Church, I admit defeat....

It is a basic and well established fact of parenting, that with the first child you want to follow all the rules, scheduling, discipline, eating correctly etc. With the arrival of child number two, the rules are a bit more relaxed, but still some what in place. By child number three you realize you are seriously out number and just surviving the day is good enough, rules be damned.

Well I am here to admit that I am completely over my desire to enforce the rule that my child, of less than Primary age, spend three hours in church. Completely and entirely over it, with no guilt what so ever. The way I figure it, is that if I were to stay at church I am not going to get anything out of it and have an even crankier baby, which makes for an even crankier mommy. So why not go home, make baby less cranky, and as a result make mommy less cranky. I have a sneaking suspicion that our Mother in Heaven has some grasp on this situation, and I will not suffer eternal damnation for my conduct.

Our current church schedule is 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and although Katie usually does not take a nap until 2:00 p.m. its still a struggle. We have sacrament meeting first and with enough treats and toys she can make it through 2/3 of sacrament meeting before Rick has to take her out in the hall. The funny thing is when she goes out she just wants to sit on his lap and look around. I think it is the need for a change of venue, and new people to flirt with.

After sacrament meeting Rick heads off to teach his Sunday school class, and I take Katie and head home for a brief bit of lunch before returning to church. Two weeks ago, when I brought her home during Sunday school, she laid down on the floor with her bottle, zonked it off, and decided that she needed a power nap to make it through Relief Society. After all sacrament meeting is hard work and really takes it out of you. After 30 minutes she was refreshed and ready to attack Relief Society, and so was mommy!