A Learning Experience

We have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Humility seems to be one of the keys. Being honest and vulnerable with others in the church and outside the church. As John pointed out to me last night, it flies in the face of modern suburbia and the American Dream. It can be very hard to make yourself admit that you need help or that you don't have it all together. And then...

Your septic tank craps out (literally and figuratively). We have water and electricity. So it's not quite the same as a power outage. I can get hot or cold water into the house. It's just getting it out of the house that is the problem. It really makes you analyze your water consumption patterns. For example, one of my chores is doing the laundry. I have a washing machine, but if I use it, my septic tank will overflow. I have three choices. I can 1) do no laundry - my favorite idea, but likely to lead to an unpleasant olfactory experience. 2) Go to a laundry mat and remember what it was like to not have all the modern conveniences and to need lots of quarters for thing other than allowances. 3) Beg the use of a friend's washing machine - humbling myself and bringing my dirty laundry (including kid's underwear) to another persons house. Talk about airing your dirty laundry.

It is frustrating to me that I can't just fix the problem. I feel like waving a fist in the air at the injustice of it all. But then, I think I'd do better to just take it as a learning experience - a chance to be humble and ask for help. I suppose this philosophical attitude is facilitated by the expected time frame. If this goes on for more than two weeks, my attitude might not be so accepting....

So where IS that Diaper?

So today has been one of those days....
Our early morning visit to the doctor took half the morning. Timo is great but has a sore throat. Dylan hid behind the door so he wouldn't have to see his little brother get shots.

Meanwhile John took Diesel to get the county's approval for a "perk" test. What is a perk test, you ask. That's what they do to see if you are allowed to have a new leach field put in your property. A new leach field? Yes. The old one no longer works. So at the moment we have a big stinky hole in our back yard. But don't worry, Ma'am, I'm sure you'll get it all fixed before your tank starts overflowing all over your yard! John then called the septic guys to have them do the perk test. They will call the Health Department tomorrow morning. It should be scheduled in the next two weeks. And then, if we pass, we still have to have them install the new field...

So, my head ache is growing, my kids are cranky, but I still plug on. I make dinner, do some school with Dylan. Finally allow Dylan to paint a paper mache balloon he had made 2 weeks ago. As we are working, I hear Diesel moving around upstairs. He is awake from his nap, walking around in a shirt and diaper. He has been having some constipation problems lately, but milk of magnesia has finally come to the rescue. He is no longer screaming in pain every half an hour. Yeah! In fact he is really quite happy again. I go and check on him. He is a bit stinky, so I'll change him in a few minutes. I finish with Dylan, go get Diesel, whose long shirt is covering his bottom. I put him on the changing table only to realise that he has no diaper on his stinky bottom. He took it off. I have no idea when, where, or what he has sat on in the meantime. I have looked, but not found. I might let my foxhound sniff it out for me. He seems to like the smell.