What would you do with this purse?

I will start with this tiny nugget from my life. It happened yesterday.

After work, I had a million errands to run. We started off at Dr. Kirkham's and wound up at Central market. It was getting late and we had one more critical stop to make at Wal Mart. After only 15 minutes or so of shopping Kamdyn announces that she has to go to the bathroom. This is a very common occurrence at Wal Mart. So we trek to the lay-away department bathroom in the back of the store.

We all proceed into the family bathroom where the obvious takes place. As Garrison starts to take his turn, Kamdyn squeals behind him about a bug on the floor. Garrison turns slightly to the left, (body and all if you catch my drift...) and somehow manages to pee into my open purse just by the toilet. Now he is watching Kamdyn and I'm washing my hands only to turn around and see this happening. I screamed so loudly that I made him jump and pee went literally EVERYWHERE!!! He never stopped peeing during the entire course of these events. It was in every nook and crannie in my purse. I just stood there staring in shock and disbelief not quite sure what to do. Kamdyn says," You are in real trouble now, Garrison." as we all just stand there staring at my sopping wet purse. After a moment or two as I collected my thoughts, a had Garrison dump out my purse and separate all the things that were wet from those hopefully not wet. He was sobbing by this time apologizing over and over and over again. I was so mad I couldn't even find the humor in the situation. I was exhausted and hungry and grumpy and the kids had been making me crazy arguing so this only increased my anxiety and turmoil.

We were in the bathroom (cleaning the contents of my purse) for so long that the manager came and checked on us. I asked for a plastic Wal Mart bag to put my stuff in. I borrowed the Lysol in the layaway department, thoroughly washed out the purse and all it's pockets ( I just got the thing in the Summer!)sprayed it down with Lysol, stuffed it with tissue and shoved the plastic bag into the opening. Garrison is still saying over and over, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry."

I knew he didn't mean to do it but I was furious because we talk about staying focused and concentrating when you are doing something really important. It took me a good 20 minutes to calm down during which time the children were instructed not to even talk to each other but sit still and stare straight ahead. Not one of my finer mommy moments.

As I tucked him into bed last night I told him that everyone makes mistakes and that no matter what I loved him. He was a little better but still sad.

This morning as he was getting ready to walk out the door to school with Dad. He put his arms around me and whispered the following in my ear:

" Mommy, I love you forever I love you always. Forever and ever my mommy you'll be. I'm sorry about all the mistakes I have made and all the things I do wrong."

To which I replied:
"I love you forever and I love you for always and forever and always my Garrison you'll be and I am also sorry for all the mistakes I make and I promise I will try to do better."

We hugged for a long time forgiving one another. He put his not so little hands on my face and kissed me on the nose and told me to have a good day.

These little phrases are Garrison's rendition of a children's book we have read about a million times but he gets it: Unconditional love and he taught me a little more how it's done right. Nobody is perfect certainly not mommies but he loves me anyway. And I know he knows I love him unconditionally.

Sort of reminds me of the man upstairs....