A Cold, Wet Butt

(What a title! But it's true)

Before Christmas I was able to attend a Ladies Christmas Tea, hosted by Grace Fellowship Church, held at Tinelli's Hathaway house. (Our wedding reception was held there. Very beautiful and excellent service and food) The speaker, who happens to be my mother's cousin, Kathy ended up with an extra ticket. She kindly thought of me.

On the night of the tea I met my Grandmother, and her sisters Sidney and Joyce, and we headed off to Tinelli's, which is out in the middle of nowhere, think one or two houses in sight and a 20 minute drive to the nearest "town". As always with my Grandmother's family, we spent a lot of time laughing and making sure Aunt Sidney knew where she was going in the dark.

The evening was wonderful. The music beautiful, skit funny, speaker excellent as always, and the food decadent - chocolate fondant, bread pudding with black berries and oranges, and a carrot cake with pears! It was a nice evening out with family.

The end came, as all endings will - too soon. We gathered out coats and gloves, this is Christmas in Central NY after all. It had been raining the whole time we were at the tea. Aunt Sidney went to get her car and we waited, talking with other family members who were there and friends.

I helped Grandma and Aunt Joyce down the stairs and then got in the car myself. The seat was a little cold, but I figured it would warm up quickly. In only a few moments I noticed that my pants were a little wet. I thought it was b/c I had kept the door open for a few seconds before getting in. My pants proceeded to become wetter and wetter, and my underwear was also starting to feel a bit damp.

I reached my hand under my butt and low and behold the seat was not just damp, but sopping wet! My Grandmother's seat, on the passenger side of the car, was also damp, so was the middle. After trying to figure out where I could sit that would save me from becoming wetter, which there was none, and discussing how the seat could have gotten so wet with the door "closed", I finally decided to sit in the wet seat and have a very wet, very cold, butt.

My Grandmother and her sisters had a great time on the way home about me and my wet butt. I made it home and quickly went upstairs to change. Where upon my husband thought I had had a terrible time, since I rushed upstairs and didn't say anything to him.

Tea Parties and Pooping Incidents

I had a bi-polar day today, the day, not me. It started out wonderful. Sam and Elizabeth we are my parents house overnight; the had gone to see a play with my Mom and then to spend the night. I got up at 6 am for prayer and meditation moments with Max Lucado. As always, he opened my eyes to something in God's Word I never noticed. I so love learning something new about God everyday!

I had a quiet breakfast, since no one else in the house was up. I did some dishes, folded some laundry, and picked up a little bit before Hope awoke and came down for breakfast. She ate waffles and had just finished when Matt brought Amy down for waffles. Despite having them both up I was still having a great morning. Matt helped me finish getting the house ready for Elizabeth's Birthday Tea.

Elizabeth and Sam arrived home. Sam, Hope, Amy, and Matt left for his parent's and Elizabeth dressed in her princess dress. 6 little girls arrived for tea and cake, ate, opened presents, and ran wild through the house. When they all left, except for my niece who was staying until her parents arrived home from a conference, I was ready for some more quiet time.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Matt arrived home with the other three and then headed out to play a little football with friends. Amy needed to eat and the others watched a movie. Things were still going well, if a bit more than I wanted to do.

Made a quick supper for the kids, mac and cheese. As I was placing the plates on the table and calling the kids, I realized I didn't see Hope. She had been reading books, but she was gone. I set the other 4 kids up with their suppers and told them to be good while I searched for Hope.

I did not have to search far. There she was in front of the upstairs bathroom door, which Elizabeth had locked, holding a pair of poopy stained underwear with no poopy in it. The other hand was held up in the air, covered in poop. I was sent over the deep end. I frantically tried to call Matt to come home and help with the other kids, who I could hear fighting and banging things around, while simultaneously keeping Hope from touching anything with her poopy hand, unlocking the bathroom door, finding where the poopy had ended up, getting the rest of Hope's clothes off, and getting her into the shower.

I could not reach him. After trying him multiple times and calling other people I knew he would be playing football with (it was dark at this point in time so I doubted they were still playing), I finally reached him and told him to come home. Hope was screaming for him in the shower, she hates to get her hair wet.

Matt arrived home and took care of the other 4 kids and their messes from supper. I finished cleaning up Hope, got her into her pjs, and cleaned up the poop (which she had put into the warm mist humidifiers cooling chamber, which parts are soaking in Vinegar in an attempt to remove the rest of the poop, I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable using it again!)

An hour after the whole pooping incident started, things were mostly clean and back to normal. My niece was picked up by her parents, Hope and Elizabeth were in bed and Sam and Amy were on their way.

I was sitting at my computer, wallowing in pity over my horrible night. Matt encouraged me to head over to a friend's birthday party and have some adult time and chocolate/peanut butter cake. I didn't want to go. I was enjoying my wallow and wanted it to continue. Besides, who wants to be around a wallower. He pushed me out the door, despite my misgivings that I wasn't wanted there in my current state.

He was right. I felt much better after I got there and indulged my need for chocolate and peanut butter. I enjoyed talking with adult friends, especially since the conversation revolved around science and nursing (2 nurses, a PA, vet tech, and radiology assistant will encourage that!).

I never cease to be amazed at how God has things all planned out. He knew the Pooping Incident would occur and how difficult that would be for me after the busy day I'd had. He had a friend plan an early birthday party for their husband, gave Matt the opportunity to get out of the house and play football earlier in the day so he would be willing to let me go out myself. Perfection! (Coicidences orchestrated by God)