The Day We Had to Carry Eli in a Plastic To-Go Bag

The other weekend we went out to eat Hawaiian BBQ. We enjoyed a nice peaceful meal and were about to get up and leave when I looked down and saw a blob of greenish-brown mush on the floor. I thought to myself, "Strange. I didn't feed Eli green beans." And then I looked directly above the blob and saw that Eli had literally pooped out of his pants, onto the chair, and down to the floor. For a second I thought I had forgotten to put a diaper on him it was THAT BAD. But then I remembered my tendency to underestimate my children. Apparently, my son can take a dump so ferociously that its explosion knows no boundaries. What can I say, he dazzles.

We don't have many traditions, but one of the few is to have a portrait made of each of our children as soon as they turn one year old to have displayed in our home. It also happens to be a tradition to get this portrait done for free with a coupon.

Once we believe our family is complete, we plan to take a family portrait that we will actually, ooh, splurge and pay for. That will also be displayed on our walls, much like the many displayed in my parents' home. It's always fun to stroll down memory lane and remember the time I had short hair and looked like a boy or when I thought big shaker-knit sweater vests were all the rage. If only the studio portraits were full-body shots and showed the baggy jeans I folded tightly at the ankles cutting off the circulation to my feet. All in the name of great fashion, or so I thought. This is why I'm driven to select very plain, boring outfits for my boys to be photographed in. Thus, the plain linen shirt on Jude (seen below) was my choice. Kwang liked the more patterned shirt for Eli, and fortunately the two go well together. This portrait of Jude & Eli warms my heart and for some reason makes me very proud to be a mother of two boys. Let's face it, such times can be few and far between. Many times, the only feeling my two boys conjure in me is that of exhaustion or confusion (see: first paragraph above or every previous xanga entry). For me, they are a full-time ministry in themselves.

Be blessed
Be loved
Be lifted high
Be treasured here
Be glorified
I owe my life to You, Oh Lord
Here I am

Beautiful Jesus.