Awful Mother

If you do not behave correctly during service then you will not go to Crosswalk!

Some of you will laugh like this by the end of this post

That has been our rule for sometime now. Behaving during Sunday church service includes standing when you are supposed to, not laying across the pew, no talking, no whining, and keeping your shoes on. This rule is for Shelby and JAG (just kidding).

Crosswalk is children’s church. All of the children get to leave early in the service, normally on Sundays when we have communion, and go to another room. They sing, play games and do crafts. I am a firm believer that if you can not sit through twenty minutes of service then you do not need to go to Crosswalk.

Shelby has purposely re-arranged her schedule with Gweedo so that she can make it to every Crosswalk-it’s a big deal to her. Lately, Shelby’s attitude has been a big deal to her mother. Her attitude is the topic of many many conversations in my house.

Yesterday was no different than any before, Shelby was overflowing with attitude-and not the good kind. Sassy, talking back, not listening to a thing attitude-this is where her grandmothers say, “Oh not Shelby, she is such a sweet girl.” We didn’t even get to the first song before I moved her to sit by JAG-she wasn’t going to make to Crosswalk if she sat by me. He is more understanding-he is a pastor’s son and understands the need to squirm in a pew.

Even though I shot them a few good looks, the two of them talked through announcements. Then, Shelby leaned over and said “I am not going to Crosswalk today.” My first thought- What? You have to be kidding me! She has to be misbehaving if JAG is saying she isn’t going to Crosswalk. Normally he can calm the situation and everything works out. So at this point I am pissed-excuse my language. I am sitting there running through boarding schools in my head between asking myself “Where have I gone wrong with this child, why can’t she behave?”

She moves to sit by me again during the next song. She is moving, fidgety and radiating attitude. As offering starts I lean over and say “get up we are going outside.” As we proceed down the hall to the bathroom she asks over and over “what did I do wrong.” My response, “You know exactly what you did Shelby and now you aren’t going to Crosswalk, so stop crying you did this to yourself.” As we stand in the bathroom, face to face, me angry and her confused she says with tears in her eyes, “But mom there isn’t Crosswalk today.” What? Here I thought she told me she wasn’t going because she got herself in trouble, but really her tears were about there being no Crosswalk at all. This is the exact moment where I just knew I had earned my awful mom of the year award.

I said, “Oh Shelby why didn’t you tell me? I thought you got in trouble.” She did tell me…I just didn’t understand-I thought the worse. We exchange big hugs and mommy gave her a lot of kisses, found some Kleenex and headed back into church. Where I gave JAG and elbow and said “Why didn’t you tell me that she wasn’t in trouble?” His response, “I said I had it handled-you don’t listen.” Awful future wife award too.