Back To Church

I got a phone call from the Bishop on Wednesday night. He had spoken to one of the other members about our car and had called to see if that was why we had not been to the chapel these past few weeks. It was so I told him so. He has agreed to help us. Initially he was going to pay for the car parts so that Mark and our neighbour could do it. Mark suggested that we pay for the parts ourself and ask the Bishop to help us with a food voucher. I mentioned this to the Bishop today and he said that was a good idea. So hopefully in the next day or two we will receive a voucher in the mail and I can then use my pay to get the kit and other things needed for the car.

We were also told that we needed to be at the Chapel this Sunday (today) whether the car was fixed or not. I talked to one of my Relief Society sisters, who I visit for visiting teaching, and she helped arrange a ride for us. So we went to Church today.

It was so good to be back there. I missed being able to chat with the sisters. Sometimes I crave more adult company. I know I have Mark at home to talk with but it's not the same as being able to talk to other women. It sure sucks not having girlfriends close by to talk with. There isn't much I can do about that for now so there is no use complaining. I know what I need to do to change it.

I did get to do my visiting teaching on Friday morning. So I did have the opportunity to chat with other women. It was nice to see the sisters. And sometimes it can be such fun as well as uplifting. I like getting to know them.

Anyway back to Church. Brodie got a calling today. He was asked if he wanted to be the Secretary for the Teachers Quorum. I knew all about it as I was asked if I thought Brodie would be interested and if I thought he would be capable of the extra responsibilities. I think it will do him some good.

I think that's good news to end the weekend. The possibility of having the car fixed by the end of the week and Brodie receiving a calling. It's all good!!!

Rememberance Day

I was surprised this morning. I asked Mark like I always do in the mornings when I get up if he is coming with us to Church or not. He said yes and was ready to leave before the boys were even ready to go. It was good to have him with us but he sure did look rather sick while the sacrament meeting was on. After that I have no idea what happened as I go to Nursery and its rather isolated in there.

Its also remembrance day too & the one minutes silence was observed during sacrament meeting. I'm glad that we did that. Its funny though as I could hear some kids games in the back of the chapel while we were all quiet.

.. .. This Weekend .. ..

I didn't do a lot this weekend. Well in my view it wasn't much. Yesterday Mark went to foodbank with our neighbour. I don't know if I have ever explained foodbank before. I don't think I have. It's run by a church in the next town from us. Basically we pay $5 each time we visit and we get groceries in return. Sometimes we get a large variety and other times we don't. It kind of balances itself out but it also depends on what is in season and what foods that the church can purchase from 'foodbank' in Melbourne.

The boys and I stayed home. In fact it was nice to be able to stay at home and not have to go out at all. I spent a lot of time doing the washing, sorting out my blogs, playing cards & doing some applique. I'm still making my Christmas presents at the moment.

Last night I was all set to watch Iron Chef. I love that show and I always look forward to watching it. But it wasn't on :-( I know it isn't made any more but it was entertaining and definitely had some weird food being cooked. It's not on for the next few weeks so I guess it will be movie (well dvd) night for a while.

I was a good girl yesterday also and planned my Nursery lesson for this week, it's prepared in the book but I simplify it for the little ones. It was kind of appropriate I think for me and the boys, well Mark too. It was on Family Prayer (LDS.org) and praying as a family. The lesson went really well today too which is always a bonus. The kids are just too cute!

I;m going to have to get off this thing. I knew I shouldn't have started this post when the boys were still up. I need to go and bang their heads together to stop them from fighting. Either that or throw a bucket of cold water over them!! The Rats!!!!!

Yesterday's Blues

What I day I had yesterday. It sure was one of those kinds where you wish you NEVER got out of bed!!! My day started okay though so I guess that was a small blessing. We had 8 children in Nursery this week. We've been used to having around 4 - 5 so having 8 was super busy! There were two escape artists in the group so we had to keep an extra close watch over them!! They were all still as cute as buttons though. One of the little girls was watching one of the boys he was so distressed because he Daddy left the room so she found his dummy and gave it to him! It was just too cute! The Bishop asked to see the big fella and I after the days meetings. I knew why he wanted to see him but I didn't tell him. I had been preparing him all week for the possibility of his missing out on the camp that the Young Men & Women were going on in January. The Bishop broke it very gently to the big fella explaining that it was for safety reasons that he was unable to go. I had told big fella during the week that it would be because of his lack of maturity and how he doesn't listen to the leaders plus the fact that the camp site is 6 hours from home and that if he stuffed up big time while he was there I don't think I would be really happy about driving that far to collect him!! It would also involve the whole family to come with me too because I wouldn't want to drive the 6 hours by myself! We also spoke about how he has been behaving at Church with the way he speaks to people. We tried to explain to him that he is a Child of God and he needs to treat the other people who are also God's children with respect. But he kept wanting to joke around. It really showed us that he is NOT ready for camp! However he needs to aim for a Young Men's came to be held later on or even aim higher for the next combined camp the following summer! Anyway the big fella was such a rat bag in the Bishops office. Turning around and saying I've heard enough I am leaving now!! He didn't though but it kind of started to set the tone for the rest of the day! When we got home Mark came out to meet us in the driveway (he didn't go to church). He had been cleaning up the boys room and had found a stash of things under bunk bed! Stuff from school like magazines from the library which had the bar codes ripped off, a hole punch (what on earth he needed that for I don't know as we own one!!), a couple of DVDs from the school library and a whole ream of white paper plus a few felt tip pens and Biro's. When we asked the big fella about it he got angry and shouted at both of us. It was his guilty way of attacking us I suppose you could say. He gets really defensive like that when he gets caught out. He was SO angry!! He told us he didn't steal anymore but when we said we would ask the school well he got even angrier!! We let him have a little bit of space and went to the lounge room. I thought he was okay but the little dude came running out saying the big fella says he is going to run away!! I tried to stop him but he took off anyway. I didn't know what to do! I didn't want him to think that I would run off after him every time he runs away. This was the fourth time he had done this already since we moved into town! It was like we were back in Adelaide all over again! He started running away from the age of 7!!!! Mark followed him in the car with the camera and told him that we needed a recent photo for the police in case he doesn't come home! But he went and hid behind some trees saying I'm not listening to you! I gave him a little bit of time, about 10 minutes) and went out in the car. I found him sitting by the police station just a few blocks from home. He refused to talk with me, wouldn't get into the car and when I got out of the car to talk with he he took off again! So I left him there. What else could I do?? So I came home. By now I was becoming more and more stressed and burst into tears. I didn't know what to do! So Mark ended up phoning the people associated with CAMHS. The said to phone the police. So Mark did. It was the last thing we wanted to do but we really had no choice. What if he big fella decided not to come home? He didn't have his medication with him! 24 hours off his tegretol would see him having seizures again. Mark explained the situation and the medical history too. The police said that they would get patrols to look for him.. Mark also phoned the Bishop, the RS president (he got her answering machine) and our Home Teacher. I couldn't even talk on the phone I had been crying so much. I hated feeling like I did, it was just awful! James our Home Teacher must've gotten through to Lesley the RD president and she said that Kym & Steve, a lovely married couple, who are our ward clerk & welfare coordinator were coming out to see me. Soon after these phone calls the big fella came home. He said that a police officer called Benny told him to go home and apologise. Which he did but he thinks that makes this okay. But it isn't okay not by a long shot! We phoned the police to say that an officer called Benny spoke to him and sent him home. By all accounts Benny lives next door to the police station the big fella was sitting at. Like I said he thought that everything was okay by now. He had apologised and thought that was over. Is it the Aspergers side of him that thinks this? I have no idea. At around 5 pm Kym and Steve arrive. I was so glad to see them but I felt sorry also just because they had made the trip out here. It's not a short drive from there place to ours. I did feel better that they had come though and talking things through with Kym helped. And with Steve also. He is a police officer too and was able to shed some light on some things for us. Both Kym and Steve said that it would be a good idea to see an LDS psychologist. The Bishop and I had spoken about it but things were better after we initially mentioned this and nothing ever came of it. I don't think that will be the case any more. Kym said she will talk with Lesley who will talk with the Bishop again and make sure that things start happening. Kym also asked if there was something they could so. I said that I need breaks from the big fella but I don't get them. That Mark and I haven't even been out on a date because we just can't leave the boys home. That I don't trust him to be with too many people because of the way he treats them. I got a blessing before Kym & Steve left. Steve asked me if I wanted one and I said no. He then asked why so I told him that I feel like I don't deserve them. To which he just said then that's when you need one the most!! So I didn't argue. I was so emotionally spent I didn't have the energy to disagree anymore. I still feel at a loss where the big fella is concerned. There I was thinking that things were improving but they weren't ... They were only simmering again before the next explosion! I AM at my wits end. All I could think of for part of the time the big fella was missing was that Dad arrives on Tuesday what is he going to think when he hears of this or what will he think if the big fella doesn't come home??!! I think I need to do a bit more fasting and praying about all of this. It sure wont hurt will it!

No kids in Nursery today

I think I scared the little ones away from Nursery today. We had NO children there at all. Just when it was my first 'official' day today. I know why some of the children weren't their. Their families were off at Baby blessings in different wards today. It's great to hear that there are so many babies being born.

With my calling in Nursery I am hoping that it will curb the clucking feelings that I had earlier this year. Although I am not as bad as I was I still feel it would be nice to have a baby in the house. I know it wont happen so I'll just wait for grandchildren. That way I can spoil them and give them sugar highs and send them home rofl. Yup I am going to LOVE being a Nanna!!

The Bishop Asked To See Me Today ...

While I was sitting in the chapel waiting for the Sacrament meeting to start I got a message from the Bishop asking to see me after today's meetings.
I thought oh dear it's because I didn't get back to him last week on Tuesday evening. Perhaps he wanted to see how things were going at home with the boys and with Mark. Well that was true he did ask about that. Or that perhaps I am in trouble for something lol.

The next bit was a surprise though. I was a little surprised but not really. First of all I will explain what the Bishop said then I will tell you why it wasn't a big surprise. The Bishop asked me if I would like to have a part time calling to go along with the one for the Relief Society newsletter. He said don't worry it's not a full time calling just one for when one of the sisters is absent on a Sunday. Then he told me that it was to be a helper/teacher (or whatever the job is called) in Nursery! He said that when both of the usual sisters are present on Sundays that I am not required in nursery and that I can attend my usual classes. How cool is that?!?! I said to the Bishop I love working with little kids but that I had forgotten a lot of what it was like. Then I told him why I wasn't surprised today that he mentioned the calling in Nursery. I told him that as I was preparing to get ready for Church today I was thinking about something as simple as wearing my high heeled shoes but I got a prompting to wear flat shoes instead so that I would be more comfortable and the word nursery popped into my head for some reason. Now I know why! Not only was I asked this morning to help in nursery but I received a calling too!!!

I guess that even though I don't always know that the Holy Ghost is with me that he really does sometimes talk to me. I am just so glad that I listened. I can't tell you how my feet would've felt after chasing these cute toddlers around!!