The Eww Factor

I am truly grateful for my life. Over the weekend, three of my best friends shared the actual real problems in their lives - problems with their health, their parents' health, and their children. News like that always helps put everything in perspective. I have healthy, normal(ish) kids. I have a husband who loves me, a roof over my head, and I know where my next meal is coming from. (Well, okay, so that's a debate between cooking and grabbing Chick-Fil-A, so technically I don't know, but you know what I mean!) But, really, is it so bad if I dream of a day with fewer bodily fluids in my life?

This post is going straight downhill from here. It would be safest to stop reading.

I will refrain from truly sharing any stories, but I will say that Jeff and I have realized that the daily poop report is an important part of our marriage. It stems back to when Natalia first started taking steps. I was so excited to witness them, only to learn that he had seen them three days before. I asked why he hadn't shared. He said it hadn't crossed his mind, yet he'd texted me multiple times that same day to let me know whose system flushed what and when. He is such a guy. Rather than fight about it, we had a good laugh. We realized the poop report has been in place for a long time, at least since Ree was born, and possibly since we got Pru. And it's not going away anytime soon. We just have a name for it now.

But the fun isn't limited to the daytime while I am at work. Last night, as the kids were eating their bedtime snacks, I asked Jeff if there was any room in the house that did not have visible poop or else just stink. He could honestly reply, "no." And this was after my poor mother-in-law spent two days cleaning our house. (We are mean to our houseguests and put them to work. No lie. But we are grateful. That counts for something, right?) These were all post-dinner disasters. But we did get everything cleaned up before the kids went to bed.

It was a quiet night with no emergency diaper changes or potty trips for any child or dog. Always good. But just before my alarm went off at 6am, the fun began again. Michael and Leon needed to go potty, which was understandable since they did make it through the night. As I was tucking them back into bed, Pru wandered into their room. Pru normally stays out, and I quickly realized she was coming to get me because Max was emptying his stomach all over the living room rug. Again. And, thus, another exciting day began at our house!

But I really do love my kids and my dogs and am grateful for them. I am also grateful for soap and water and windows that open.