Inconvenient Baby Diaper Blowouts

So I don't think it would be appropriate to post a picture, but I will try to tell the story as vividly as possible so you can appreciate it fully.  My husband and I were out on a much needed dinner date.  We love to go out to eat together.  We both LOVE food and I, especially, love being served.  We went to "Growlers" restaurant located in Old Town Gaithersburg, by the train station.  I put Sierra down in her infant seat so I could eat my burger with two hands.  I watched her turn red and knew that the worst had just happened.  Just when I thought I could relax over my meal.  Sure enough, it was a blowout... you know the kind that soaks their clothes up the back?  What could I do, but change her?  I laid her on her belly across my knees to assess the damage.  Fortunately, this time her diaper only leaked about an inch up her back.  I thought, "Maybe I can change her here without anyone seeing!"  The challenge tempted me.  I had to try!  Yes, my friends, I changed a blowout diaper right then and there at the table.  We were not sitting near anyone else or I would not have done it.  When the waitress walked up to the table, I just scooched Sierra's hiney under the table so she couldn't see.  I did it!!!!  I changed her at the restaurant table.  (I am not proud of this by the way.  It's just after 6 kids, I have decided not to let these kinds of moments interrupt a good meal.) Now, where to put the diaper?  It was about this time that I asked for a to go box and... well, you can use your imagination.  :o)

King Xerxes and Queen Emma

 

Today I came home from school with 4 extra kids, on top of the other friend that was already at home! Just call me "The old woman who lived in the shoe, she had so many children, she didn't know what to do."

These are two of Emma's friends from school. Twins if you can believe it! They were dressed up like King Xerxes and Queen Esther. They recently saw the musical performance of it at church, which was amazing by the way.

 

Emma is giving me the royal bow.

 

Here is Emma giving me the royal hand!

And the kicker... As I served Emma her lunch, she looked at me and in her Brittish accent announced "The king is pleased with this lunch!"

Sierra at 3 months old

~baby blue eyes~

Just Me and Emma

Emma and I had a night at home together just us while Eric was at a friend's house and Aaron, Elley, and Andrew were at the "Esther" musical.  It was fun.  We ate ice cream and watched "Valiant".  Then we decided to take a picture using my built in webcam.  It's funny; while I had Emma and the two babies, it still felt like it was just us.  Six down to three... what an empty house. I can't imagine what it would be like to only have one or two kids.  I love a full house.

Sunday Morning Sam

While the other kids gravitate towards the tv whenever possible and allowed, Sam prefers a more authentic form of fun. He likes to wander around our backyard, entertaining himself by conversing with the two dogs across the open space. Now that the air is warmer and the sun is shining, I imagine this is where he will want to spend every morning. The only factor that might change from time to time is the pair of shoes he chooses to where. This morning it was Emma's PE shoes.

Sunday Morning Sam-2

Free Ice Cream!!!

Today was "free waffle cone if you wear your PJ's" at Bruster's ice cream store. My friend from college came to visit so we took advantage of it. I suppose after 7 ice creams, we saved about $20. Thank you Bruster's!!!

He's Got Some Big Shoes To Fill

 So cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shower Time With Toddler

I am not sure about you other moms, but modesty in front of my babies and toddlers doesn't really begin until they are old enough to notice or care that I am naked, in my case, somewhere around the age of 4 or 5. This includes showers, changing, and yes, sadly enough, going to the bathroom. (It's either they come with me, or risk potential disaster in my absence.)


Shower time is my biggest struggle because it takes the longest and there is so much to explore in all the cabinets and the closet in our master bathroom. Of course I keep all poisons up and out of reach, but among the accessible items within toddler reach are towels, toothbrushes, hair accessories, dirty laundry. and, yes my friends, Kotex Feminine Napkins.

As I was stranded in the shower this morning, covered head to toe in shampoo and lathered soap suds, I could only watch as my son chose to open the "personal items" cabinet. "Oh no!" I thought. I just watched, certain that the entire box of pantyliners would be ruined after he would dump them all out onto the floor and trample them. Much to my surprise, he opened the box and only removed one. The next five minutes of my life were some of the best... they were why I love my kids so much.

Sam, now 22 months, soon discovered the peel off paper on the back of this pantyliner and was so delighted to find "a sticker". In his eyes, this was as good as being at the doctor, getting a sticker at the end of his visit. In fact, by the look on his face, it was better because it was bigger! He immediately put his creative mind to work and began exploring the many uses of a Kotex pantyliner.

1. Put it where mommy puts it, except I don't have underwear so I'll just put it on my upper thigh and wear it there.

~seconds later....

2. Put it on my tummy where I put all my other stickers from the doctor.

~3 seconds later....

3. Stand with knees together and put it across both upper thighs and try to walk without letting it come unstuck.

~4 steps later....

4. Stick it to the shower door so Mommy gets a good look.

~a moment later and for the grand finale...


5. Apply it to the handle of my baseball bat for a better gripping surface.

So, friends, this is where my Kotex pantyliner remains, as I type. Part of me doesn't want to take it off, but the other part knows the questions I'll get from my older boys if they find "this thing" on their bat. I am not sure I'm ready to explain that one to them quite yet.


Dear Kotex,
Thank you for not only providing a superior product for me and my week of misery, but thank you for making it child friendly. More importantly, thank you for providing me the opportunity to take a peaceful shower and for the pricelss gift of laughter!!!!!

~Sincerely,
Satisfied Customer

"Well, You Could Be Trapped Under Rubble In Haiti."

We all have a tendency to complain.  It might be because your head hurts, your kids disobey, you don't have enough money, you got that long red light AGAIN, or fill in the blank.  It doesn't matter how thankful you are or what a great person you are.  We all complain.  I am the chief of complainers, as hard as I try not to be.  It is in my sin nature.  I want things my way and I want them now.  So when it comes to my kids complaining, I try to be patient.  It's hard sometimes.  I don't want to be a hypocrite and instruct them not to complain at all, because I do it when I am not even aware of it.  So I have a new way of correcting them.  "You could be trapped under rubble in Haiti for 14 days with no food or water." If we keep this in perspective, suddenly that red light is a small dent in my day.  Suddenly, I am rich.  In an instant, I am grateful for disobedient kids.  I am happy that I even have them to disobey me.  So many women can't have children.  Lord, help me to not complain and to savor each and every inconvenient moment of my life.

Scariest Day of My Life

Today was the scariest day of my life to date.  I went to check on my 10 week old daughter to make sure she was ok, after having put her on my mom's bed for a nap.  For whatever reason, somehow on this day, she had wedged her face into a crevice, facedown, in the blanket and could not get air.  I don't know how long she had been struggling, but by the time I got to her, she was half concious and her body was too weak to struggle.  I picked her up and panicked.  I didn't know if I was too late or if she would be ok.  My first thought was to put her under cold water to induce crying since I couldn't get her to cry.  She was just breathing so hard.  After about a minute of sheer terror, she cried (before I could get her in water).  I spent the rest of the morning crying and praying, thanking God, once again, for his amazing grace on her precious, little life.  You see, I have put her down on this same bed, the same way, dozens of times and she has had no problems.  In the past, I have not come to check on her until my mother calls me with her wake up call.  Today, I just felt like checking.  I am not sure anyone could disagree that the Spirit of God prompted me to go.  I will never forget the look on her face, trying to get her to open her eyes and cry, gasping for air.  Jesus, thank you that you author life and preserve it, according to your will, and that on this day, you chose life for my little girl.  I don't think I'll know just how close we came to devestation until Heaven.

Homework and Heart Struggles

Each night presents its own particular challenges when it comes to completing homework.  I have one child who doesn't need a single ounce of help and one that needs tons of help.  The other two are somewhere in the middle.  Wouldn't it be fabulous if they were all independent and I could simply sign what I was supposed to sign and call it a night?  Not so easy...

Homework, I believe, is where God is stretching me.  I like being stretched until it starts to really hurt.  My difficult homework child resists and resists and goofs off and resists some more, all the while saying he "IS" working.  2 Thessalonians 3:13 says to not grow weary in doing good.  Friends, this mama grows weary and this is where I have to examine my own heart.  What am I craving?  I am craving a child that works according to my timetable and one that seeks to serve his mother and make her (my) life easier!  Is there anything wrong with that?  No! ... Unless I put that on the throne of my heart and am more occupied with compliance than I am with seeking to serve my son by helping him learn to be diligent. 

I need help.  And help is on the way.  "Amazing Grace"!!! (hence the name of this blog)  God doesn't leave me hanging out to dry.  He is an ever present help in time of trouble.  And he is my help.  He is my help to keep on going...to speak to my weariness and not concede to sin.  He is my help through enabling patience when my body wants to start yelling.  He is my leader when I just don't know what to do.

So here I am, son in bed, loving him with all my heart.  Another night ending and by God's grace I can say we both are going to bed peacefully, without conflict or strife, and are resting in the goodness of God.

Walk in the Grove

 I recently took my youngest 3 children for a walk in our old neighborhood of Washington Grove.  It sounded like fun before we left, but after two miles of wearing my infant, listening to my 6 year old complain that her feet hurt, being pulled by two 60-pound golden retrievers and pushing a double stroller with my todder in it, I was beginning to think it wasn't worth it!