Big Brother to the Rescue!

So today my almost-five-year-old became somewhat of a superhero in my eyes. I had gone into the bathroom to take care of things and was sitting there, well, praying actually (it’s not like there was anything else in there to grab my attention…), when I heard my two-year-old calling for me.

“Mom-mom? Mom-mom!” (that’s his new name for me as of last week).
“Yes?” I shouted back.
“I stinkin’!”
“You mean you’re ‘stinky’?”
“Yup!”
“I’m coming – DON’T take off your diaper! Did you hear me? DO NOT take it off, I’m coming!”

That’s when I saw it: the empty toilet paper holder. Someone, who’s name will not be mentioned (though he’s about 6’2”, sleeps in my bed and is called “Dada” by my children), had broken the cardinal rule of replacing the toilet paper when you use it up. Now I was stuck. I was not only in need of hygiene rescue, but the clock was loudly ticking down to diaper disaster and an hour of sanitizing whatever room the little one was in when he decided to “clean himself up”.

Enter the almost-five-year-old. I had to yell twice for him to hear me over A Bug’s Life and asked him to come meet me in my bathroom. I then gave him step-by-step instructions. This is a toilet paper holder. This is how it works. Please go get the toilet paper off the holder in your bathroom and bring it to Mama.

I couldn’t tell if the pat-pat sound I heard was coming from his feet running down the hall into his bathroom, or that ticking clock I knew was quickly reaching zero hour. Time was running out. The carpet was crying out to me in much anticipated fear: “Save me! Save me! Not again! What a world, what a world…”

Finally my knight in cotton pjs came to my rescue with a slightly unrolled package of pure, heaven-sent goodness. What did the world ever do without toilet paper? I thanked him and praised his good work and then asked him to please run and tell his brother I was on my way and that he should NOT take off his diaper.

I was washing my hands when I heard, “Um, Mom? He already took off his diaper…”

Great.

I ran in the “oh-no” sound of my eldest son’s voice to find little brother – thankfully – standing with his diaper open and pulled back, but his pants still on! It was an early Christmas miracle! The pants are always the first to go! I was so happy about his little oversight that I honestly forgot to even scold him for trying to take his diaper off in the first place. Crisis averted, time saved, carpet relieved. Suddenly I realized how thankful I should be – things could have been worse. A lot worse.

So tonight as I look back on my day I must say thank you, Jesus, for big brothers, toilet paper and forgetful toddlers. Some days I more to be thankful for than I realize.