is the closest I can come to describing what it feels like inside my head these days. Friday mornings feel especially disjointed because I’m never mentally ready for church. I was telling someone this morning that it feels like I slam into “Sunday” each week. I spend the previous 5 days keeping track of kids, various pick-up times, signing off homework, games, dinners and lunches (kids do their own breakfasts of oatmeal/cereal/cereal bars), and on Thursday night (faux-Friday) I am ready to exhale and unwind. Until I realize that I don’t have that luxury because we have church in the morning and I have to corral overtired kids again.
Add to that the fact that I spend the entire time at church in the toddler class, keeping a low profile while strongly encouraging Camille to go play with the other kids, and it doesn’t exactly put me in a spiritual mood. She’s getting better though. Instead of hanging onto my leg the entire hour, she was absorbed enough that I was gradually able to ease across the room until I was sitting closer to the door than I was to her by the end of class.
My ultimate goal is to leave her in class and go to church myself, but it will probably take a few more weeks before I’ll be able to leave the room for a bathroom break. Trust me, she’s not the kind of kid that would stop crying after a few minutes. I was cracking up today because one of the teachers smiled at her and she stared her down with a suspicious frown in return. I would take her to service with us, but she squirms and hasn’t mastered the art of whispering yet, so this seems like the best solution for now.
After church today we went over to base for lunch. This photo about sums it up:
Camille climbed on Josh’s lap and ate more than half of his food (and is drinking his maple syrup), Caleb, extra tired from a sleepover, kept hanging on his neck, and Josh is wondering why we can never have a normal meal.
Tomorrow is Saturday, both real and virtual — the one day of the week where things line up with normal life back at home. Just like you, we’ll be doing yard work, running errands, and enjoying the day off. Along with decluttering our house and yard, I’m hoping the rest will help to declutter my brain as well. I need to make space for next week!