FUN AT CHURCH

Sunday at church Carly had a good time. We were in Sacrament meeting--and we got there a little late so of course the only seats available were the ones up front. It's an hour and ten minutes long which is about forty minutes too long for Carly. It's not that we don't come prepared, we do. We have toys, books, treats, her bottle, her blankie--anything she might want but somehow they don't do the trick past the first thirty minutes. Now that she's learned to walk and run she has lots of ideas of things to do that don't meet up with what I want her to do. And in a church meeting where you are trying to be reverent she has me over a barrel because she is NOT afraid to scream loud if I try to change her plans.

So it's Sunday and we have hit the thirty minute wall. She doesn't want anymore treats, toys or bottle and she's getting a little frustrated at our attempts to keep her quiet and busy. She is on the floor between the pews and I try to pick her up only to get one of her loud tirades. I quickly let go. She then climbs under the pew and escapes to the front of the church. Darn!

Do I go get her and make her scream or let her stay there if she keeps quiet? I choose the latter. She is quiet but she is dancing around at the front and the Bishop and his counselors can see her and are snickering. Julie and I are shaking our heads. Carly sees them laughing at her and gets more animated. I take this opportunity and go and pick her up while she is in a good mood and bring her back. Yay! No screaming.

No sooner do I sit down with her on my lap than she scrambles down and under the pew and does the exact same thing. Hey, it got rave reviews the first time--why not? ARRGH!

There are large floor to ceiling windows with curtains on both sides of the chapel at the front. She goes to one side and grabs the curtains and flings them open and twirls herself around in them. I am horrified. Julie is laughing so hard she is shaking. I try looking at Carly with my most serious "Mommy is not happy with you" face and motioning to her with my finger to come here right now. That does not even begin to work.

Finally the closing song and prayer. I think it is almost over. I look up during the prayer and see that she is climbing the steps toward the stage where the pulpit and microphone are. I start praying for a short prayer. It ends just in time for me to grab my little trouble-maker and run!

Then, all the way out everyone stops us to tell her how cute and adorable she is. "Don't encourage her!", I tell them! She'll come back for an encore!