Wednesday, May 6, 2009

for memories sake.

warning: you might feel like a really great, really capable mother after reading this.

I have a story.
It needs to be recorded.

It's long and almost annoying to rethink about but I when asking myself if there might be a need to remember the details of the day later, I answer with a resounding YES.

Not sure how this will flow but I am writing for my own memories sake....so, here goes last Sunday:

Incredible weather.

Here was the plan:
Wake up early and go to the early service at church, with the intent to go to a park afterwards, play and then hit one of our favorite summer, Sunday afternoon, eat outside restaurant in Dundee, Sgt. Peffers.
We made it to church for early service, it was awesome, the kids were excited - very excited - when we picked them up from their class.
Squealing, giggling, wrestling  - with no mind that there were 100's of people trying to get around them!

Mistake #1 - we went straight to the car, not even thinking about the bathroom.

Drive to the park.

Park the car.

Walk down the enormous hill to the playground
this picture was taken 1/2 way down the hill:
those two specs you see are Samantha and Jake - the small blob of brown is the sand at the playground.

about 20 paces from this picture, Nora starts to 'hold herself' and announce her 'needs'.

and then Mistake #1 hit me.

Nora is one of the ones that can hold it, so, no big deal...I just explain to her that we are going to play for a few minutes and then go somewhere where she can go potty.

She's totally fine with that.

Nora, Sophie and I finally catch up to our other 1/2 and Jake tells me Lydia needs to go too.

ok.

now what?

ideas are whirling around my head - I spot a forest, I spot a closer parking lot, I spy other mommies with diaper bags, I have ZERO extra clothes in the car, wipes are in the car - at the top of the hill.....what to do, what to do????

Jake decides to race back up the hill, find that closer parking lot and then we'll just load everyone up, go somewhere to go potty, come back, play and then go eat.

super relaxing huh???

just wait. it gets even more 'relaxing'.

Nora and Lydia start wincing in pain about the time I see Jake 3/4 of the way up the hill.

Forrest it is.

Mistake #2 - I only took Nora and Lydia.

They were both champs.
Totally my daughters.

No problem.

However.

While Lydia is doing her thing, behind a tree, I hear Sophie screaming at the top of her lungs, still on the play ground.
I figured she was just stuck or something and hoped another parent would help her.

No such luck.

Scream scream scream until I can get Lydia back together.

the three forest girls start heading back to the playground and when we found Sophie, we found her standing in a puddle, in the sand, of her own pee.

and this is when Mistake #2 hits me.

now what?

Jake has found the parking lot right about this time and I see him, about 3 baseball fields away, walking towards us.

I scoop Sophie up, take her to the car, high fiving and quickly explaining the updated pee situation to him as I pass.

He more than a little frustrated at this point.

I don't know what I thought I was going to do.

Again, I had no extra clothes in the car. (and somehow, even though I knew this, it didn't stop me from searching every square inch of the car!)

I got her to the car, took the boots, socks and panties off (dress was only a little wet), wiped her down and then spotted another mom getting her diaper bag out of the car.

I just acted.

I got on my knees, cried, begged and pleaded for anything to cover my soaked daughter....

She just looked at me a little curious and threw a diaper in my direction hoping it would shut me up...

Ok, so it wasn't EXACTLY like that, but she did give me a diaper!

So, me and a barefoot, sorta damp and diapered Sophie headed back to the park over three baseball fields worth of grass.

And we played....for about 5 min.

Samantha spotted a dog, jumped off her swing to go pet the dog, ran in front of Lydia who was concentrating hard on practicing her pumping skills and BAM!!!!! Samantha was knocked to the recycled tire mat of a ground.

More screaming.

I went to go scoop her up, put my arm under her bottom and QUICKLY retracted it....wet.
Soaked through her panties, leggings and dress and for who knows how long because, again, it just doesn't bother her.

For all I know, she went 1/2 way down the hill and wondered what everyone else's problem was!?

I took her off the play ground, pulled her panties and leggings off and just made her sit bare butt in my lap for a few minutes until we just decided - finally - we're slow - that we just needed to leave.

Sgt. Peffers wasn't open yet  -  really, we were expecting to stay longer and 'enjoy' ourselves!

We rerouted to another 'outside'/Italian restaurant but not before we pulled into a Walgreens to buy a package of panties....

Except all they had were little boys briefs, lizards and all.

whatever...they were dry, right?

Arrived at the restaurant, went straight to the restroom.

Now I had to pee - I guess it was the power of suggestion?

Mistake #3 - I didn't make anyone go pee in the restroom - why would they need to right? they all just went all over the park!!!!???

Everyone loved their briefs - 'pockets' and all ;-)

Loved them so much that all four of them were flashing Daddy as we came out of the bathroom.

PUT YOUR DRESSES DOWN!!!!!!

sheesh.

We're finally seated.

the weather is still amazing.

Italian sodas were being picked out when announcement #1 was made...by Samantha.

I have to go potty.

FOR.get.IT.

I let that sit for a while, she reminded me again and so FINE let's go.

Lydia came with us.
Samantha did pee.  Lydia did not.  Mistake #4.

10 min later.  Nora and Sophie had to pee - FINE.

another 10 min later, Lydia had to pee.
NO FREAKIN' WAY.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
JUST HOLD IT.

Poor Lydia.
But I think she'll be ok.

Pee, pee and more pee.

We made it home, cleaned up and slept for about 2 1/2 hours.

All that peeing wore them out and all that ..... mommying wore me out.
Jake bought me a dozen red roses that evening, I think it was harder on him to have to sit and watch the whole thing than it probably was for me to do it....probably.

So, there.  I wrote the dang story down.
Now, when they are older and I say to myself, "geez, it easier when you were little!", I  will read this and put myself back in check....and it is a reminder to NEVER tell a woman with little kids, 'cherish every moment, you will miss it all' - DUDE!!! there is NO way I will miss this day and I don't know that you would either!

And now you know that you have nothing to fear - I will NEVER get mother of the year award.
I will never be the mom that always takes her kids to the potty ahead of time (even though every other time I really would have - not sure what got into me!!!???) and I will forever be humbled by this day.

I can't believe that day actually happened.

7 comments:

Ice Cream Lady said...

I only have half the kids you do, but I feel your pain.
On a regular basis, ever since I stupidly posted on face book that my baby girl was potty trained, my daughter pees at our friends house. It's always the same friend! AND I NEVER have clean clothes for her, or a diaper, so I ALWAYS have to borrow her son's pants, and she has invested in a steam cleaner! Ack!
Very humbling, it's true. Makes me miss the diaper days sometimes.... only sometimes.

Stacy said...

I've decide I don't really want the mother of the year award...not only is it unatainable...but my life would be SO boring!! don't you think?! :O)

Liz W. said...

I'm sure there is some award that you'd win, jeesh, I don't think i would have made it past early service at church, that alone would have worn me out!!!

Courtney said...

you are a PATIENT mom...and a TRUE blogger - with pictures and everything! you don't EVEN WANT to hear about my day today...

Kristen said...

I will be forever grateful to be able to read your stories like this Holly- it just makes me breathe a little deeper and I'm sure someday in moments like that feel a lot more normal :) I know that post was for you memory's sake but thank you for allowing others in on it!

Anonymous said...

Remind me to tell you our Macaroni Grill story sometime. It includes potty on a chair for Elle and Colette putting a tip of a large crayon up her nose and a trip to the ER! I was preg. with the twins...so they weren't even making it exciting yet!

Fun times! You won't soon forget!
see you soon!
Kim

Brandi said...

All I can say is....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY