on the moon" conspiracy theory, now. That model looks incredible.

[statia]

It's cool that they were actually enthralled instead of like, wishing they could go home and play Wii, or sit inside and watch some lame show on TV.

[Miss B]

Your father is so freaking adorable. I want to put him in my pocket and bring him home and stick him in my own private Grandfather Museum. (I have a weird -- but definitely not creepy! -- thing about little old men and little old ladies. I want to collect them all and hug them to bits and, like, sit and drink tea and play board games with them all the time.)

[Alice Bradley]

My dad is really, really un-little, Miss B. And I think he would cast a stern eye at the idea of being forced to drink tea and/or play board games. If you want to discuss German literature over some Johnny Walker, however, he'd be up for that. 

[wendy]

i have a lunar connection too! my dad was a mechanic in the clean room at cape canaveral during the apollo missions, so he was one of the last people to touch each lunar module before they were launched. i have tons of lunar mission memorabilia... i think i have copies of those same pics your dad is showing henry's class!

[Katie Ann]

My grandpa was an aeronautical engineer who did work on something that landed on the moon, I believe his name is on something still on the moon. (Can you tell how up I am on the family history?) And now I feel motivated to grill my mom about what exactly he did...

[jennifer in sf]

This is totally sweet.

Although, I think I used to wear the same glasses your dad is wearing and I'm not completely sure how to feel about that.

[Alice Bradley]

Katie Ann, my dad's name is on a plaque on the moon! I bet your grandpa's is, as well! 

[Emily]

Love this story! Grandpas are the best!

[Lemon Gloria]

I think there *should* be a special porthole for astronauts to stick their butts out of! Although I suppose you'd have to make sure it was all vacuum sealed around your butt, and any carelessness would be disastrous, and, and, and...

I know the kids thought he was a celebrity and told their parents all about the big visit!

[Jessica]

More awesome than Shakespeare.

[Jan]

That is, at the risk of repetition, so very very cool!!

My mother was on the faculty of, and ran the pathology labs at, [Big Name You Woud Recognize But I Haven't Cleared It With Her To Mention] Medical Center for 30 years. She was actively involved in the development of the polio vaccine, the measles vaccine, interferon, and more, and her labs were working on researching AIDS and breast cancer treatments when she retired. She worked side by side with a Nobel Prize winner. She's been published in medical journals so many times I give up and quit scrolling through the Google results after about 5 pages.

But when she came home, she was just Mom. I was 21 before I asked her what she did at work and, when she told me, then showed me, it blew my mind. How could she do that for so long and never talk about it? "Work is for work, and home is for home."

So, hopefully, some of the kids in Henry's class will have learned, as a side benefit, that there may be waaaay more cool to "old" people than first meets the eye!

[Miss B]

I don't mean little in an actual concrete sense of "diminutive in size". More in a "precious" kind of way.

I'm always up for a tipsy discussion of German literature. (The hugging bit is non-negotiable, though.)

[Sue]

What an awesome post. I love it!

[heyjoe]

I'll bet your dad got a lot of mileage out of that "To the moon, Alice," line when you were a kid.

[AnEmily]

My dad also worked for Grumman, and McDonnell Douglas, as a aerospace engineer in the sixties and seventies. God, what a fabulous time to grow up in Florida watching rockets while playing on the beach! I think I'd just cry if we ever gave up on the space program.

[Meredith]

delightful! my dad dated a rockette before he married my mom. that's all i've got.

[Rachel]

ahhahahahahahhhahahaha oh dear dear dear.... this is the funniest post i've ever read. thank you thank you!

[Finola]

Your Dad is so lovely!

[Adrienne Breaux]

Oh what a treasure to have someone like that come to talk to kids! I'm jealous! And that model is amazing.

-adrienne
http://wearegoodkin.com/

[melissa]

Gah Mr Bradley, what are you? Some kind of rocket scientist? Oh yeah you are......

I love the last picture because it looks like the teacher is saying, "You littered ON THE MOON?"

How proud Henry must have been, I love that. (Also yes every time I chaperone or work at school I feel like a celebrity...except that I want to punch a couple of kids in the nose. My God.)

[Alyce]

Your dad is awesome!!! I want him to come visit my class (um, of EMBA students).

[Heather]

Alice--thanks for the lovely, kind, tender and hilarious post. It is just what I needed after a long day

[Kathy]

My dad worked as an engineer for the space program at Lockheed. Geez, do all dads work on the space program at some point?

[Rachel]

This story is 100% awesome. Everything about it. Love it. :)

[Kate @ And Then I Was a Mom]

Well? When is Bring Your MommyBlogger Mother to School Day? You can entertain them with how you ignore your child in the name of corporate-sponsored entertainment, when you're not off eating kittens and boycotting the elderly.

(Good thing I don't subscribe to the New York Times. Because I would totally have to, you know, unsubscribe.)

[Kendra]

Your dad is awesome. It's incredible to think that he was actually part of the moon landing; what an amazing thing to get to talk to kids about! And he's adorable in that tiny chair. Add in the image of him drinking Johnny Walker and discussing German literature (in the classroom surrounded by the little kids in my imagination, for some reason), and he's just the coolest person ever.

[Mrs. Gregorton]

Absolutely adorable. All of you. The T.V. family I always wanted.

[WarsawMommy]

I loved this post! Funny, adorable and ever-so-educational (diapers? really?).

[Karen]

What a great story -- and yes, your mom should have asked the question!! :)

[Lori]

O.M.G!!!! I am a total geek and your dad is like my hero. My dad worked for Singer Simulations and was part of the team that designed the simulators and ran them so that the astronauts could practice. When mom was worn out (whatever could wear her out?), I went to work with Dad and rode in the sims when they tested various simulation programs. The lunar module sim was one of my faves! All the engineers were so into creatively working together that they really didn't care how old you were and freely shared what they knew even with me. It was a rare opportunity. As a NASA brat, hanging with scientist and astronauts seemed "normal," but now I see it for the gift it really was.

[Kris]

So cute! I love how excited second graders get at the appearance of any nonparental adult. My little guy got to present his visiting grandparents today, and when told he should limit his introductory details to two, he announced, "They're from California...and they have a DOG."

[Julie]

You never cease to make me chuckle! Love this story! I recently spent time in my 1st grader's class talking about the Lunar New Year and doing an art project. The kids ate it up and were so sharp and inquisitive. For days following, kids in the hallway would shout out "Hey, there's Ruby's Mom!" or state proudly "I got to have her in my class!" Now I wish I had told them I was an astronaut.

[danish]

Wow! My dad also worked for Grumman on the LEM! When the movie Apollo 13 came out I remember my mom bragging about that and my father saying nothing... hm, come to think of it, maybe its not even true. Will need to look into it. :)