It's Over

General Conference that is.

I had high hopes this year that THIS conference would be the one where all of my children sat, listened, conversed politely with each other and with us, and truly enjoyed every moment of the 2 day conference.

My hopes weren't dashed, but they certainly weren't met either.

I don't know that they ever will be.
Perhaps they are unrealistic.
Perhaps.

And yet, perhaps, those expectations lead us to something that we wouldn't achieve without having set them in the first place.

I spent a couple of hours in the week leading up to conference printing off packets & activities for each child...bought new notebooks (on CLEARANCE nonetheless), and new pens and crayons so that we would have everything at our fingertips.

We chose the word PREPARE as our family word to focus for 2013, and I definitely felt that I was fulfilling that on Friday as I looked at what I had ready for my children for Saturday and Sunday.

And Saturday morning, I wasn't disappointed.  My kids all gathered in the loft, without prodding or encouragement, and found their packet and acted like they were going to actually listen...and they did!  I couldn't believe it.  It was the moment (well, the hours) I had dreamed of for 17 years.  Even the littlest two were compliant and pleasant.  HUGE, HUGE, HUGE for my family.

By Sunday afternoon, I felt like a completely different person in a completely different family.
Even the few minutes that President Monson spoke in the afternoon session was riddled with "Stop that please!" or "Be QUIET!" and finally..."Please just go into your room."
Sigh.

And that's my reality.

So I'll focus on one talk at a time, first for myself, and then prayerfully, consider what it is my family needs to learn...and we'll teach portions of it, 10 minutes at a time in Family Home Evening, or in quiet, individual moments with each child.

That much I can do.

And if I alone am changed, then it was enough.

Right?