Icecream Sundays

We have always taken how our children behave during church service very seriously.  No being naughty and taken out to the hallway is not an invitation to play.  Our kids were doing pretty good until Kolten was born and mommy started spending a lot of sacrament meeting in the nursing mothers lounge.  With daddy left with the other 3 children, they quickly changed.  And as Kolten weined himself, I ended up spending half the time in the hallway with one child or another with their noses in a corner.  One sunday I had all three girls in a different corner.  And I didn't know what else to do.  I was starting to brain storm: maybe we will sit in the chapel for 30 minutes after church and practice!!  When a sweet lady who watched me take child after child out, stopped and offered some advice that had worked for her.  It has changed sundays for us.
Now each child gets 3 scoops of icecream as they walk into church. They don't actually get them until after dinner. But you start church with 3 scoops.  If you argue with anyone, be too noisy, have to leave for any reason, or don't listen to mom or dad you loose a scoop.  No you may not earn scoops  back.  Kaylyn had one sunday where she sat as the rest of us enjoyed our icecream.  It was a sad day.  Most sundays now everyone gets their 3 scoops.  It's been heaven sent.  We actully get to listen to sacrament meeting.  Even Kaylyn behaves so that she gets her icecream.  I don't pack all the extras I use to take to sacrament either.  They each have their scripture cases which they get one notebook and their own little soap box full of crayons.  If they don't remember them, it's their fault.  They still have to behave for their 3 scoops. 
We are now starting toppings on our icecream if you either fast for all of Sunday morning on fast Sunday or can tell us about what the speakers actually said durning said meeting--hense the notebook.  Take notes, yes please!!  We will see if they get more out of sacrament meeting this way.  Either way, mom and dad sure are.