Sugar Babies: Christmas Eve- Not So Silent Night

After a fun but long day the kids' behavior left no doubt that a nap was necessary before church. We intended to attend the "children's service", but we got home a little later than desired and felt hesitant about waking the kids since since they had only actually slept about 30 minutes.

We tried to follow our original plan, but after I carried Norah into the living room, she remained asleep on the floor as I tried to get her clothes together. Heather and I looked at each other, then made the right choice and carried Norah back to her bed to continue her nap.

Eventually we ended up eating a bunch of fat-free, low calorie, diet friendly Christmas Eve food. Wait, no, that's not right. We stuffed our faces with an overabundance of tasty food, but still managed to only dent the 18 pounds supply of candied sweet potatoes (not exaggerated). We opened our traditional Christmas Eve presents and then headed to church.

Rejuvenated by their naps, Norah and Justin were very animated when we arrived at church for the 9:30 service. Their antics contrasted strongly with the peaceful surroundings as everyone filed quietly and respectfully into the sanctuary. I decided to take them for a short walk to the balcony to burn off some energy and make some noise while they could still do so.

As songs began, it was immediately obvious that no amount of preemptive wandering would sufficiently deplete their energy stores and we were in for a struggle while those around us were in for a show. Some found it amusing, some didn't.

Both kids climbed up and down the pew like monkeys, scribbling on bulletins with eternally dull pencils. Somebody bumped our unlit candle and it rolled under the pew in front of us. Justin eagerly retrieved it per my request, then I realized I accidentally sanctioned further under-pew exploration.

Justin began happily squirming around under the pew and was well on his way to a full scale church expedition when I caught hold of his foot and hauled him unhappily back. With the sanctuary nearly silent for the sermon he then wandered along our pew again, trying to stay awake with his head bobbing up and down to his voice as he not loudly but quite audibly said "Quack, Quack, Quackety-Quack."

We shushed him, but he refused to relent, so I blushed, picked him up, and set out for the soundproof cry room. I was nearly to the back when I heard Norah cry "Daddy wait!" as she scrambled into the aisle and ran to catch up with her static filled hair bouncing crazily about her head.

We spent the remainder of the service in the bathroom or the cry room where I heard very little of the service despite the speaker volume set to 70%. Eventually a mother brought in her soundly sleeping infant, which immediately drew Norah and Justin's full attention.

They brought several toys to offer the baby, and asked several questions of the mother. Justin sincerely told her our dog May was in heaven with God, then picked up a toy snake, and hissing loudly, chased Norah for several laps around the room until the chase ended abruptly in a melee on the couch with both accusing the other of fighting unfairly. We concluded the service with a candlelight ceremony during which Norah and Justin both carefully helped us hold a candle aloft.

After service ended we took several family pictures (some more serious than not), then headed home. We got the kids in their new jammies, took a few quick pictures, set out cookies for Santa and everybody went to bed....several times, until the threats of Christmas cancellation began to sound convincing and they stayed put for the night.