And the mother of the year award goes to………

My son and I were hiking up a beautiful canyon on a Sunday afternoon.  It was just four miles away from our house and we both really needed to get out on a beautiful Sunday Afternoon.

Zoom announced that he had to go to the bathroom.  I mentioned that there was no bathroom and he had to hold it.  He then announced emphatically that he could not and it then became apparent that it was not a pee in the bushes kind of moment.  I became frustrated knowing that we were about 20 minutes up the trail and there was no place to really stop and have your kid go poop.

I looked up to the left and nobody was close.  I looked to down to the right and saw people a distant way off.  We climed up some slick rock and I told him that he needed to squat to go.  He didn’t quite understand. I decided to put my arm down and have him bend at the knees and I would place my arm across so he could have the sense of balance to do his dooty.

However, upon placing my arm down my son apprently didn’t understand my instructions and instantly I realized why he couldn’t hold it much longer.  I looked down to only see a pile and poop on my arm and instictively I scream and flung my arm up of which the force of the flinging flung the defication into the arm only to have gravity take its toll and fall back to the earth crossing over my sons head and sliding down his blond locks and across his back.  I was disquisted and my frustration mounted into angry.  There my son, my precious four year old little boy stood in his homo erectice form and pooped without squating and more landing in his underware.

What the heck?  Did he not understnad my instructions……

I dragged him down to the river of which I am not sure that his feet touched the ground as I picked him up from the arm.  I was completely grossed out and poured out my emotions of disquist of poop and …and hikes.

I got myself washed up and looked at my little boy.  There he stood with tears running down his checks….tears of embarrassement for this moment with a mom who had no empathy or understanding of the situation.  He was ashamed.

I took a deep breath and looked up and down the trail.  I assured him that nobody saw and we could get him cleaned up before anybody saw.

He then said the words that hit me like a ton of bricks as only a child could do.  But somebody did see mom. Jesus was watching.

…and then I was embarrassed.  Embarraseed I didn’t keep my cool.  Embarrased that I didn’t handle myself better.  Embarrased that I ever cursed the situation.  These are in fact the moments I will cherish forever.  My little boy is turning 5 next week marking a passage that leaves behind the pre school and the beautiful life they live.