Sunday, February 17, 2008

Alternative Sunday School

so, it's 2:22 on Sunday afternoon and for me that means that Sunday School should have started 2 minutes ago. But, clearly I'm not sitting in Sunday School because I am at home sitting on the computer trying to figure out what I did wrong. Rick had to work today so I was on my own with the three kiddies at Church. Well, Cole has been relatively good all week and I have attributed it to getting enough sleep at the right time. And what exactly is the right time for a nap, you ask. 1:00 to 1:30 which happens to be just the same exact time that we are at church. I tried to go early enough to get a bench seat because that always seemed to help with the girls. I think the only thing that would have helped with Cole today was a bench seat with seat belts and a "beep, beep, beep" like a tractor every time he tried to move. I spent 30 minutes before church preparing his "Keep Cole Occupied for 70 minutes bag". Which, by the way didn't even last through the opening prayer. He has this constant impulse to harass Sierra. I tried to keep the separated, but what do you do with one adult and 3 kids. I don't have that many "sides" to sit on. Once when Cole was tormenting Sierra, he tripped over her shoe and went flying down the isle--with his bag of animal cracker, raisin, cereal mix. then, he was afraid someone might eat his cereal so he started grabbing and yelling and as a result smashing his cereal. Every time I tried to hold him or tell him to be quiet or leave Sierra or alone or ask if he wanted to color he would seriously YELL, "NOOOOOOOO". We ended up in the hall-twice. I don't believe that when I take him out of the meeting because he is naughty that it is OK to let him run around and yell at the top of his lungs and get his own way. so, I made him sit in the chair next to me. He slowly makes his way to the end table and starts climbing it. I say no and he screams. He ends up back on the chair, screaming. He ends up in the little breezeway between the two sets of doors which I let him do for a minute because at least it is quiet for the other people sitting int he foyer trying to listen. Then he spies the snow shovels and tries to make an escape for the outside door with a snow shovel. I seriously consider letting him to do it but there are too many cars coming and going and plus I didn't have a spare change of clothes for him. So, I bring him back in and in the nicest, sweetest voice I can manage I ask him to come sit by me and listen to the beautiful music of the choir. NOOOOOOO. The kid across the foyer sitting on his mom's lap has his hands over his ears. So does his mom. I figured that since I was getting absolutely nothing/zero/zip/nada from this lovely day at church, I would go home. I leave Cole sitting on the chair screaming at the top of his lungs--still. I went back in the chapel, told Summer to clean up Cole's mess and that I would be back later to pick them up. Poor kids of mine. I trust the girls that they will behave and go to class. I brought Cole home and put him down for a nap. It only took about 2.3 minutes and he was sleeping like a dog. I might have to find a ward that starts at 9:00 am for the next 10 months. I don't know what else to do. He has lasted through his nursery class all of once in 2008.
I guess I'll go read the Sunday School lesson now. At least this way I get to do it with a Diet Coke nearby. It's not so bad after all.

3 comments:

Carroll Family said...

Oh, man! I know what you mean!

missliss5/Melissa said...

You poor woman. I can totally understand. What is the age difference between him and Jessica anyway? She turned 3 the end of December. I totally remember her doing that, though. Your visual of the cereal flying out of the bag was so sad. Jessica would totally scream over Austin looking at her wrong or Veronica touching her. She's yell, "Veronica is going to take my pencil!" Oh my gosh. I'm like you and I swear if lived closer to church I would have just gone home with her. And it isn't even because she took naps at that point. It's just because I KNOW I was having evil satanic thoughts... haha! Maybe you can keep an extra Diet Coke in the car on Sundays. Just lock him in it and watch from the breezeway with your Diet Coke..haha!

Jessica F. said...

I like the Diet Coke option with Sunday School!