I fear that Julia–Master (mistress?) of All That is Funkalicious in Graphics–is going to kill me, or at least spend a loooong time guilting me, when she sees that I’ve removed the cool banner she made for me. I do love that supercool night sky background, and all of the nifty text transformations that Those Of Us With Cheapo Limited Edition Photoshop can only dream about. But this place isn’t meant to be about being flashy, and Sundays bring out my desire to simplify in a way that little else does.

Feel free to leave long, wistful, deeply yearning comments about how the previous banner was quite simply the most beautiful and perfect creation you’d ever seen, and how Julia should rightfully be given her own island nation to rule. She’ll appreciate it, and it may shorten the number of days she won’t speak to me.

The kids and I made it to church on time (*flex*) this morning, with a minimum of frustration, and after a long talk about Last Time’s Behavior (“So, is it okay to run down the aisle screaming “MAMA SHE TOOK MY CRAYON!” when you are supposed to be sitting quietly and I am up in the choir loft singing?”) today’s behavior was exemplary, if I do say so myself. During the children’s sermon the pastor asked what would happen if it never rained again, and the Monkey immediately piped up, all serious-like, “All the lakes would dry up!” and there was a collective oh-isn’t-he-just-so-precious murmur from the congregation. During Junior Church the Chickadee chose to forego her own project in favor of assisting a friend who needed help (the teacher pulled me aside to fill me in on this, with profuse admiration). If I’d been any warmer and fuzzier by the time we left church, I would’ve needed to strip naked for ventilation.

So we returned home and I tried to preserve this feeling the way that any good mom does; I decided we need to Make Goodies.

After some discussion and digging in the pantry, we decided to try the recipe on the back of the Golden Grahams cereal box for s’mores bars. This is like making rice krispy treats with some chocolate melted into the marshmallow goo (and different cereal, obviously). The glow started to fade as both children danced around the kitchen, underfoot, and I tried not to drip molten goo on either of them. By the time I’d sprayed my hands with Pam before mixing it all up (and then discovered that this particular little Hint from Heloise only works in making your hands non-stick for about 2 seconds) and found myself up to my elbows in solidifying graham glop, I’d evicted them from the area. So much for my Norman Rockwell afternoon.

But all was forgiven about one hour and seventeen skirmishes later, when–being the fantabulous mom that I am–I parked the kids in front of A Bug’s Life with two s’mores squares. And oh, how it brings me back to a simpler time… a time when I could drink an entire cup of coffee before it got cold. (Just did it; a little slice of heaven.) Only now everything is better by a magnitude I never knew possible, because I have something chocolate to eat with my coffee two little complications who love me even when I’m cranky.