Adventures in Sacrament Meeting

Church is pretty entertaining with 3 kids. You never know what irreverent episode is going to take place, and Mark and I are constantly on our toes and very, very grateful that Hali now is old enough to attend nursery. I am pretty sure the elders quorum had a party the day she went into nursery! Here are a few examples of funny things that have happened while at church, usually sacrament which is where all parent's know they can count on their children to be running on all cylinders!

We got to church late (gasp!!! Yes it has happened once or twice, or maybe every sunday!) and were sitting out in the foyer waiting for the sacrament to finish so we could make the walk of shame from the foyer to the back row as quietly as possible. Madi was asking us what we were waiting for and I told her we were waiting for them to be done passing the sacrament and she said this in shock and disbelief, " WHAT!!?? We missed the food!!!!"

One Sunday during sacrament meeting, we happened to sit behind a family that has a little girl a little younger than madi named Emily. Emily and madi actually go to preschool together so they are buddies. Anyway, Emily made her way around to our pew and she and madi started coloring. I looked over to see that madi had created a drawing of two stick-figure girls with blond hair. She leaned over and whispered (thankfully, it was right in the middle of someones talk) for me to label the stick-figures gilrs madi and "emily". I did, and then didn't think anything of it as they went on coloring and we later wen't to our other classes at church. A few days later she pulled out the picture she had drawn of her and emily and said, musing to herself, " i never knew emily and i looked so much alike"

This one could top them all. We had just been passed the sacrament and had passed it on when we hear a strange sound. I looked over and there was Hali, head tilted back, gargling the sacrament water. It should be noted that Hali does this frequently at home and after gargling, she usually spits a stream of water as far as she can in front of her. in panic I slammed my hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop what I knew was coming next, and held it there until she swallowed. By that time everyone behind, to the side, and in front of us was looking back and doing their darndest to muffle their laughter (some were more successful than others). I am surprised we haven't been kicked out although I have the sneaking suspicion we are allowed to stay for comic relief.

Emerging

The last few months for me have been a doozy. My mom came over the other day and laughed because I still have my fall wreath up on my door and my christmas mat at the foot of my door. It is now March. I defended myself by saying, yep, you can pretty much tell when I lost the will to do anything but survive! I thought of a couple cute ways to say this but just don't have it in me other than to say we are expecting our 4th baby in August!! We are really excited for this addition to our family, but man alive, I just feel so crummy when I am pregnant! Mark has been wonderful and has had to pick up a lot of slack the last couple of months. It is just no fun to come home from work everyday to your wife in the fetal position on the couch either looking like a dead mommy or crying because she feels so terrible. Every time I am at this point in my pregnancies I think to myself "I don't think I can do this again". But, I feel like I am having a few more good days, and my bad days aren't as bad as they were a week or so ago, so I am crossing my fingers that maybe I am pulling out of this. So, hello world, I am slowly coming back to you, and to the realization of what a house will look like after 4 months of neglect and 3 children who took advantage of a not- so -coherent mother!! Let the games begin!

Tonight I was listening to a podcast on some ideas about disciplining children and mothering in general, when my mom stopped by to drop something off. I was out in the kitchen and she ran back to my room to use the computer where madi and tyce were listening to the podcast with me and coloring.

my mom: what are you guys listening to?

madi: mom is just trying to learn how to control us.

That about sums it up. I couldn't have put it better myself.