Thank goodness for a church full of people with a sense of humor, and full of other quirky kids. Without them, I think I would've lost my mind this morning without them.
Our church always starts the service with greetings, opening announcements, and a song. Then the director of religious education calls the kids up, does a presentation, and they all troop up to the RE rooms. Usually its a short little story and off they go.
This morning, the story was about the shamrock and a gnome named Jasper and the three forms of the goddess. It was a cute story, but about five minutes too long- it was a six or seven minute story. The kids were definitely ready to go before the director was. They got squirrelly. Of course, it was the boys that were the problem (not just mine for once- all of them).
F was pretending he was choking himself then playing a seat-stealing game with a toddler. Another little boy kept stage whispering bad ideas to the others behind a hand that didn't help keep his mother from noticing he was talking. The toddler from above started running up and down the aisle with bookmarks from the pews.
And G? He spent the entire time looking at his reflection in the side of a baby grand piano, thrilled that the curved wood warped his reflection. Face after face after face. Funny. Scary. Coy. Sad. All for the whole congregation to see.
A different version of myself would've been mortified. In a different place, with a different audience, I would've hauled him out and given him an earful. But in the safety of MY church, I laughed with the others. No one told me that G was a bad kid and that I was a bad mom. None of the parents, or grandparents, or non-parents, did anything but smile or laugh.
I'm so glad that I found a place where my kids are accepted and treasured, even when they aren't sitting quietly and respectfully. Mommy shaming? Mommy judging? Not here!
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