Service Cupcakes

October's theme in primary was "Because I am His child, I will serve God with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day” (D&C 4:2).

As a presidency we decided that it would be fun to give the primary children an opportunity to serve the branch. So often children are left out of planning events. We decided that the primary children could host the next "Linger Longer." The fifth Friday of the month just happened to fall on Halloween this year, so we had the children decorate cupcakes for the entire branch.

Deneece, Simmone, Phyllis, and I each backed 30+ cupcakes--we ended up with well over 150 cupcakes. Michelle got all the icing and decorations for the kids.

Michelle and I set up some tables outside while the kids practiced songs for the sacrament meeting presentation with Deneece. They sang so well and so loudly that we could hear them all the way downstairs in the kitchen! I was impressed since there are so few of them.

When they were finished singing they washed their hands and flocked to the cupcakes.

The Penrod children working together

Phyllis, Emma and KJ rearranging the cupcakes

We had a quite the battle keeping their hands out of their mouths, but I think they ended up doing a fabulous job. I was impressed with how excited the older boys were about this activity--I didn't think they'd have much fun but they ended up being some of our most dedicated and creative decorators.

Jacob and one of his masterpieces

When they had finished decorating the cupcakes, we knocked on the door of our bowab, Hussein, so that we could sing to him and give him some cupcakes. Usually he lives alone, but his family happened to be visiting so we were able to give him more cupcakes than we were planning, which was great because we had so many cupcakes!

Singing to Hussein

The branch presidency had forgotten to announce our cupcakes in sacrament meeting, even though it had been brought up in branch council. The primary children were more than pleased to go and get the grownups from the building and show them their cupcake creations, though, so it worked out. Everyone seemed happy about the cupcakes and the children were happy with their opportunity to serve.

Cupcakes, cupcakes everywhere

But not a bite to eat.

They even learned that it is possible to have too many cupcakes. Originally they were suggesting that, since the grownups weren't coming out, they could eat them all themselves. After gorging themselves they found that sharing is a blessing. And the grownups were happy that there's a large lawn behind the church where the kids could burn off their sugar high before going home.

Most of our primary children with their cupcakes

Rachel was probably the biggest cupcake fiend around. When I went to get her from nursery she was still sitting at the table eating goldfish. Jennifer said that she had been eating goldfish for the last hour and had been systematically stealing everyone else's goldfish the minute they left them unattended.

She cried when I told her it was time to go home...until I told her that we were going to go get cupcakes from downstairs. She was really excited about that!

I left her alone with Andrew while Lora and I visit taught Simmone. He fed her five cupcakes while I was gone. She was such a sticky, hyper mess!

I'm just going to open my mouth like this....

...and if that cupcake gets in the way, it's its own fault!

Cupcakes make me happy!

Andrew asked Jennifer how Rachel was during nursery and she, jokingly, said, "Oh, man! She was so bad! She is banned from nursery for the next seven days."

It's so nice to have her in nursery! In the words of Andrew, church is church again!

We all found this Friday exhausting though and, after our home teachers left, all settled down for a long Friday's nap. We meant to only sleep for an hour but ended up sleeping for three. Oops!

When we got up we took the muffin tins over to Lora so that she could make muffins for the next day's Relief Society breakfast (that was this morning, and it was awesome. Thanks for asking). Then we had to hurry and have dinner (leftovers) so that we could go to the Mason's to play games.

Finn was still awake when we got there because of sounds of the crazy youth hooliganizing the neighbourhood that were drifting up from the streets into their apartment. Rachel was thrilled that he was awake and the two of them managed to stay awake until after 10 PM (too many cupcakes, for sure).

At one point, Finn started shrieking and banging on the tray of his walker.

"He's so ready for bed," Melissa moaned.

Not to be outdone, Rachel ran down the hall screaming and shaking her head, with her arms held up high. Upon entering the living room she ran straight into the couch and bounced her face against the coushins several times before finally falling over onto her tushie.

"So's she," I said, sighing.

"You win," said Melissa sympathetically.

"Thanks," I said with shagrin. I'm not sure that's a contest I'm excited about winning.

Things quieted down pretty quickly outside and after we played a round of Cranium, we were able to put both Finn and Rachel to bed. They went rather willingly, I thought. I don't know about Finn, but Rachel was for sure coming off a sugar high.