Sunday Best

Don't they look like angels?  Then why are they so mean in church?!?!

Every Sunday we wake up and get ready early to make it to our church's 9 a.m. mass because that is the only mass where nursery is offered.  A big part of me feels like the girls should go to church with us every Sunday.  How will they ever learn how to act in church if they don't go?  But nine times out of ten when we skip nursery, or they cancel it, and we take them into church with us, we wind up regretting our decision by the time the priest gives the homily.  Hattie is pretty good, though she gets antsy, but at least she's a quiet antsy.  At 4, she knows how to behave for the most part.  It's Mary Ellen who is our little trouble-maker - she's nearly two, afterall!  She loves to be loud and point.  She loves to get others' attention and make them smile.  We usually end up in the narthex or cry room with her, missing most of what the priest is saying.

One thing I have learned, though, over the 4 years that I've been taking kids to church with me, is that less is more.  I use to load up on snacks and juice and books and toys.  All of this would entertain little minds and fingers for about 15 minutes, and then they would find it more entertaining to throw said books and toys.  Crumbs would wind up all over the floor and juice spilled or leaked all over the pew.  Now when we go and take the kids, we bring nothing but an extra diaper and wipes (just in case!).  Somehow that has cut down on a lot of the noise and movement, but we are still definitely working on how to act like little angels in church!  And I know adding a third isn't going to make this job any less challenging ;).