My 'Church-with the Baby-adventure'

It is always such an interesting, yet challenging experience going to church with my one and half year old daughter. The truth is that our church is a big church, and one of the things that I love about it is that they have systems in place that really work, so it is not so much an inconvenience as it is a challenge taking the little one to church.
We sit in the section that has been specially set out for parents with small children. This is code for; there is enough space for prams and the running around of toddlers...and herein lies the challenge. To say going to church with the baby is a lesson in humility and patience is an understatement.
My daughter has the ability to bring me out of my comfort-zone like no one else can. Naturally I prefer to blend in with all the other believers at church, going about my worshipping business without additional drama. That can't be the case when my little terrorist decides that she wants the neighbours baby's bottle and not her own, and then proceeds to help herself to it. This leaves me with the embarrasing job of apologising to strangers, while their little one screams at the top of their lungs because their bottle has just been snatched out of their mouth.
As if that wasn't enough, my daughters idea of praise and worship had everyone in the pews in stitches, and it had my husband and I trying to pretend that we did not know whose kid she was. She even laughed at the top of her voice when there was absolute silence in the church, kissed a girl and stole a little boys pacifier out of his mouth and handed it to the boys Father as if to say, "Your son is too old for this!".
I thought that it couldn't get worse than what we had seen already, until she waddled away and within two minutes came back and happily handed me a very expensive Maybelline mascara. I had no idea who to give it back to, I thought I would surely pass out with embarrasment. Thankfully the nice lady came with her cute little daughter in tow to give back my little ones water bottle and I in turn got to give back her mascara.
I did not hear a word that the Pastor preached about that Sunday but I definitely got something out of the whole adventure. I had to humble myself enough to laugh with complete strangers and apologize for my daughters innocent naughtiness, and I realised on leaving church that day that I had to also make new friends with new mommies who just like me were running around the church cleaning up after their little ones. Every day is a new adventure....happy parenting!