Day of rest

My son Jacob turned three at the end of December, just in time to graduate to the Sunbeam Class for kids at church. Yes you heard me right, I said "class" like, with an actual teacher and an actual lesson...for three year olds. And in his case, a just barely three year old. Well, the first week went about like I expected. Jacob spent his time drawing on the chalkboard, jumping off his chair, twirling his head up in the curtains and helping the pianist with the accompanment. Everytime the music leader looked around to call on a child for help, he was yelling "Pick Jackie!" And he wandered around the room whenever he was bored to sit on a different teachers lap or sit by one of the kids he recognized from the neighbornhood. I'm sure he was wondering where the slide and the basketball hoop had gone (yes, we have them in our nursery), and "Where are my snacks?" and "Where are those couple kids I'm bigger than?". It was a tough week, but everyone kept telling me he would get better. So a few months have gone by and a month or so ago I asked Jacob about it on the way home from church.

Mom - "What did you learn about in Primary today?"

Jacob - No response. I tried a different approach.

Mom - "What did your teacher tell you in class?"

Jacob - "Get down".

Exactly what he was climbing on I don't know.

And then, there is Eddie. Who oddly enough, gets possessed the second we step in the chapel doors. He gives everyone at church who smiles or talks to him some kind of sad, crusty expression - usually like this. And even though he wants Mom and Dad, he doesn't cooperate for us too well. It must be funny, to sit behind us and watch Eddie dive, wiggle, wrestle, bite and scratch his way out of our arms, only to be put down and immediately do the go limp baby trick where they pretend they have no muscle control and could not possibly stand, sit or even lay down without parental assistance. It's a not so enjoyable game of...So you want me to hold you... So you want down... OK I'll hold you...Ouch, I'm putting you down...Well you spazzed out and hit your head, now you need hugs...Fine I'll let you run around the chapel...Anything if you just stop freaking out...OK you can sit on my lap...Here's some honeycombs...You want to lay on the floor?...Lets go out in the hall...No, that's not working...Go to Daddy...Stop ripping the hymn book pages...etc.etc.etc. for three hours! I don't know how I could do it without Dave. He ends up with Eddie most of the time because of my primary calling and I do not envy him. The best thing about the day is that both of my kids are so tired when we get home that we all get to take a much needed, lengthy Sunday nap. All that spiritual nourishment is tiring.