Cookies and Crayons

Do you ever have to bribe your children to be civilized for church? My bribe today was cookies. I brought some Oreos and some chocolate chip cookies (along with Jelly Bellies and fruit snacks-Nothing like a little sugar to CALM? the Kiddies-What was I thinking???). The Oreos were for Trace and MacKelle because, well, if Mason eats an oreo he ends up looking like he's been playing in the mud. He somehow found the bag with the oreos in it and just HAD to have some (probably because he wasn't supposed to). When we realized what had happened it was too late. We did a switch-a-roo with the Jelly Bellies and cleaned him up as best as we could.

Meanwhile. . . . MacKelle had been coloring and SOMEHOW the entire box of crayons was dumped out through the crack in the seat of the pew. I've been to other wards that don't have the dreaded crack. It is about an inch gap between the seat and the backrest of the bench. I'm sure it keeps the seats cleaner, but is a pain when you have kids with little toys and snacks that fall through it.

Back to Mason. . . He finds the bag of oreos again and figured out how to open it, in the process, flinging one under the bench to the row behind us. Next thing I see is his foot disappear under our seat. He crawled back to the cookie and was making MORE slobbery chocolaty mess. . . .All the while Trace is telling me he wants to go home and that he and MacKelle are thirsty and Mase is playing peek-a-boo with the poor family that will I'm sure never sit behind us again after the crayons and the cookies. Did I mention that it is ward conference? Justin said we must look like investigators who's kids had never been to church before.

I love church. . . It keeps life exciting. But I'll try a different bribe next time.