Poop-a-palooza at McDonald's
I had been in desperate need for some hair help. About a month ago, I was finally able to make my appt with Judy. It was to be last Thursday. I was excited. I saved money. I had the perfect morning planned. I figured out that in the hour between taking my oldest daughter to school, and my appointment that I would take my youngest daughter to McDonald’s for the morning. Somehow, in my head I thought I am doing a good parenting deed. I am taking this child for some mommy time, and nothing could possibly go wrong.
I had my time all planned out. It was going to be a perfect morning! Everything was going to work out great. My youngest was very excited to find out that mommy was going to treat her to a McDonald’s breakfast, and let her play on the playground. So we have our breakfasts, and she was playing. I am watching the time, and we were doing well. At about ten minutes before we had to leave, my daughter comes down from the slide telling me she has to go potty. So I take her in the bathroom, and she does not go.
I tell her, “We have ten more minutes and then we’re leaving.” I let her run back up the slide again.
She comes right now and says in her sweet 3-year-old voice, “Mommy I have to go potty.” I take her back into the bathroom. . .she’d pooped. It was all over her underwear, down her jeans, in her socks. I tried to take off her jeans and poop goes flying on the floor. I start panicking. I’m looking around for paper towels. . .evidently this particular McDonald’s bathroom is trying to go eco-friendly because all I can find is hand sanitizer. I started trying to use toilet paper, and freaking out in the process. Then I realize, this kid has been potty trained for months. I have no change of clothes for her or nothing in my purse to put poopy clothes in. Then, I look at the time. My appointment! I’m going to be late! I hate being late. This is not the day I planned! As best as I can I tried to clean her up, get the floor semi-clean, and figure out how to grab her clothes so no poop is exposed. I was very grateful she had a long shirt on so I leave her bare butted and go speed walking out the McDonald’s to my car. I get to my car, try to buckle her in, but there is still poop remnants up her legs. I’m trying not to gag. I get in the car, get home, call Judy to tell her I’d be late and throw my daughter in the bathtub.
“I’m sorry mommy!” My daughter said softly after I calmed down.
In all the day worked out. My hair turned out great and it really wasn’t that big of a deal that I was a few minutes late. Yes, having a kid with a poop-a-pooloza in a McDonald’s is stressful. But I was all frustrated and worked up over the situation when really it all turned out okay. . .
So many times in life, we flip out, flesh out, freak out, and stress out over the small issues. When really they can’t be helped. Things happen.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;” We say we love each other but how do we really treat them when they tick us off? Do we grumble about them or do we suffer long and continue to be kind with them.
Romans 8:5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
It is very easy in moments like the one I had to “flesh out” but when you find yourself in the midst of them, take a moment and breath. Remember that you are living according the Spirit. Instead of going into a full-fledged flesh attack we’re you completely panicking remember pray for peace. Remember to show love. Remember to think eternally. In my situation Judy may never remember or care that I was ten minutes late, but my daughter might remember how I reacted to stressful situations her entire life.
I’ll admit that on Thursday I had a bit of a minor freak out. I was reminded of a valuable lesson. I apologized to her, and it all worked out in the end. But I might throw a change of her underwear and a plastic bag in my purse just in case of a repeat.
I had my time all planned out. It was going to be a perfect morning! Everything was going to work out great. My youngest was very excited to find out that mommy was going to treat her to a McDonald’s breakfast, and let her play on the playground. So we have our breakfasts, and she was playing. I am watching the time, and we were doing well. At about ten minutes before we had to leave, my daughter comes down from the slide telling me she has to go potty. So I take her in the bathroom, and she does not go.
I tell her, “We have ten more minutes and then we’re leaving.” I let her run back up the slide again.
She comes right now and says in her sweet 3-year-old voice, “Mommy I have to go potty.” I take her back into the bathroom. . .she’d pooped. It was all over her underwear, down her jeans, in her socks. I tried to take off her jeans and poop goes flying on the floor. I start panicking. I’m looking around for paper towels. . .evidently this particular McDonald’s bathroom is trying to go eco-friendly because all I can find is hand sanitizer. I started trying to use toilet paper, and freaking out in the process. Then I realize, this kid has been potty trained for months. I have no change of clothes for her or nothing in my purse to put poopy clothes in. Then, I look at the time. My appointment! I’m going to be late! I hate being late. This is not the day I planned! As best as I can I tried to clean her up, get the floor semi-clean, and figure out how to grab her clothes so no poop is exposed. I was very grateful she had a long shirt on so I leave her bare butted and go speed walking out the McDonald’s to my car. I get to my car, try to buckle her in, but there is still poop remnants up her legs. I’m trying not to gag. I get in the car, get home, call Judy to tell her I’d be late and throw my daughter in the bathtub.
“I’m sorry mommy!” My daughter said softly after I calmed down.
In all the day worked out. My hair turned out great and it really wasn’t that big of a deal that I was a few minutes late. Yes, having a kid with a poop-a-pooloza in a McDonald’s is stressful. But I was all frustrated and worked up over the situation when really it all turned out okay. . .
So many times in life, we flip out, flesh out, freak out, and stress out over the small issues. When really they can’t be helped. Things happen.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;” We say we love each other but how do we really treat them when they tick us off? Do we grumble about them or do we suffer long and continue to be kind with them.
Romans 8:5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
It is very easy in moments like the one I had to “flesh out” but when you find yourself in the midst of them, take a moment and breath. Remember that you are living according the Spirit. Instead of going into a full-fledged flesh attack we’re you completely panicking remember pray for peace. Remember to show love. Remember to think eternally. In my situation Judy may never remember or care that I was ten minutes late, but my daughter might remember how I reacted to stressful situations her entire life.
I’ll admit that on Thursday I had a bit of a minor freak out. I was reminded of a valuable lesson. I apologized to her, and it all worked out in the end. But I might throw a change of her underwear and a plastic bag in my purse just in case of a repeat.
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