It just doesn’t feel like Sunday. Bill left early this morning to fly to Alaska for the week – his last TDY trip with this job – and we went to Mass yesterday afternoon.
Usually around this time most Sunday mornings, I’m telling Fritz to comb his hair, yelling at Billy for still being in his pajamas, wondering how long Jenny will keep the pony-tail in her hair, cursing myself for not braiding Katie’s hair last night before bed as I struggle to remove the knots, asking Bill to find Petey’s shoes (I think I saw them in the laundry room…??), yelling at Billy again for not getting dressed, sending Fritz to help Jenny find her sandals, debating Cheerios or no Cheerios for Pete, book or no book for Pete, matchbox car or no matchbox car for Pete, getting the check and some quarters for the kids, shouting “Saddle Up!” which everyone understands to mean “Get in the car and buckle up NOW!”, and running upstairs to maybe put some lip gloss on while Bill buckles the younger ones up.
Instead, I’m typing at the computer, ignoring the announcement that Pete is stinky, and well aware that none of my kids are out of their PJs yet and only half have been fed. I even took a 20 minute nap after my shower while waiting for Pete to get up. If I didn’t just have to put two of them in separate time-outs for “accidentally” kicking someone twice in the span of ninety seconds (both the kicker and the kickee are being punished – why would you put your face in the vicinity of someone’s foot after that individual just kicked you in the back?), I might be convinced that Saturday evening Mass was the way to go all the time.
But then again, probably not. Despite the chaos of getting out the door, I really prefer to begin my Sunday mornings with Mass. Otherwise, it just seems like another ordinary day.
Reit This Way 
Heehee, as I was reading this one, Mari tooted in Butch’s face and he asked her, “Mari, did you pooper?” and she shook her head “no” now he’s looking at me because I’m closer to the diapers. We aren’t frantically getting ready for church because we are the diseased family. We still have one more puking and one who hasn’t started yet and I don’t want to take any chances. It’s gonna be a loooooong Sunday!
I agree. Lazy mornings are nice, but every time we go to Saturday night Mass–we feel like something is missing on Sunday.
Far be it from me, as a rule to advocate Saturday mass…but if Sunday mornings are so frantic perhaps it’s the way to go to celebrate ‘the Lord’s Day’.
We used to go to Saturday night Mass, but since Penelope has joined us, and she is quite cranky in the evenings, and generally sleepy in the mornings, we’ve switched to Sunday instead. And I agree: it does make Sunday feel more like Sunday. And it goes well as long I take a moment to plan breakfast the night before. The planning means I’m not in a rush, and the breakfast means I’m not trying to keep a bunch of cranky, hungry kids from misbehaving for an hour. We’re done well before the not-very-stringent one hour window, but I often wait myself, when I feel I’m able. (Sometimes, a pregnant or nursing mom just can’t and shouldn’t hold out!) And all this is to say that whether we go on Saturdays or Sundays, it’s almost has to be somewhat hectic. We’re dealing with children here. Lots of them. And even the best behaved children are still children, and they forget where they put their shoes, or conveniently “lose” the portion of their allowance that was meant for the collection, or forget to brush their hair, or SOMETHING. There’s always something. And I think that’s perfectly all right. Jesus was a kid once, too.
Yes, all I heard all through yesterday’s Mass was “Mommy, I want to go home” loudly from the youngest two. Jenny altered her tune after about 30 minutes to “Mommy, I’m hungry.” And it was still: where are your shoes, no you may not wear that shirt, get your belt, comb your hair. We do what we can to get ready the night before and feed them as soon as they get up, but they still remain children with their own (often contrary) agenda, their own moods, and their own especial knack for misplacing objects they had in their hands mere moments before.
I couldn’t agree more. Steve had to help someone move all day today so we went to Mass last night as well. Today has felt just as exhausting and busy as any other day of the week- hardly “The Lords Day” that it should feel like.
Felt the same way today, Michelle, as we had to go to Sat evening mass to celebrate my (new) godson’s baptism!Wonderful celebration, but hectic getting there, and today?Very ordinary.😦
This is why I love your blog so much–your family sounds so much like mine! The account of getting ready for church on Sunday is EXACTLY how it occurs in this house. Incidentally, your description of what goes on around you as you attempt to blog sounds eerily familar as well.BTW, your wonderful rants are the other reason your blog is one of my favorites. In case you were wondering…:-)