All Austin, All the Time

That Austin is a card.

He has been SO naughty I can't stand it. The Easter Bunny is now benefiting from what Santa is not going to bring.

On Sunday morning Austin started to tell me what was inside "the snowman bag". After listening to him ramble on about "this color tissue paper" and "that card" and "some more tissue paper" it finally dawned on me to ask him exactly what snowman bag he was talking about. He pointed to it and I recognized it. It was the bag that Morgan had put a birthday present in for ME.

I chastised him and told him not to open ANYTHING without asking me first. I told him I was kind of upset and needed him to do something to make me feel better about the way he had been acting lately.

He very piously said, "Mom, just think of the Christ child."

What a little pill.

Later that night he was holding something of mine and I said, "Please put that down so you don't break it." He held it up and calmly said, "Too late." That did not go over well, especially after he said, "Well, you can just go buy a new one."

I definitely need to do something. This mommy needs a long time-out.

Here is the one thing that redeemed him that day:

That morning at church it was our Christmas program, complete with lots of musical numbers. Austin had brought a bunch of little toys that snapped together to form a long skinny shape. He usually calls it his magic wand.

Well that day it magically turned into a baton to lead music with. He stood at our bench and started leading, right along with the chorister. He was actually pretty good, even on the beat. I let him stand in the aisle, hoping the choir director wouldn't get angry with me. He did look awfully cute.

During the next number he stood and did the same thing.

Later, the young men and young women in our ward went up and sang a Christmas hymn. While they were all heading up front Austin disappeared. During the song I figured out where he was. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the very top of a multi-colored baton waving along with the music. Austin was standing front and center, leading the kids while they were singing. I started sweating profusely. My husband was up there singing with the kids and he was not amused.

People were awfully nice though. The regular church chorister said to my daughter, "He does a better job than I do." I've had lots of people comment on how cute it was and how he actually kept good time, speeding up or slowing down right along with the music.

So, am I raising the future conductor of the Tabernacle Choir?

Ummm, probably not but a mother can dream, can't she?

I wonder if Craig Jessop ever got a lump of coal in his stocking.