Flyin' solo - My Sunday Best - 01

There's nothing like a good link up, amirite? This is one that I've watched from afar but hesitated to participate in because even though I understand its purpose (to encourage each other and build community around "getting thyself to Mass") - there were so many other reasons for me to not participate. Number 1 mainly being I have little fashion sense and number 2 being I have at most 3 outfits that I cycle through. Oh, and the whole awkward selfie thing.

But then I read this post from Alicia, and after reading it, I turned to my husband and said, "If I ever were to participate in a My Sunday Best linkup, this would be the only reason why." In it she says that she "participate[s] in My Sunday Best so other moms online can feel less badly about how their kids are behaving at Mass.  So they can see that other people only have a handful of Mass clothes that work– and it’s okay." The important part is that we're there and "Just like the invisible benefit of eating broccoli, going to Mass helps us in ways we can’t immediately see.  It gives me the grace to be a better mom and wife.  It gives the kids graces too.  Even if none of us completely heard the whole homily."

So count me in as part of the bloggers who won't be sharing fashion tips, but (may) regale you with tales of their children's antics!

Relaxing after mass - me in my outfit and the wee girl in her pj's - cause that's how we roll

Black cardigan - older than dirt - got it at Target
Red top - Do you like it? I love it. I got it at Ross
Jeans - Silver jeans co.
St Theresa of Calcutta medal - our wonderful Deacon John

This Sunday my husband was on a business trip, so I brought my littles all by my little self. But not before anxiously texting a friend: "I'm flying solo today. Can we sit next to you?"

Alas. She didn't get the message in time.

So we sat in the back next to some other friends of ours - even though they were sitting in the chairs in the back. Our family has a rule that we do not sit in these seats (anymore). These are the overflow seats and they're not bolted down - so hopefully it should be clear why I avoid them with my 4 year old and my 2 year old - even when Dad is there to help wrangle.  But I figured having 2 extra people around to keep the kids from getting out of line would make up for the moveableness of the chairs.

Only barely.

Things started out well - even though both children immediately pushed the chairs around so they could sit on the floor in-between chairs while nibbling on their Cheerios. The wee girl was remarkably self-contained and grabbed her coloring pages and crayons and kept to herself for more than half the Mass, leaving me to keep the little dude in line. But just like every week, things started falling apart after the homily: little fights for each other's cheerios, toys or water, trying to wander off, not staying in line when walking up for the Eucharist, then not returning to our seats afterwards (instead deciding to run to the doors and LICK the windows on them. Blergh!) Then when we finally got back to our seats, the little dude told his "big isser" that they should play "Hide Seek" and he started to count LOUDLY to ten... over and over again and he just wouldn't stop. Our saving grace was that a sweet baby behind us was also getting rowdy - and being a baby - was far more cute about it.

But then it was (finally) done and the children (and their mother) were finally free! (It does make me wonder if that's why we really say "Thanks be to God" at the end... ok, just kidding!)

But here we are done! (Thanks be.) Do feel free to click on over to Rosie for more.