Learning Humility at Church

Today proved to be another memorable day at church. Unfortunately it wasn't for all the reasons I would have hoped for, but I keep trying to remember that one day I will look back and laugh at all the embarrassing situations my kids seem to create for me.

For some reason, all 3 of our kids have really been having a hard time with reverence during church. I know it is hard, even for me sometimes, to sit and listen intently for the 3 hour block of church each week. However, their attention spans are only about 3 minutes lately, and the older two begin arguing or playing very loudly, and the baby is ready for a nap she won't be getting that morning. Before church had officially begun today, the two older kids were fighting over who got to hold the page of stickers. The baby had eaten who-knows-what from just under the bench we were sitting on. She also simultaneously located the small area under the bench where she can't be reached without an adult awkwardly climbing under the bench themselves. Talented kids, we have. Oh, but it only got better from there. With Collin STILL not understanding what a whisper should sound like, he was once again banished to roam the halls with his dad. I was left in the chapel on my own and outnumbered. Brynn decided that must be a good time to empty the "church bag" to find the crayons that were at the bottom. Then the sacrament, the most spiritual, important part of the meetings, began. I had just reached into my bag to put something away and didn't realize I had bumped my cell phone. I usually don't bring it with me to church, and if I do, it is never on. However, I must have bumped the on/off button, and interrupted the congregation's quiet, spiritual moment with my phone's cheerful song that lets me know it has just turned on. Great.

Somewhere in the midst of all of this, Eden decides to let me know just how tired she is. In an effort to find a position I could hold her in that might calm her down, her foot caught on my skirt exactly two times and I gave my fellow ward members a view that they would probably least expect at church. Then, after several handfuls of snacks, a bottle of milk, and all the toys I could find in the diaper bag, she still wasn't having any of it. We met Dave and Collin out in the hall at our usual spot on the couch.

So even though I didn't get to listen to most of the talks and lessons at church today, I did learn some new things about humility and patience. Experience is the best teacher, right? The sad thing is, that today wasn't even our most embarrassing experience in parenting while at church. I think I am still scarred by the time that I was taking one of the kids out for being disruptive, and as I was carrying said child out, my dress somehow got lifted up by their foot, and I flashed the entire back half of the congregation. I didn't even know it had happened until I was joking with another mom about it, and she hesitantly confirmed that yes, I had flashed quite a bit of leg "but I'm sure no one noticed." Yeah, 'cause a kid that is fidgety, loud, and disruptive enough to be taken out of the chapel is not like a big sign that reads "Look over here!" (note the sarcasm).

There was also the time a couple months ago when church had just started, and we were sitting towards the front. All of the sudden, we heard some arguing, and looked next to us in the aisle to find our older two kids rolling around on the floor fighting. Over who got to hold the scriptures.

I am still trying to recover from the little incident the other day where we flooded my grandpa's bathroom and into the hall with toilet water while I was trying to clean up a nasty potty training accident of Collin's. Collin thought it was cool, since it was just a big puddle he wanted to splash around in---nasty!---but that one may take a few extra years before I can laugh about it. Sorry again Grandpa! (yes, he reads my blog. I think he makes up 1/3 of my readership.)

Hey, these are all things that we'll be laughing about when our kids are grown, right? Right? Of course, they can be total angels at times I least expect it too, so I guess it all evens out. I do love those 3 little kids of mine. They have more energy than I could ever think possible, but they can say and do the sweetest, most amazing things at the most unexpected times.

To a less adventurous day tomorrow...