Am I being graded on this???

Apparently I am, whether I know it or not. And I got both a positive and a negative review all in one day yesterday.

During church, my six year old acolyte made all kinds of interesting faces at the congregation and spilled the candle oil all over himself. My four year old read Dora books, pushed her baby brother down, and dropped the thingies you kneel on-loudly. (yes, I know there's a name for those thingies, and no, I don't know it.) The baby decided to try to dismantle the gate at the altar, and when that proved too difficult, tried to take apart the heater along the sides of the church. This, believe it or not, was a very good morning in church for us, as Daddy was working and could not help. However, I did not harbor any delusions that this was good behavior. Someone seemed to, though. A sweet little old lady that I don't think I've ever seen before walked up to me after the service, looked at me very hard for a moment, and just when I was good and terrified of what she was going to say about my rowdy bunch, said simply, "You're a good mother.", and walked away. Wow.

Well, apparently the Lord didn't want that to go to my head, as I got my reality check from my Opa the same evening. My six year old was being especially defiant, while at the same time demanding that I take him to a Christmas pageant. The only discipline that seems to get through to him is the threat (or action) of throwing a toy in the trash. So, I made the threat, and then had to carry it through when he tried to call my bluff. Opa overheard all of this, of course, and commented, "Boy, you sound just like your mother!" This is just what every woman wants to hear from the grandfather she adores, about the mother who barely admits she exists, isn't it? It doesn't help that Opa was right. Aaaack!