today charles was preaching at another church, so i took the kids to church. the choir sang "cantata" from handel's messiah and it never fails to amaze me how a relatively small church such as Union can produce such talent. we are so blessed.

i taught sunday school, and instead of my usual 13 kids, only seven showed up. this was a big change for me. pastor marybeth and i reckoned that mummies and daddies were having a little lie-in, and i am glad i don't teach 11am sunday school because those classes were likely packed.

after sunday school i stayed behind to clean up my class. we had been making a crafts project that involved glue, and naturally, a lot of glue was on the table and i wanted to get the table cleaned so it wasn't sticky for the next class. this took a bit of time, but i knew my girls were next door, finishing up their crafts project.

right?

until they weren't.

terri was greeting, so when i couldn't find my girls i knew that they hadn't roamed down the stairs and to the busy street, because terri wouldn't have let them out unless they were with an adult. so that was a bit of a consolation. so where were they? normally i didn't have to look further than the biscuits and lemonade tables to find the kids…why was today different?

why why why?

where where where?

finally i collared carys. she looked sufficiently subdued and quite guilty that i couldn't find her.

where's your sister? i asked, knowing they had likely been together.

she shrugged and looked vague, and shifted her attention to the sweeties she was holding.

it was 11.30, the second service was in full swing. i couldn't scream out fishwife style for sela, but suddenly i saw my daughter dashing through a corridor.

sela i trilled, a defiant smile on my face.

sela caldwell!

she ran in another direction.

i grimly said to carys. let's go.

we trotted after carys, trying not to interrupt the u-cafe. because the sanctuary is so full, the service is broadcast into the fellowship hall, where they hold live music and serve coffee and is a great family type service.

in the kitchen, i didn't see sela, but i found grant and i knew i was getting closer to solving the mystery.

grant was sopping wet and naked from the waist down. his father was with him.

"are you looking for sela?" he asked me

yes, i replied. i reckon she has something to do with this?

well, indirectly. they were in the baptismal tank, dale enlightened me. and of course there is a baptism today, which is why the tank is full….

well there you go.

of course, the baptismal tank is in full view of half the church, so i think a good portion of the church was distracted by the kids today.

i found sela, very repentant and dry "grant was the leader mummy" a few minutes later. she was clearly hiding and was not about to reveal where she had been. when i told her i knew about grant, she gave me that look to say, "oh, you knew about that? funny business, that…" but i quickly told her i was not impressed. next week they aren't going to be able to race around and stuff biscuits into their mouths while i clean up my room…they're going to have to sit in my room and wait with me. for the next two weeks i think.

trust five year olds to find the full tank and just decide to test the waters! this could have gone so very very wrong. i am so grateful they were safe.