Wednesday Nights

The time of the week that I feel the most unchristlike is around 7:30 on Wednesday night at the end of the children’s program at our church.

5:00 a.m. – 4:59 p.m. Get ready for work, get kids ready for school, work, maybe eat lunch, work.

5:00 p.m. Get off of work and meet the babysitter in the parking lot. Wait 15 minutes for children’s choir to start, realizing that oldest has yet to do her homework. Children complain about sitting in the van; I secretly complain to myself about the rain that has us stuck in the van.

5:15 Drop the oldest two kids off at choir and console the youngest as I drive home.

5:30 Finish covered dish for the Wednesday night meal, trying to decided if writing my name in Sharpie on my favorite dish is really worth the hassle. Cross my fingers that my husband isn’t working late. I need backup for what is to come ahead.

5:45 Head back to church and find choir kids, who have obtained candy through their beautiful voices and spectacular singing abilities.

6:00 Try and keep my kids quiet while the pastor blesses the food and watch as my oldest bolts for the line, claiming that coveted first in line spot.

6:30 Finally manage to make it through the line, to find my children at the table eating dessert. All the desserts, every option.

6:32 Children beg to “play in the hallway.” At this point I give up and say “yes”; except to the youngest who gets swept up and taken home to meet his 7:00 p.m. bedtime. Enter, consoling the youngest again.

6:45 Choices have to be made (if I wasn’t the one who took the youngest home). Help my dear friend teach the three to four year old class or go hide in my van.

7:00 Feel guilty for bailing on friend and find myself at a loss for what to do without my sweet babies. Then I remember how they behaved during dinner and consider checking a parenting book out of the church library.

7:30 Children come out of their class, with candy. Thanks dear friend. Travel home.

7:45 Children request a second dinner, since it has been “so long” since they have eaten. Fix snacks and pray that they will be sleepy soon. (Oh look, finally a reference to religion.)

8:30 Feel miserable about yelling at the kids during an episode of MythBusters.

9:00 Middle child in bed, after three snacks, a trip to the potty, and half a gallon of water.

9:30 Oldest child in bed reading ( until midnight probably, but you know natural consequences and all).

9:35 Me asleep on the couch. No journaling, no bible reading. Nothing.