Sundays are Hard: Part 1

Sundays are hard! Can I get an amen!?

They used to be hard in a “can I squeeze a nap in between eating lunch with my friends after church and small group” kind of way. Now they are hard in a “how many times will my toddler cry or yell out before we take him to the nursery before communion” kind of way.

Oh, how life with a child has changed me! (And for the record, I would not go back for anything.)

After a particularly challenging Sunday, I went to God and Pinterest.

Pinterest, the never-ending black hole that it is, seemed to have a lot to offer; however, many came up lacking.

Until…I found this...

http://www.blueistyleblog.com/2013/11/RestaurantKitDiningOutWithKids.html

This woman tells of eating out regularly {and successfully!} with her 1 year old and 2 year old. We don’t eat out on a regular basis (unless it’s Chick-fil-A or Rosa’s), but this gem crossed barriers by becoming relevant in many different settings. Her genius included a toiletry bag, quiet toys, and interactive projects. I have since immolated her genius and, though Sundays are still challenging, I now feel prepared.

This is how I’ve done it: Instead of buying a toiletry bag (it was not in the budget), I re-purposed a Thirty-One zipper bag that previously held 30 trillion matchbox cars. It is now stocked with blank pieces of construction paper, crayons, stickers, a magnet book, Winnie the Pooh lace up pages, and the peg game from Cracker Barrel.

The key is that I only get this bag out at church and when we occasionally go to a sit down restaurant. {This allows it to keep it’s novelty status.} Luke now gets so excited when he sees the bag because everything in it is special and interactive. I have been so impressed with how long he can focus on the activities {stickers will keep his focus for 5-10 minutes!} and everything is relatively quiet.

I found this magnet book at Dittos for Kiddos last year. It is brilliant! It kept Luke occupied for at least 10 minutes in church this past Sunday. If you see one like it, snatch it up so fast!

This activity bag has been so invaluable to us; however, we still have quite the busy body on Sunday mornings {let's be real...we have a busy body all the time}. The next 2 weeks I am going to share 1 other Pinterest blog that has been so helpful as well as share God's truth that a wise friend spoke into my life.

Photos courtesy of: Wix.com and Yours Truly