Sunday without honey

I have no idea how it happens, but I'm consistently 2 minutes late for church each Sunday.  I mean, I get that I need to cut myself off 2 minutes earlier (like not drink that last glass of milk or find that last minute toy to throw in my purse)... that part I totally understand.  I need to just get in the car five minutes earlier and I'll be fine.  the part I don't understand is how is can take SO long to get us ready for church.  honey flew to slc this morning (he's got work there tomorrow and flew in a day early so he could be there for Nate's mission farewell festivities) so I knew I was 100% on my own with the kids.  not like he's a huge help any other Sunday but there are enough times that he'll come home at 10:15 and then, if Abigail and Brady are all ready, take them to church with him when he goes so I only have to get the other two and myself out the door.  anyway... I knew I didn't want to be screaming at my kids to hurry up and get ready so I planned for us to have plenty of time.  I started my day before 7 am nursing Andrew and had myself and Abigail and Brady showered by a decent time.  I had the oldest three totally ready and watching a Sunday show by a decent time.  and Andrew cooperated perfectly for me.  and I struggled to get ready (so annoying to put together a nursing friendly outfit and then have my baby sleep through all of church, never needing to nurse... had I known that, I could have much more easily put together a cuter and more comfortable outfit in a fraction of the time), but still managed.  there's always the last minute issue (blow out, spilled food all over outfit, finding out a carseat isn't installed, etc) and this morning it was that I walked out of my bedroom and Elizabeth had Abigail's water bottle (this is why I always make her drink out of a sippy even though she's seven) and was dumping water all over the great room on our sofa, ottoman, rug, carpet, her dress). I had all kids grab wash cloths and dry things and then jump in the car so it wasn't a huge deal, but there I was walking into church thinking "FOUR HOURS! I've spent FOUR HOURS getting us ready this morning and we're STILL LATE!"

I'm just gonna call it a success that we made it.

church was great.  sacrament was a blur (as it frequently is with Brady and Elizabeth climbing all over me), but second and third hours were great.  second hour on marriage was entertaining and enlightening and encouraging, and third hour on service was so motivating to hear everyone's uplifting stories of serving and being served and the blessings of visiting teaching.

after church was a huge blessing.  while the kids were getting buckled, I reminded them that dad was in Utah and it was just me to take care of four kids and could they please be good listeners to help me out.  they were.  they put away their church clothes perfectly and came down dressed in play clothes. Abigail helped me by finishing unloading the dishwasher (I only got part way through this morning before church) and actually did a fantastic job with it.  maybe even better than Christopher does it but don't tell him I said that.  I made quesadillas for lunch and the kids ate them all perfectly.  full bellies but zero leftovers.  I maintained my patience when I feel like I ordinarily would have been wearing thin.  I had Elizabeth skip her nap, so when they finished eating, Andrew was awake (it was after 3:30 and he'd been in his carseat since before 11 when I put him there for church... he is seriously too good to me) and I took him to feed him while the kids finished their Samuel the lamanite movie.  they even cleaned up for a few minutes (there wasn't much to put away) before they started the show.  I'm not sure if they were just having a good day of listening or if they really took it to heart that I needed them to be good since I was the only parent.  maybe both, but it was wonderful.  I finished feeding Andrew at the same time their show finished and I had them get on flip flops and head outside.  we went on a walk around the neighborhood.  Andrew was in the stroller but the rest of us were walking.  maybe 20 minutes into our walk, I realized that I wouldn't be able to kill enough time with our walk before kids got tired or bored, so I texted Sarah around 4:45 and asked if we could stop by.  hallelujah she said yes.

I really only intended to stay and hang out for a bit, but I love Sarah to death and hours passed before I even realized it.  and then she offered to feed my kids hot dogs and so we stayed even longer.  the kids and I got home at 8:15 and I, again, reminded them that I was the only parent and needed them to be well behaved.  I tended to Andrew first while Abigail read the kids scriptures and books.  it wasn't perfect... Abigail and Brady both got upset and cried more than once and they were all just exhausted so none of it was surprising.  but by 9:15, all kids were in bed and within another two minutes, they were all passed out.  that was when I remembered that I'd had Elizabeth skip a nap.  it's not often that I have her skip a nap, but I'm always shocked at how well she does without one.

and, it's only 11:30 so I'll even get myself to sleep before midnight.  success!

tomorrow is all planned out with speech therapy and maybe Kelsey coming over for me to watch Blake and then hopefully taking all the kids to the library after we get Abigail from school and then doing dinner and bedtime and then honey will be home before I know it!

thank goodness for such a great Sunday.  I really couldn't imagine it being any more perfect than what it was. y'know... except for maybe actually being on time for church but we'll let that slide.