We've started attending a little tiny church closer to our home. They meet in a community center and have been very nice and welcoming to us. Twice now Kenzie has led the interactive reading, today being her second time. I love the opportunity for her to speak in front of a group, and she loves all the praise she gets. She led the processional, lit the candle, and proudly stood at the front, letting her little voice project through the whole room. At the break people are so nice to her, asking if it's really possible that she's just in kindergarten. She beams, blushes, and asks if she can read next week too. Dave, the pastor, had to explain to her that a few other kids might like the chance too, but she monitors the schedule to make sure she's not being overlooked.

Mason loves the fact that there are hardwood floors that amplify his steps, particularly when everyone else is silent. He's so noisy and he thinks it's so funny to make me give him that "look" - the one where I start with "please hush, please, please...just be quiet" and then escalate to "wait until we're far enough away that these people can't hear you scream." He's not deterred, stomp, stomp, stomping to hear the thuds echo throughout the service.

So, we're sitting there, he settles down, then decides he needs to use the restroom. Without asking, he bolts right in front of Dave because the men's room, awkwardly, is at the beginning of the hall...at the FRONT OF THE CHURCH. I could see it all unfold from where I was sitting. "It's okay, I told myself," trying to not make more of a scene, and hoping it would end quickly. Who would have thought he would forget to close the bathroom door?!? And, boy, he must have had a lot of juice for breakfast because the sounds reverberated as much as his footsteps had a few seconds earlier. Dave was kind enough to pretend that we didn't all hear the tinkle, tinkle, but, oddly enough, this time Mason did remember to flush and that was much more difficult to ignore. At that point I put my hands over my face and doubled-over onto my own lap.