After we saw Rhema’s new gastroenterologist, we bought out the store’s supply of laxatives, stool softeners and fiber gummies.
Three days. Three days of pumping her full…
and then…
the chocolate sauce spurts, then pours, then flows. And flows.
Three baths in one afternoon. Scrubbed floors and rugs. Two laundry cycles.
I can’t stop it, can’t clean fast enough.
“Hurry home,” I say on the phone. “We might drown.”
He finds us, smelly, yet alive.
He wipes a spot on the wall.
He kisses my forehead in all the mess.
Thank you. And we grin.
How far we’ve come, babe. Remember how this thing used to break us?
There is something sweet still here.
And somehow I am every woman, I’ve even managed to cook a little dinner.
At the table is my Rhema, clean for the moment, lovely always.
And my thoughtful, joy-filled Hope who thanks me before digging in.
“But um, Mommy. There’s poop on my burger.”
“Oh, no there’s not.”
“Oh, yes. There is.”
.
I love this family, chocolate sauce and all. And all and all.
Oh man! How frustrating! But you are awesome and your children beautiful
. And Hope – what a sweetie! I hope she got a clean burger after all that LOL.
Also, what a coincidence with all the poop…. I have been trying to toilet train my son and daughter at the same time, and I feel like my life is just plagued with poo right now, haha! Poo on the rug, on the tiles, on their legs, on my jeans, traipsed all over the house. The place stinks and so far, the little one is the only one who gets it enough to run to the potty! I am despairing that my boy will ever learn to use the toilet.
there’s still some debate over whether it was a poop burger. she’s of course convinced it was. but i made her eat every last bite.
OH nnoooooooooo!!! Yuck! Well, glad she’s flowing cuz being plugged is no fun for sure!
Glad Rhema’s unplugged! Poor Hope having to eat a burger with chocolate sauce. You should have saved that for the ice cream sundae!
I love this…written, I can imagine, with a defiant grin. You go! With God’s strength nothing can break us.
you are such lovely parents May God continue to bless you all, love you Shelley
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face! Just read this post after bathing my 4 1/2 year-old for the third time in 24 hours, starting yet another load of toxic laundry, and attempting (with little success) to clean our poor, abused sofa. The Lord has certainly blessed you with patience and a wonderfully cheerful attitude— I’m praying He’ll teach me the same.
It warms my heart that you and your husband, no pun intended, go with the flow and still show affection to each other. The two of you ought to write a book on how to stay connected when autism is your blessing.
And all and all indeed. Hang in there!
Have you tried a gluten and casein free diet? It eliminated (no pun intended) our bowel issues for our two PDD kids.
Oh……maybe next time the “chocolate sauce” should end up on the ice cream instead of on the burger…..sweet Hope. Sweet, sweet Rhema. Thinking of you!!