Today has been another of those "I've been thinking.." wait!  Why not just blog it?  And again, I got excited.. surely this feeling will wear off...I mean really, blogging gets me excited?...sheesh!  Oh well, it makes me feel good, so I'm going to have to be okay with that :)  So today started early.  The girls had to be at church at 8:45 to practice for their Palm Sunday program.  I, as one of the Primary Sunday School teachers had to be there then, too.  I don't understand how some of these blessed children can have so much energy on a Sunday morning.  I mean, this is the last day of my weekend kiddos, let's relax a little!!  No such luck :)  Being the Train Engine to lead my sweet ones upstairs to practice on the stage... a miracle in itself that there were no trips on the stairs, no pushes & pokes from our little friends... we made it...I was getting hot.  Arranging them on the steps in the front of the sanctuary.. another feat.  Now look at Lisa!  Louder...!  Look at me..!  Stand still....! Louder....!  Now I'm really getting hot...  a little bit of sw eat begins to build on my forehead...oh quick go sit by Parker...he's going to walk away...Oh they sang beautifully.  Their little voices raised singing "Hosanna, Hosanna, for Christ the Lord is King!"  My heart feels happy.  I watch my Natalie do the actions for the next song..a little behind but is doing them right.. happier heart.  Bethany is smiling and singing with her friends.  I'm hot, but I'm happy.  Okay, practice is over, let's do our "train" back to our rooms...stay in line, no running, sssshhh....another feat..yes it was.  Finally back to our room...let's make a crown!  Natalie has to go potty...aaah, okay, off to the bathroom...it takes forever!!  As she's sitting on the potty, she says "Mom, you still out there?"  I say, "Yep".. she says "Okay"...that's it, nothing else...I guess it means that I matter...It made HER happy. Back to our room... let's work on our crowns... 10 second break to grab a swig of coffee....aaaah, oh the kids need help stapling their crowns together... back to it.... okay let's finish up our crowns, it's time to head upstairs again ... this time with our Palm Branches.  One more time, we do our train.... I carry the long stemmed palm branches carefully at the front of the train.  At the top of the steps, we stop.. we wait, we wait for the right time...here it comes! .. okay, hand everyone their Palm branches.... ready, everyone have one?  okay, let's go... shyly, timidly they each come forward with their Palm Branches and begin their walk down the aisle.  4 of them are heading down, next, Jaiden.  Doesn't want to carry her palm branch...I grab it for her.  Next thing I know, her little hand is in mine and she is pulling me down the aisle...with her palm branch... okay, I walk up with her...I start getting the kids arranged on the steps...I start to gather their Palm branches...okay, I have them all.  Here we go kids...again, they're little voices are raised and their smiles are sweet.  All of them are singing.  Even my littlest one!  I was so proud.  All this sweat is paid off right now.  (I mean seriously I WAS sweating the whole time!).. Perfect.  They couldn't have done any better..Aaah finally a little break...the kids head down to Children in Worship.  I return Jaiden and Parker to their mom and dad...then turn and walk out... gotta get this sweat wiped off!  Okay, better get my lesson ready to go..Uuuuuh, I thought I was getting a break??  Hmmm, change of plans.. (who says I can't fly by the seat of my pants on occasion?)  I run to walmart... pick up some yellow paper cups, some easter grass and a couple bags of candy....easter baskets won't be hard!...  Oh my oh my, might as well have done the lesson...No helper .. just me in a room with 12 three & four year olds...what am I doing?  Okay, break it down, let's get this done...Okay, let's talk about Palm Sunday!!  Here's what we're going to do...instructions:  color picture, THEN do our easter baskets. they should color pretty quickly because they're excited about the aspect of candy.  "I'm done!"  2 minutes.... really?  you're done?  I think you could color this and this and that yet... "Okay".... color color color,  "Done!"... alright then, let's finish up our coloring pages...  okay, breaking out the yellow cups.  Maci always sits so sweetly and quietly... "Wanna be my helper?"... yep..good deal.  Maci and Annika pass out the cups... next comes the easter grass...stuff it in the cup...yeah, like that... oh maybe a little more, aaah okay, grass is in...next come the easter eggs!  Pass them out.. they drop into their little nests like real robin eggs.  Next are Dum Dums and 2 chocolate candies.  Can we eat some?  Of course they would ask!  Ah, yes you may have 1 or 2, but not more than that...we don't want moms mad because the kids won't eat lunch... I don't need that on my conscience!  okay, almost time to go.  I kneel between Bree and Jaiden.  Everyone join hands... time to pray our good bye prayer.  Natalie quick needs to pick up her chocolate easter eggs...we all wait... okay join hands.  Here we go.  Dear God, thank you so much for today that we got to learn about you, how you sent Jesus down from heaven to die on the cross for us.  Help us to be good listeners this week and bring us back safely together next week... *pause* .... "amen" ... favorite part of the day.  All my sweet babies joining me in saying "Amen" to close out our time together.  Love it.  Good bye for now Annika, Maci, Emily, Parker, Logan, Jaiden, Alexis, Taya, Freddy & Bree... And Natalie you come home with me... time for lunch!

Oh how I love them..