So...yeah, of all of Joshua's experiences at Camp Barnabas...the ones that he's shared from his week...one affected us all profoundly. And probably not in the way you might think. Because this experience? Let's just say that it was unexpected...by all. And it was a very rare occurrence.
And I realize there may be people who feel like I shouldn't share this, but...I usually post all the fun and funny stuff Joshua does, and everyone surely knows that it's not ALL fun and games over here all the time. This post? Just keepin' it real.
Joshua loved telling us what happened each day at camp...and he went through it meticulously, minute by minute. What he did, what he ate, who said what. If you've read any of my recent posts from this year's camp experience, you'll see that Joshua needs a filter.
But I'm so glad he doesn't have one.
Most of the time.
Joshua, and his FRIENDS, they get to do and say what we all wish we could do and say...but can't. Like, "she's a little BIG," or "this wedding is TOO LONG," or "SIT DOWN, Matt P, so I can eat my lunch!" Because we filter our thoughts, actions and speech...and sometimes we decide that maybe that's not the right thing to say or do, or it's not the right time, or that it might hurt feelings, or that it's bad manners.
So, he tells us that one night...Tuesday night...they have corn dogs to eat. Which, it's always funny to me that camps serve hot dogs anyway. It's one of the most common things kids choke on...and I just would think that at a camp for kids/adults with special needs, you'd want to limit your risk. BUT, it's an easy meal to fix and the campers all LOVE hot dogs.
But this particular night, they had corn dogs. And, for some reason, Joshua said he "pulled off the "corn"...and just ate the dog."
He said, "that corn dog gave me baaaaaaad indigestion!"
They were having a fiesta night, and they were all in their swimsuits. Joshua said that his tummy started to feel funny, and he had to go to the bathroom RIGHT THEN. He said he was too embarrassed to tell anyone he had to go, so he just did it.
There.
In his swimsuit.
Because apparently that's not as embarrassing as just opening your mouth and telling your CIA that you need to go to the potty.
Seriously?
And I realize that many, many parents deal with this on a daily basis...and I feel for you...and I know that you are happy to help your child/adult child in any way, if they can't help themselves.
This may be Joshua one day...but it is not Joshua today. And it frustrated me to no end that he wouldn't use his words to communicate his needs to his CIA. That's one thing we work on all the time with Joshua...asking for help or direction if you need it. He is able to take care of his bathroom needs himself. This was totally out-of-character for him, and something that never, ever happens.
In fact, I was trying to think of the last time he had an "accident" like this, and it was about 8 years ago...at this very camp. I remember because after we had gotten home, he brought his laundry bag from the week into the laundry room, pointed at it and said, "uhhh...there's a little SURPRISE in there for you."
Yes. Yes, there was. And not a GOOD surprise, either. Yee-UCK.
So, he was telling us about the "fiesta" night and the corn dog and and the indigestion...and I said, "what did you do with your swimsuit?" And Joshua said, "I put it in my LAUNDRY BAG."
And, when he is telling us all this...it's FRIDAY. And that thing has set in that bag for 3 solid days. And that bag was in the back of my vehicle, and I IMMEDIATELY could smell it. I was about to gag. Holly said it was all in my head, because she didn't smell it at ALL. But she said, "Jah-sha-WAHHH...you should've cleaned that up and washed that out right then." Joshua said, "I know...I'll do it when I get home."
At that point, it didn't even matter. I had already formulated a plan. I'm pretty frugal, but I'm also older now...and how I would've handled this when I was a younger mom and how I was going to handle it now was very different. Because then? I might've dug around to find the suit and rinsed it out in the toilet like my mom used to do with my little brother's training pants. Or I could've taken it outside and used the water hose on it...then washed it separately with detergent and bleach...and maybe-probably-could've gotten it all cleaned up. But I've learned a thing or ten in my 28 years of parenting, and one of those things is that a three year old, $12 swimsuit from Wal-Mart, is just not worth me trying to scrape, scratch and clean caked-on poop out of. Especially when it has been fermenting in a laundry bag for 3 days...at camp...in the summertime.
Just a little parenting wisdom for all of you newbies out there: NOT.WORTH.IT.
So, I dumped out that laundry bag on the floor of my laundry room. And I got my laundry tongs...yes, tongs. I have a pair of tongs that I use only in my laundry room. Those tongs have been used to pick up my sons' football/soccer/basketball/baseball/track/going-to-work-out-at-the-gym-nasty-sweaty-wet-clothes through the years...but today, I used them to fish around until I found that suit. And I didn't even look at it. I put it into a WM grocery bag, and took it straight to the outside trashcan. I threw away his laundry bag, too.
An hour later, I'm back in the laundry room...doing another load. Joshua sticks his head in the door and asks, "did you find my swimsuit?" I said, "yes." He said, "how was it?" I looked right at him and said, "I'm sorry...it didn't make it."
"Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7
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