EXHIBIT #1: The announced ward Christmas party was to begin at 7:30 pm so it was already going to be late for our crew. Caroline was a super crankster. While Candace had her most of the night, I took her for a little bit to give her a spell. Caroline, of course, didn't like that and just cried the whole time. A lady in the ward saw me holding the crying baby and opened her arms. Caroline, of course, dove for her. I thought, "that was nice" until the lady took Caroline right over to the dessert table, picked up a brownie, gave it Caroline, and then brought Caroline back and handed her to me. !?!?!?!??!?!?!
EXHIBIT #2: At the ward party, there were tons of kids running around the place. All of the sudden, we heard Sam's shrill cry (the hurt cry) from the middle of a mess of kids. Candace and I rushed over and took him to another room to see what happened. Sam was in Candace's arms and we were trying to talk to him and had at least three other people come into the room and tell us what to ask, where to look, and how to console him.
EXHIBIT #3: Nursery. Caroline is still getting used to the idea of being left for two hours at church and still fusses when we drop her off. I usually reassure the nursery leaders that she will likely cry for a few minutes and then forget all about it. While I was dropping her off, she started to fuss, and I was getting ready to just leave her (as I had discussed with the nursery leader) when the nursery leader pulls out this huge sucker and gave it to her. She, of course, calmed down immediately.
I must caveat the above comments that I have been in a bad mood today, but those stuck out as things as a parent that I'm not sure happen in the culture I was brought up in. Maybe I just look back and wish that I got a sucker or brownie every time I started to cry. I think I just got ripped off.
Sam, on there other hand, cheered us up after church. We had our tithing settlement and the bishop was talking about tithing, why we pay, where the money goes, etc. After the bishop's second question directed at Sam, Sam looked right at him and said, "I want to talk about something else." And that was that.
Life continues to be busy and we are looking forward to some Christmas visitors who arrive at the end of the week. Should be a blast.
