A Day of Rest?

Church has been pretty standard lately. My kids are generally good and nothing too weird has happened lately.

But today was far from normal.

First of all, we get to church and I am more than a little surprised to see that Spencer is the first speaker for Sacrament Meeting. What the what?!

My heart skips a beat and I get a little nervous. Because I didn't know anything about this. What if he didn't write his talk?

I look over at him - he's sitting with the other deacons, getting ready to pass the sacrament - and say "Did you know that you're speaking today?" To which he replies "Yep. I have a talk."

I'm still nervous. Because any time you have a child get up and speak in public you never really know what they're gonna say, which is a little scary.

Then I think about leaving the house this morning and how I made him go back inside to comb his hair because it looked awful, and how he rolled his eyes at me as if to say "Mom, who even cares about my hair? I sure don't." And I'm glad I wasn't lazy and made him comb his hair. Sheesh.

So he gets up there and gives his talk and it's really good! And Lance tells me that he wrote it all himself. Proud mom moment!

And then Cole decides he's gonna have one of those days at church. You know, one of those days where he can't be bothered to behave. At all.

I kid you not, there wasn't a 5 minute window during that entire meeting when I wasn't having to get after him for something. He could NOT sit still, could NOT leave his sister alone, could NOT understand why I kept telling him that laying on the pew/putting his feet up on the pew/cackling loudly at Bennett's (a 2 year old behind us) "singing" was not reverent.

I was never so happy for Primary to start!

Only it didn't end there! He was obnoxious enough during opening exercises that I had to call him out from behind the piano - and use his full name and my mean mom voice. I mean, it's bad enough that he's misbehaving at all during Primary, but even worse that I'm there and he STILL DOES IT. He's a really bright child, but obviously not bright enough.

He leaves for his class and I silently pray that he behaves for his teachers, 2 of the nicest, most mild mannered women in the ward.

Then his class comes back for Senior Primary. And he begins again. Making obnoxious comments - LOUDLY - and not holding still. We sing songs and I can perfectly hear him singing "BLAH BLAH BLAH" instead of the words. In tune, but still.

The final straw was while I was playing the piano and out of the corner of my eye I can see his scriptures being tossed into the air and caught. On beat, BUT STILL.

After the song I move a chair right next to my bench and force him to sit by me for the rest of singing time. He throws caution to the wind, not knowing he's finally crossed the line, by pressing random piano keys while I play the next song, despite my whispered and very threatening "STOP. IT".

After that he loses computer privileges for the the day. This is more than he can bear. Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. I tell him he can earn them back if he behaves. He gets angry and huffy and starts talking back. I tell him he can lose tomorrow, too, if he keeps this up, but if he can make it through the rest of church without being naughty he can earn his privileges back.

He finally concedes defeat. He knows I mean business. He behaves.

Once church is finally over I let him know that he was able to earn his privileges back for today - BUT - if he acts like this at church again he will lose them for several days and have no hope of earning them back. He scowls and growls an "Okay".

I will be in Dad and Susie's ward again next Sunday. Let's just hope I won't have to discipline anyone while there. (Kyle, that mean's you're going to have to behave!)