Life isn't always peaches and cream, but it can give you cream soda. This evening, we got the kids settled in bed, came back downstairs, and relished the quiet for a little while. Then, it happened. Nathaniel came down the stairs calling for me as though his life depended on me (ok, so I guess it does at his age), with absolutely nothing on. Let me rephrase that: he wasn't wearing clothes, but he was wearing a green substance that had a very sweet smell. I mean, it wasn't just green, it was leprechaun green, and I recognized it immediately. I went upstairs to see that he, Benjamin, and Nyssa had been celebrating quietly with some things Nyssa had taken upstairs without us knowing it, the little sneak. All three were dressed in green frosting from head to toe, and there was a nearly empty two liter bottle of Diet A&W Cream Soda on the floor in the boys' room, along with their Lincoln Log wanna be toys, Nathaniel's favorite orange blanket, and two pillows. They lay, covered in green on the carpet which was, on the other side of the room, a golden beige.
The Three Musketeers had struck again. I was upset, I was angry; I was furious. I was livid! I was definitely undeniably, unequivocally, most assuredly, certainly, truly most sincerely.....very put out. I could feel the swarm of bees coming from my ears ready to sting upon command. My heart pounded as I felt the anger flush flowing to my cheeks as my 11 month old who had slept soundly through it all woke up and started crying. I went to the girls' room, praying and pleading to God with all my heart that they hadn't decided to paint her as well. She was pure, untouched. She was just wet. Richard took her while I marched the Three Amigos to the bathtub to wash the candied mixture out of their hair and off their little bodies. That carnival we talked about going to tomorrow? Nope. Not gonna happen; maybe next weekend.
The positive side is that the carpet shampooer which we purchased a couple years back was already in the boys' room where I had cleaned the carpet earlier today before we went to CiCi's. Nathaniel had used it as a canvas for his poop, along with the walls and the window. So, at least I didn't have to haul the cleaner upstairs again. Ten minutes while the kids were soaking and the device earned its weight in gold yet again. The carpet was almost good as new.
Why, why, WHY do the kids insist on this kind of behavior? Almost every week I need to drag out that carpet shampooer for some disaster or another. Do they just like the carpet shampooer? Is that it? Maybe they don't think the carpet is clean enough so they get together and devise a plan to get it REALLY dirty so I'll pull out the machine. Same with the walls, though I will say it was a first for the window. Last year, it wasn't poop on the window, just Jupiter breaking it when the boys decided to jump off the bookcase headboard and swat at the innocent planet as it hung from the ceiling. That solar system went out the door the following morning, much to my children's dismay. Every time I turn around, they're pulling something or other that makes me want to grab a pillow and scream in frustration.
But, in all honesty, am I any better? I get out the frosting and the soda of life and taste it. It's not good for me in the first place, but I like it, it tastes good. So I decide to lather myself and everything around me with it and Someone else has to help wash it off. Someone else has to clean up the rest of the mess while I sit in the other room waiting for my punishment. And, of course, I get it. I reap the effects of what I have done, and it smarts, but I still know I am loved in spite of it. At the end of the day, I can curl up peacefully in the arms of One who loves me beyond measure, with Whom I feel safe. I can look up and say, "Will you please stay with me until I fall asleep?" And He does.
Did I mention that Nathaniel is Autistic? He's 5 and he's got a combination of Asperger's and atypical Autism. They call it PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. A year ago, he couldn't look me in the eye. A year ago, he couldn't say, "I did it," when I asked him a question. A year ago. Tonight, he was laughing and playing with his brother and sister. Tonight he was engaging in social play. Tonight his eyes shone as he looked at me, smiled, and gave me a kiss. Tonight he asked me if I would stay with him until he fell asleep. Frosting and Soda. What a mess, but I got to help him clean it up and kiss him and hug him and lay beside him as he sighed contentedly and drifted off to dreamland. No, life isn't always peaches and cream, but tonight, it was sweet. Frosting and Soda.
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