Chaos and Litany...

“Back from Wallyworld- the mall of Vivian- with my sis-in-law, Courtney Reger!  Stopped by the Family Dollar afterwards just to make the day special and to build my confidence! You only have to brush the teeth you want to keep people- and just a suggestion- the ones in front would be worth keeping... only if I were you and again only a suggestion... And shorts that make it past the first few love rolls on your legs would be appreciated as well... but again... only a suggestion...What an experience!”

This was my recent facebook post...I just keep thinking that society will change and grow and get better. It has to, right? …Maybe it is me that needs changing. I think back now of the SMILE on my face the entire time I was shopping! I never would have remembered that trip without others being "different". So maybe it is time I enjoy society in the fashion of today.

My children dressed up this morning for Easter Sunday at church. They looked like little princesses, and of course, none of my mommy bias translated into that statement! We go to Easter services with my father-in-law each year, sort of as a "gift" to him. This year he didn't even sit with us. I don't blame him. They were little monsters at church with their cousins. Our two families, my brother-in-law's and mine, sat together in the balcony of the tiny little Catholic Church. We filled it with our seven rugrats. The children had colors and color sheets to entertain them. Of course, they preferred to rip the sheets out of the books and drop crayons one at a time on the floor during the quietest of prayers. The baby chose to squeal.  Brynn told a loud story to his cousins that couldn't wait. Three of them tried to fall over the balcony as Frankie and Gorden loudly moved out of their chairs to grab dresses and dress pants just in time. One of them needed to "show Dadda something" and tried to go downstairs a few times during the service without asking and refusing each new reprimand in due fashion, again, all during the quiet parts. I had two in my lap, each "sharing" with the other by only taking one leg each, one of which braided and tugged and fashioned my hair the entire service the other kissing my face and giggling loudly at the sound it made. One cried because she wasn't there in time to get a knee, and I was out of room and hair. The baby finally spilled the entire crayon bucket and then picked each one up and loudly dropped them back into the bucket one at a time. None of the other rugrats ever "found" a seat (meaning ever stayed in one). Frankie issued a few gruff warnings and Gorden echoed in turn. One went through the contents of my purse all while I was trying to reach around the two in my lap to keep her from it each time she would pull out something new.  And half of them went barefoot down the aisle for the Lord’s Supper all the while stopping to hug and loudly greet everyone on each aisle they passed that they knew.  All of this culminating with my oldest saying, "Boy am I glad we were catholic this morning, because their service is way shorter." Only to be echoed by my own thoughts, "Yep, if you only knew!" Even through my embarrassment and exhaustion my thoughts continued to turn to the one person that would have LOVED this chaos.  Three years ago Ann Reger sat up in that balcony with us.  Proudly.  She picked up babies and SMILED the BIGGEST SMILE when our rugrats were the WORST in church.  She went as far as to take PICTURES of these terrible, embarrassing moments- DURING CHURCH mind you, just to have them printed and smile and laugh again over them later.  “Look at my babies!” She would exclaim.  “Remember when they did such and such during church… Oh, my…HAHAHAHA!”  A few months later she was gone.  I can see that smile now and am continuing to live her “Oh, my’s”.  What I wouldn’t give to have had her smiling with us in the chaos this morning, loving her babies through all of their chaotic moments and sharing her own knees and long hair.  This made me remember my posting from yesterday and made me stop to think that in church my family is the “different” family.  (No quiet Gerber babies in this bunch of rugrats, no way!)  Maybe I should do more smiling at the moments that I am blessed with being surrounded by my rugrats and nieces and nephews…. And do more loving at each opportunity no matter the chaos.  Praise the Lord for the Hope of Easter that the only thing in the graveyard etched in Reger is a stone and some flowers for Ann looking down.  For she got a huge laugh and a big smile over her rugrats in church service today!