I’m not sure everyone will agree that I deserve an attaboy but I’m taking one!
When I went to get the kids up this morning, I noticed that Dekker’s hands were sticky. Oily, maybe. I pointed it out to him and asked what it was. “Dekker not member.” That tends to be his answer when he figures he’s in trouble. He wasn’t at all, but this was new. I knew he had gotten into some kind of product. In their change table, there is a cupboard that holds all kinds of bum creams, medications, and random products. It may sound unsafe, but not only is everything important sealed off with a childproof lid, but Dekker is not a mischievous kid and I’ve never had to worry about him messing around with stuff like that. Upon checking the cupboard, I found a pump bottle of lotion. We’ve been using it on Laela’s tummy and neck recently, since her poor skin has really been suffering from the winter dryness. Dekker always wants to help, so I figured he had helped himself to a pump. I noticed some grease spots on his shirt, and even some on Laela’s shirt, so it all added up. Not a big deal at all. The lotion was usually up a little higher, but Dekker probably cleaned it up after its last use and we didn’t notice it go into the cupboard. At least it was just lotion, right?
I changed Laela’s diaper and set her free while I got Dekker lined up for his. I was chatting with Dekker when I heard Laela splashing. In a puddle. On their floor. There was a solid puddle of something that was not lotion on their floor. As I scanned the rest of the floor, I saw greasy little footprints all over the floor. I’m sure they’re in the carpet as well. I asked Dekker if he knew what was on the floor. “Oh, water” he replied. I looked up at his water cup, but it was definitely out of his reach. I asked where the water came from, and he told me “The bottle.” Huh. So I asked if he could show me which bottle, and he immediately “didn’t remember” which I didn’t buy for a second.
Here’s my attaboy. Or I guess my attagirl? As you guys know, Dekker has tried my patience and my general ability to exist in a home with him the last few weeks. We have more bad days than good right now, and this was not a smooth start. However, I urged him calmly to show me the bottle that had the mysterious water in it. He finally went into the cupboard and pulled out an ancient bottle that once contained a vitamin D liquid that is meant for newborns to take while they are nursing. As many of you know, I nursed Dekker for a very short period of time and didn’t nurse Laela, so that bottle was a solid three years old. Why its still in our home, I have no idea. But it was almost empty, and was covered in a sticky substance. In that second, I decided not to freak on him. I do that so much these days, and really, it is my job as his parent to keep him out of arms reach of things like medications, or just things I really don’t want him to have! So I gave him a big hug for answering my question and telling me where he had gotten the water, I moved it up higher, and finished up diapers. Not ONCE did I show any of the frustration that was boiling up, or the fatigue I was already feeling towards the situation.
After getting the kids settled with their breakfasts, I went back to their room and soaked up as much of the mess as I could. Then I sprayed the crap out of the floor with vinegar, and wiped and wiped. I can safely say it looks quite a bit better, but its still sticky under my feet. Not much, but a bit. However, I assessed the situation and decided that the longer I spent on it, the more angry I would potentially become, so I have left it for the time being. I’ll likely do another round of vinegar, or maybe blue dawn and hot water when they wake up, but for now, I was finished in there. Next, I threw every product/medication into a box, and scoured the house for every other baby product I could find. The worst they could do now in there is spread out the diapers. Be my guest, guys.
After breakfast, I brought the box downstairs with me and sorted through it. I actually found it interesting to look through everything! Kind of like the time I dug through my recycling stuff, it took me back and reminded me of where we’d been in the last couple of years. I found an amazing amount of diaper creams that we had bought and tried for the YEAR that Dekker suffered from a rash. I found a handful of half-used bottles of saline for the many colds the kids had before we discovered the nose sucker thing. I found unopened boxes of medications that will last us for quite some time, I think! I found whats left from Dekkers last box of patches. I think I need to keep a couple to go in his baby book, but I’m hoping to give the rest to friends of ours who still have kids in patches. Our time may come again, but for now, I want them out of my house and into the hands/onto the faces of those who can use them. Patches are surprisingly expensive, if you didn’t know. A box of 50 is about $45 if you want the ones that don’t tear your kids skin straight off of their face, and we used two every day. It adds up fast. Anyway, we found that box, as well as the tiny little eye dropper and ointment tube of the antibiotics we had to put in Dekkers eyes after his surgery. That choked me up a bit. Yet I couldn’t throw them out. We’re at about ten months post-op and still looking good, from what I can see. We’ve come a long way.
I enjoyed the task of digging through all the kids stuff, actually. I liked seeing back, and also purging a bit. I chucked out all the diaper creams that we tried/started, since Dekker’s yeast was so bad and if I ever double dipped my finger, there could be remnants in there. But I have a couple of unopened ones if anyones in need! And I also feel good being able to look back at my morning and see that I do, in fact, have the ability to not completely lose it. Instead, I’ll do the more loving parental thing and instead remove the possibility that this could happen again. A good move, I’d say.
Ok, no more bragging myself up. Time to put my feet up and eat a Christmas orange or two. If you haven’t jumped on that bandwagon yet, Costco is the place to be! Haven’t had a sour one yet, two boxes in!