Well, I'm feeling some better this evening. I didn't walk out of the church tonight feeling like an abject failure at the kids' program (for the first time), I think I'm finally moving from "outsider" to "participant".

maybe it just takes children a little time to warm up to a "new" adult, even if it is one they have already met.

They did wind up at the end breaking into the paint that had been in the classroom for the youngest Sunday School group. I think soon (if I can get my co-leader into it) it will be time for some sort of a craft. Even if it's nothing other than painting pretty pictures to send to people who are not feeling well.

I'm also thinking maybe this fall we can do "leaf stained glass" (pretty leaves ironed between sheets of wax paper. Of course, I will run the iron). Or maybe just plain old "play stained glass" made of crayon shavings in wax paper.

I'm also considering playing the game called "Exquisite Corpse" (but I don't think I'll tell them the name; I don't want their parents to think I'm giving the kids an indoctrination in how to be Christian Goths). That's the game where one person draws an animal's head, folds the paper down with just the neck-lines showing, passes it to another, who draws the front legs and folds it, and then passes it to another to draw the rear legs. (Not sure how I can relate that to a Bible lesson, maybe the "we are all parts of one Body" bit).