when I think not trying so hard would be a lot better.
I know, I have nothing to complain about. I have not forgotten how hard it was to take a newborn baby, a two-year old, and a five-year old to church. That was six years ago. I remember being exhausted, but I especially remember wanting a rest on Sunday. There was no rest. Sunday was just harder than other days.
I remember a year later when Connor and Breanne were both in nursery and I was their nursery leader. I was exhuasted, especially on Sunday. Yes, I needed a nap after church. I remember thinking, "Some day these kids will all be able to put their own shoes on and buckle themselves in the car, and then I will not be so tired."
Someday has come. Not only can they all get their own shoes on, they can all walk to and from church with little supervision. But, I have not succeeded yet, in teaching them how to open the door for others when they walk into the building, or in how to sit quietly in the meeting. I'm still using that, "I'm so tired" excuse.
It doesn't mean I don't put SOME effort into teach them.
Like today, when I told them they will not be getting up and going out for drinks and to the bathroom 400 times during the course of the meeting. Instead, I announced that if they want to leave sacrament today in order to get a drink or to go the bathroom they would lose 10 moolah points. They had the choice, but there would also be a consequence. The kids have been earning moolah points for doing their jobs. I learned all about it from my friend, Corinne, from this website http://www.goalforit.com/. For two of my kids it works pretty well. For my one child who has run ins with the principal at school, it's been much harder.
So I should have known that this wonderful child would start to blow his nose into his hand during the meeting. I let it go the first few times until people's stares started making holes in my back. I finally said, "Go get a tissue" much too loudly. He retorted much louder, "I can't. I don't want to lose my moolah." Before he finally left, he wiped his snot on his sister's leg and she poked him with her pencil.
Gotta love Sunday!
3 comments:
This is actually Julia. That is a great post, Jen. I guess I should stop dreaming about easy days at church. It's like Stake Conference last December when I was excited to have Derick sit with us finally and Nathan had the biggest blow out ever that required a bath/shower for both of us.
I say 'Kudos to Breanne'. I would've done the same thing if somebody wiped their snot all over me. Tell her to keep a pencil handy at all times ;) (okay, not really, lead poisoning and all), but I still say she's awesome!
There's always next Sunday to look forward to!
You must have handled it better than you think...because I truly had no idea what was going on! And, I think we all have Sundays in our lives where we can't wait for the next opportunity to do better, try hard, or just get a nap. Ahhh!!
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