Not even in the running for...

Mother of the Year...
As I sat and looked at my children in church today; the 1 year old with no shoes.

The 7 year old with an un-ironed shirt and hair sticking up in the back and the front, not to mention the permanent marker line on his shoes that his (cheap) Dad "polished" his shoes with a couple of weeks ago that has now turned a bluish-purple instead of black.

The 4 year old with a hair style (kindly done by her older sister), but when Mom and Dad are yelling, "Get in the car!" what are they to do? Leave with a crooked part and a less than desirable finished style that mom doesn't notice until TOO LATE! To go right along with her hairstyle, were pen lines on her neck and around her lips that had been placed there the evening before.

The 10 year old wearing a jacket that was supposed to be lint-brushed before wearing to church, and nylons with a run in them from knee to toe, who 10 minutes into the first meeting, turns to me and says, "I have a talk in Primary today."

So, as I am about to leave the church building after the three hours of church are over, I pause to chat with a friend to vent a frustration (not even included above!) that built up while at church. I was just about to exit the building when a well meaning couple came to inform me that my one year old was running around alone outside! Hey his 4 year old sister was somewhat close by, and the 7 year old was patiently waiting in the (running) car (that he himself started!)

I simply turned to this sweet couple and politely informed them, "I take great comfort that I will never achieve the Mother of the Year award. It would cause me far too much stress deciding on what to wear for the ceremony."



P.S. Reminder to the clown's parents: Please glance in their general direction at least once before walking out the door to church. Oh and don't forget to hang the slip of paper on the fridge that tells a child's assignment in Primary the next week. Oh-and it might also help to know the whereabouts of the one year old!