Suffice it to say, Claire was a PILL the whole day! She didn't nap (as usual), but this day she really needed to. When we got to the Care Center to do the Christmas Program, she cried pretty much the entire time. So when she refused to be an angel for the Nativity, I had had enough, and stuck her in the car. She was fine, I promise.
Sof, on the other hand, was mostly cooperative (other than making me have a solo during her musical number), she was so excited to be Mary! Bless her. Kids ... #amiright?
Really, all Claire needed was food, so when we got to the church after the program, and she found some food (mainly apple sauce and root beer), she calmed right down. Hanger is a real thing people! and unfortunately, she gets it from her mama.
Mark and Kathy never disappoint in their family activities, and this year was a contest to see who could make the best snowman.
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| I'm pretty sure it was a tie. Every one was uniquely hilarious! |
I don't have any pictures of actually riding the bus, but the girls were so excited to ride it. Cute Sof started out on her cousins laps but quickly returned to sit with Greg and I and she was enamored by the lights of Salt Lake while going up the hill from Beck Street towards the Capitol, to drop down towards the temple. Sometimes, it is fun to see things through a child's eyes. Claire was trying to walk her way down the aisle of the bus while it was stopping ... that girlfriend has no fear.
It was a REALLY cold night, and I didn't pack as warm as I should have for the girls, so by the time we walked back to the temple, Sof was freezing in the stroller and Claire was starting to lose it. Then, when we get to the corner and stand there waiting for the bus to come (which never did) and Claire was wailing, I lost it. I kicked a freezing Sof out of the stroller, stuck Claire in, and went for a walk around the conference center to try and get my temper under control. Turns out before I even got to my first corner, Claire was asleep in the stroller. She was exhausted.
By the time I got back to Greg, he told me that the bus was nowhere to be found, and everyone was ordering an Uber to get back to the church parking lot in Farmington. We ordered a Lyft and quickly found our driver and climbed in. Claire slept in my arms, without even waking up, and we climbed into the little civic with two kids and no carseats. Oh well. All Sof wanted was to munch on a cookie, and when she got her cookie, she was as content as she could be. As I observed her, happily munching on her cookie, completely oblivious to the hightened emotions around her, I had this thought, that this is why Christ tells us to become as little children, in order to enter his kingdom. Sofi held no hard feelings towards the missing bus, she held no animosity towards her screaming sister, she had no anger towards me for not packing warm enough clothing for her, all she needed was her cookie, and she was as happy as could be. It was a good lesson for me to try to control my anger, and work on patience when it comes to my sometimes uncontrollable children. Oftentimes, Sofi's calm demeanor is exactly what I need to give myself a reality check. I believe it is a gift she has, and it is a reason so many people love her.
When we got to the car, Claire continued to sleep uninterrupted in my arms and slept that night peacefully in her clothes. She woke up as happy as could be, and it was a fun Sunday. Now that the Christmas Bus is behind us, I can smile and say it was a fun experience, but holy cow! The terrible two's have hit hard, and sometimes it's hard to not let Claire's innocent outbursts get to me. It's a work in progress, for sure.
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| Sofi's sweet Sunbeam teachers would text out a picture of our cute kids when they did their fun activities. Sofi came to LOVE these sweet sisters who taught her each week, and I am so glad she developed a love for Primary from their attentive teaching. Here she is in her class reenacting the Nativity. She made a beautiful Angel. |
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