Stupidly Brave or Faithful: Attending Stake Conference Alone

This post doesn't have any pictures, but today is a day worth mentioning. It was our stake conference Sunday and Jared had to work so that left me to go with the kids alone. Lately, wherever I go alone with the kids the word "brave" usually comes out of people's mouths to describe me to my face. Now I've been replacing that word with "crazy" or "stupid" or whatever fits along those lines. Especially Friday at the park when while I was nursing Lucas, in public, Taylor helped Ashton up way too high on a climbing web and over he went and fell on his head. I was helpless. I tried to comfort him while keep some semblance of modesty as I continued nursing. He then proceeded to go take Doritos from a woman's bag not far away. He would take a bite or drop it on the ground then go give it to her and she would eat it not having paid any attention to what he was doing. As soon as Lucas was done nursing I put a stop to that. Of course, I left there with Ashton screaming because everywhere we go--the video store, Devin's preschool--it always results in me dragging him out with him screaming. Anyways, back to the brave comment. I wasn't feeling very brave today as I dressed them for church, packed their church bags brimming with snacks and books, fed them, and found matching socks and shoes for all. While driving there I was mulling over that word in my head not feeling very brave when I felt the impression to replace it with "faithful". I felt much better about being faithful than stupidly brave. I reminded myself of this new adjective when Ashton attempted to throw his water bottle (yes, I thought of everything; they all had their own water bottle. I just needed a port-a-potty and I would have been set) over the wall of the balcony in the high school auditorium our stake had rented. Thank goodness for Plexiglas! or when Devin returned from the bathroom without Taylor and announced to the whole balcony that he was going poopy so he would be awhile. I should mention I wasn't completely alone; a nice, unsuspecting newly married couple in our ward volunteered to sit with me and helped immensely. They may never have children of their own after today though. I should market my children as an effective contraceptive or at least a hindrance to procreation. All in all, they did very well and I feel very "faithful" for having attempted and survived the outing.