Peeing at the park

Am I the only one who has a son who will drop and pee anytime anyplace? I am constantly worried that whenever we are outside that we are going to have a "pee" problem. Then when I relax, I hear it, the quiet trickle and splash of pee. At that point, what can you do?

Yesterday we had a nice little outing, up to the library, ran into Uncle Drew, over to the post office, then down to the park. What a beautiful day with my children. Wow, I love my new double stroller. Michael is now old enough to be kind of independently playing at the park. I know that he can do all the stuff and he loves all the climbing, sliding, dangling, swinging, and all that goes into a jungle gym. Oh, another little boy, is Michael playing nice. Oh, good taking turns. Thank heaven. I'm reading my "Family Fun" (IRONIC don't you think) magazine and then I hear it. Oh, no where is he? At the top of the slide peeing off onto the bark below. "Michael" and brief interruption of the stream and then a "What?" Like why are you bothering me woman, can't you see I am busy? Up onto the thing I go and pick him up, he is of course finished, and off we go. I can't take the direct route home, what if that other mother figures out who I am and that I have the public pee - er of Mediapolis.

Almost home, and still mad. How many times does this conversation have to happen? Finally I say, "Why did we have to leave the park?"

"Because I peed"

"I can't believe you peed on the slide"

"I didn't pee on the slide, I peed on the ground"

"On, from, whatever. Is it okay to pee in public?"

"No."

"Where do we pee?"

No answer, smart kid.

"We pee at home in the bathroom and no where else. Do you understand? I don't want that penis to see the light of day. Do you understand?"

"Can I have butter jelly for lunch?"

Something that can ruin my day is just a preview to lunch for him. How does this work? Is there anything short of child abuse and giving him a bathroom complex for the rest of his life that I can do? Not to mention that I haven't done his laundry yet, so his last clean pair of play shorts are now peed on. What a cyclical world.

But here is the joy burst. I have a son who is potty trained, he is able to communicate with me, and someday I will have this story to embarass him with. What a wonderful world.

Bad Mother Moment - so this morning was not my best. Michael wouldn't get dressed, eat his breakfast, or leave his sister alone. Adah wouldn't eat so I did the dangling nipple dance, not a favorite of mine, and all she could do was smile and coo. Three sessions of discipline later, we were finally out the door to preschool - a little later than I hoped to leave but on the way none the less. Shockingly I wasn't in a horrible mood. We sang with some favorite tunes on our way to New London and talked about what we don't do at pre-school.

"Michael, you know that it isn't good to call people names, so I don't want to hear that you said 'You Idiot' as you are playing with your friends."

"Mommy are there words that you can say that I can't?"

My whole being was saying, yes in fact there are, but I smilingly said "No baby, Mommy should do better at not calling people names too."

"Even in the car Mommy?"

"Yes baby, even in the car."

Those people who believe that three year olds don't know what is going on have never been around a three year old.

I have come to the conclusion that God is using my life to show that He does, in fact, have a sense of humor.

Friday

I am so proud of my friends. Despite their fears and their trials they were able to share about defining moments in their lives in order to help others. What a sacrifice and what courage. Thank you Jolene, Lisa, Samantha, and Shaina.

Samantha, my dear sister (in-law technically, but sister in my heart) you amaze me with your clear, strong voice sharing about Shaelynn. I know my own grief as we lost and continue to miss our sweet girl, so I can't even begin to understand the magnitude of your feelings. And yet, you shared about this crisis today. You are such a strong woman. I am so grateful for you and the example you set for me, to love without boundaries and cherish the moments we are given. What a gift you are to the Kelly family.

The Laundry Miracle

Okay, so today I started my laundry. Of course I didn't finish it, I never finish it.

I wanted to tell about a new fun laundry thing I have that is actually helping me fold and organize as it comes out of the wash. I saw it at Menard's and had to have it, and Curtis actually let me get it. I know, I was shocked too. So it is a hanging rack that has 4 canvas pouches/basket things on it (I will try to take a picture of it and post it - my description is leaving something to be desired - sorry). So I can put things on hangers either to dry or as they come out so I can avoid the dreaded iron. Then the great part, each person has a basket, so I just fold whatever is coming out of the dryer and put it into that persons basket. It also is on wheels, so I can just drive it room to room and put everything away. The trick to making it work, I have been using it about a month, is to dedicate the time to laundry. You can't just throw a load in and then run an errand, come home take it out and go again. You have to actually take the time and commit to laundry, otherwise you will have what happened to me last week. A beautiful, yet empty laundry miracle next to a gigantic pile of clean clothes that took more than an hour to fold.

So what has happened to my life. I couldn't imagine a laundry miracle 10 years ago, but now I get visibly excited and babble about it to my friends. GET A LIFE REBEKAH - wait a minute, this is my life, and most days I love it. Especially if I have found a laundry miracle.

Have a great day!!

Getting Started

Starting a blog, so yes, I am a joiner. So many of my greatest friends are blogger's, so I will follow into the blog world, sceptical that anyone would want to read it, but knowing that the writing will be "cathartic" (thanks Sarah). As I look at the time, I have decided that the best thing to do is to put off my first "real" post. A procrastinator through and through, I will start the real stuff later. Adah beckons to me that it is in fact time to finish her off and get to bed. So good night and hopefully I will be back soon.