L'shanah tovah everyone! Time for my annual taking the kids to services experience. I was going to use less neutral words than experience--exhaustion, stress, power struggle--but I'm trying to focus on the positive.

The positive:

I picked the kids up from school at 2:00, and they both quickly and quietly changed into religious holiday going clothes. This meant David exchanged his t-shirt for a yellow sweater that is getting a mite small, but I am not complaining. You may recall that last year I had to literally drag him down the school hallway to get him to leave, and I didn't even address the appropriate clothing issue, so this was serious progress.

I love children's services. I'm going to be really sad when we age out of them. They condense and simplify the core values of the holidays without, for me, losing their impact.

Rose got to read from the bimah. Most of the kids at this service were pre-readers, so there wasn't a lot of competition, but the rabbi has asked her in previous years, and she was too shy. I was very proud of her for having the courage to go up in front of hundreds of people, and she read very well.

Rose had a lovely time.

Rose took good care of David. She hugged him and jollied him along.

I gave the kids the choice of going to Tachlich, the after services service where you go to the park and throw your sins (bread) into the water. They said yes. So, they played on the playground, and I got to read great poetry about confronting and letting go of your sins.

I gave the kids the choice of going to the after Tachlich party we'd been invited to, and they said yes. And John joined us. So, they got to play like crazy, and I got to eat fabulously good cookies and cake. Hurrah for the sweet holiday. Oh, and add to that our hosts made two gluten-free desserts especially for our kids. Hurrah!

The negative:

David and I got into a power struggle over whether he was going to stand. I remember one year I nearly lost it about the necessity of standing to show respect. He goes to service every Sunday. I'm sure he stands then. He leaned. I took deep breaths.

David read Captain Underpants through most of the service. I did not get in a power struggle over this one. The rabbi has specifically said it's ok to bring your kid to services and let him/her read a book. But I was sad he was so obviously dissing and disengaged from the service. (He did totally perk up for the sermon.)

I struggled with the cognitive dissonance of committing sins (impatience, intractability, quick to anger) while asking forgiveness for them.

* * *

So, when you look at it that way, the negative does not out way the positive. The kids got totally goofy at the party and have been happy goofy ever since which is a great way to start a sweet and happy new year.