Happy Birthday Brody!!

Somewhere between potty training... learning when to yell "GO CATS!" and when to yell "OH NO!"...the big move to the "big boy bed"...and converting all the blue to pink in Taryn's room, my little baby boy turned TWO YEARS OLD!!! I knew this day was rapidly approaching, but it didn't really hit me until we were sitting in church during the opening worship only to hear a faint raucous coming from the sanctuary doors behind us. After briefly turning to glance at the culprit, my heart leaped into my throat and all the blood drained from my head as I realized that Brody's sweet little Sunday school class was not-so-quietly walking up the aisle toward the stage carrying palm branches. Now those of you who know Brody would understand my gut reaction...he's not the most brave or outgoing kid around strangers, let alone on a stage in front of an entire congregation. Needless to say Scott and I were half-laughing-half-wincing as we patiently waited to see our little tow-head appear and watch the potential "dram-edy" play itself out.

After a long line of beaming 2 and 3 yr. olds paraded down the aisle proudly waving their palms came the "One-to-Oners" as I loving like to refer to them! First, there was the little girl who wanted nothing to do with her palm branch, being carried by the first saintly volunteer. Next, came a little boy whose exuberance for palm-waving required close monitoring by volunteer number two. Then came our little tow-head, clinging to the hand of the same poor man that I stuck him onto after peeling him off myself when I dropped him off in his classroom just minutes before!

But to our surprise, he was holding his palm (though rather limply) and he was walking of his own volition (though at a painfully slow pace...probably why he was last!). This may sound sad to all you parents of fiercely independent children, but we've never been so proud! We were laughing and beaming with pride the entire 20 minutes it took him to make it up the aisle, and while he sat on stage staring blankly at his palm branch through an entire chorus of Amazing Grace! Then, as an added encore just for us, he came to life with a big smile and applauded along with the rest of the congregation with such reckless abandon in self-congratulation for his efforts (we Bangerts never miss an opportunity to congratulate ourselves!). It was the highlight of another year of life for the little boy who was born on Maunday Thursday and turned two on Palm Sunday...

...and a sad reminder that I am suddenly old enough to have a child that can perform in front of the church for special holiday events! Where does the time go?