Here’s an excerpt of my guest post on Don’t Mess with Mama. Read more after the jump!
It’s a typical Sunday morning and my family awaits for Mass to start. We’re sitting in a pew with my two girls flanking my husband and me to prevent them from “causing problems.” The little one tries her best to squeeze behind us to touch (ahem—annoy) her sister. I sit back and squish her arm against the seat to stop her tiny arm from reaching its destination.
I give her a stern look and whisper, “No donut…”
“But I want a donut!”
“You won’t get one if you keep it up.”
She sits back, crosses her arms and pouts. Oh, she is cute when she pouts—especially with her chubby cheeks and big, kewpie-like, brown eyes. But that won’t break me… I will not give in. No donuts if the kids don’t behave. They will sit through Mass and listen to God’s message, darn it!
The music starts, we stand and the girls are at it. I’m singing my heart out since it’s the most prayer I’ll get in before Mass starts and I’m interrupted by:
“She’s getting too close!”
“Stop touching my book!”
“Hey that’s my paper!”
“Aaaaah!!!”
“Dangling the donut” doesn’t seem to be doing the job. I concede, hang my head, and think, “Why do I have to referee with donuts?” Then the priest finally says the words I was waiting for, “At this time I would like to invite the children ages four to twelve to hear the liturgy in words that would be more meaningful to them.” We quickly send the kids up, the priest briefs them about what they’re going to hear in the readings and a leader takes them away to another room. We are at peace and relieved. The truth is, my husband and I get more out of church when we don’t have to constantly keep the kids away from each other. And the kids understand more when a Bible story is taught at “their level.” However, no donut today. Bummer—I was really looking forward to that glazed old-fashioned.