The Times of Our Lives

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with "Mommy" I have told time by pregnancy and children.  There are times I actually have to think about how old I am and I actually guess wrong!  Through the years my major life events have been connected to "Oh that happened when I was pregnant with 
Calvin" or "This happened when the Consiglieri was a baby."  Although going to the bathroom seems to be a normal life occurance for most people.  When you have six small children or 14 grandchildren, going to the bathroom is a major life event!

First let me say that when I was a young mom with six small children, I must tell you that they were close enough in age that we spent a full 13 years with someone in diapers.  Although potty training can be annoying, the joy in having one less set of diapers to purchase is beyond anyone's imagination.  I sometimes wonder during those years who actually was being trained.  Were the kids learning to use the bathroom or was I being trained to get them there at certain times?

Outside of the cost of disposable diapers (We did try cloth ones for a short time.  Not that cheap and certainly more unpleasant!) it is wonderful to not have to clean up after the messy ones (you know, poop) or the ones that leaked!  Of course that means running to the bathroom every fifteen minutes or so with someone!  And let's talk about accidents!  That is the absolute worst!!!!  And that is only the stuff you deal with in your own house.  Inconveniences at the least, gagging at the most.

What happens when you decide to venture out of the house with a newly de-diapered child?  Initially there are a LOT of accidents.  As your experience goes you start to investigate locations prior to arriving.  You have mapped out in your mind the location of every bathroom facility.  In your own mind, this becomes the heart of your adventures and you even go so far as to plan outings based on the quality of the bathrooms.  Are they clean?  Do they have a changing table?  What do I do if I need to use the bathroom too?!  What do I do when my child decides to crawl under the door and escape?  So many details to clutter your life!  

You also start becoming a pack mule.  The diaper bag now gets loaded with three or four outfits "just in case."  You start limiting liquids before you leave home.  It's logical, right?  What goes in must come out, so don't put anything in!  

Eventually as the kids get a little more confident in their bathroom skills, they decide to help you in rating facilities.  If you are traveling, you suddenly find yourself stopping at every single rest area.  I can just about guarantee that I have been to EVERY rest area between Washington DC and Colorado, and Florida to Michigan!  I even thought I could outsmart them by carrying a portable potty chair in the van when we traveled, because you always have that one child (and sometimes more) that has to "go" right after you have passed a rest area and the next one is 50 miles away!

So moms, when you look back at your vacation pictures you might not remember going.  I am pretty confident though that you will remember the trip based on bathroom necessities and who was in need at the time because of their age!  Maybe I should put together a book advising moms on the best bathrooms!

I hope you have a blessed week!  Enjoy the hassles of the the little ones.  Believe it or not, one day you will miss it!