Oatmeal and Lawnmowers

Having children requires having a sense of humor. The ability to laugh at yourself, despite how irritated, embarrassed, or exhausted you are. How else would one be able to deal with feeding a cranky baby, only to have said baby sneeze, spewing oatmeal all over your face? Or when you find the toilet clogged because not only did your toddler go pee in the potty and wipe, but apparently Dora also went potty and needed to be wiped.

Of course, there are the actual funny moments...that you can laugh at when they happen, as opposed to later, when you calm down. Like when your 11-year-old daughter grabs a handful of M&M's, and asks you why they all have the letter "E" on them. Or when your toddler grabs a Kit Kat bar and offers you a "kitty cat."

However, most of the best moments are the ones that you laugh at later. Much later. Or when they happen to your husband instead of you. Like today. Bruce was going to go to the gas station to get gas and a couple of fountain sodas. He decided to take Irelynn along, who had been asking to go outside all morning. First she could not find any matching shoes. She wanted to wear sandals...which was not exactly appropriate for 35-degree weather. Finally, they compromised on socks and crocs. They headed out the door, with her excitedly waving good-bye. I finished feeding Connor (the one who sneezed oatmeal on my face) and placed him in his jumperoo. I start to walk around and pick up. Suddenly I hear the van horn beeping outside. They couldn't have gone and come back already, could they?

I go outside to see if he needed help. I look at my husband, frowning in the front seat. He rolled the window down.

"You guys haven't left yet?"

"No. We had a meltdown. She wanted to play outside, and I struggled to get her into the van. I finally got her to go by telling her she could bring her lawnmower with her. Could you go get my phone for me? I forgot it."

I glanced to the backseat, where our toddler sat, strapped into her carseat, with her hands clinging to her big pink bubble mower...filling the backseat. She was grinning.

Luckily, my husband has a good sense of humor. Or, he will later today. Much later today.