Morning stress
So today we taught our kids a lesson that the happiness of others is more important than your own happiness. How? By going to church with my husband's parents. See, we live here year round, and have a church we love and are active in, and attend every Sunday and Thursday . They are up here for 1 week out of a month and attend our old church. They won't even entertain the notion of coming to ours. BUT, since today was my m-i-l's birthday, she felt perfectly comfortable asking us to go with them to church instead of going to ours (the service times don't allow for going to both). And in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter?
But the level of stress it causes is just beyond expression. First is the fact that we need to be sure our tasks at our church are covered. Second, there is the whole clothes thing...they must wear much nicer clothes to old church than current church. Third, those nicer clothes mean pants for the boys, and Scott has almost outgrown the pants I bought him in MAY, so they were just this side of high-waters. Too bad capri's aren't in for boys, LOL. Fourth, nicer clothes mean nicer shoes, and since we don't need those but 2-3 times a year when we go to fancy things or to church with the in-laws down where they are from, finding shoes that fit and meet with my m-i-l's standards is just about impossible. It does not make for an easy going morning, it makes for a morning where everyone is in a bad mood because their toes are crammed in too tight dress shoes, or they are hot in too warm clothes (it was a heat index of 106 today..what child wears pants then?), etc.
Finally, everyone was dressed and ready to go. We arrived with 7 minutes to spare, which stressed my husband out more (he prefers 30 minutes), and luckily were able to share the pew behind my in-laws with some friends, because those pews hold 6, and we total 8 with hubby's parents. Oh, and my mom sat with us.
But I am thankful that my mom went to church as she has been straying away from that being a habit of her life. And I am also thankful that my children have finally reached an age where they can sit quietly in church. It was a beautiful thing. I won't say they all participated fully in the service, even Scott who could have read along. But they were quiet, and they did say the Lord's Prayer when it was time.
More to come on the birthday activities, but it's almost midnight again, so it will wait until tomorrow.
obm
But the level of stress it causes is just beyond expression. First is the fact that we need to be sure our tasks at our church are covered. Second, there is the whole clothes thing...they must wear much nicer clothes to old church than current church. Third, those nicer clothes mean pants for the boys, and Scott has almost outgrown the pants I bought him in MAY, so they were just this side of high-waters. Too bad capri's aren't in for boys, LOL. Fourth, nicer clothes mean nicer shoes, and since we don't need those but 2-3 times a year when we go to fancy things or to church with the in-laws down where they are from, finding shoes that fit and meet with my m-i-l's standards is just about impossible. It does not make for an easy going morning, it makes for a morning where everyone is in a bad mood because their toes are crammed in too tight dress shoes, or they are hot in too warm clothes (it was a heat index of 106 today..what child wears pants then?), etc.
Finally, everyone was dressed and ready to go. We arrived with 7 minutes to spare, which stressed my husband out more (he prefers 30 minutes), and luckily were able to share the pew behind my in-laws with some friends, because those pews hold 6, and we total 8 with hubby's parents. Oh, and my mom sat with us.
But I am thankful that my mom went to church as she has been straying away from that being a habit of her life. And I am also thankful that my children have finally reached an age where they can sit quietly in church. It was a beautiful thing. I won't say they all participated fully in the service, even Scott who could have read along. But they were quiet, and they did say the Lord's Prayer when it was time.
More to come on the birthday activities, but it's almost midnight again, so it will wait until tomorrow.
obm
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