It is no accident that we have four girls. It is certain that my husband would not trade his four girls for all of the boys in the world, but I know that sometimes he must feel he can't escape...well, pink. It also seems that pink seems to show up when he is the most frustrated, when things have spiraled out of control. Today was a perfect example. Before church is over his stomach begins to growl for chips and salsa. As much as I want to save us money and fix lunch at home, when we get in the car and are pulling out of the church parking lot, he insists on eating Mexican. Today was no exception. In spite of the fact that it was raining cats and dogs and Hosanna had just wet her pants, he wanted to proceed with our Sunday lunch tradition. We experienced the typical meal in a public setting. There were some moments of cheerful conversation mixed with whining or loud, silly behavior. Fortunately, Moriah slept through the entire meal which is most unusual. Typically she awakes as soon as I begin to eat. Then its trying to nurse discreetly and eat with my left hand...very awkward. Hosanna announced "boop" at the table, which means "I need to go potty immediately." So I ask, "Do you need to go potty? Mommy will take you." To which she replies, "No. Boop home. Boop home." Ah, what two year old can only relax on their own potty? Isn't that something that happens to you when your old? Well, I didn't push it. She'll just have to hold it I decided. It took the waiter forever to bring the check. At last he arrived with it and I took Moriah, still sleeping in her car seat, to the register. Brian was to bring the other three. He presently has a bulging disc in his back and can't really do much and he stands completely crooked. Due to the pain in his back he was really on edge today and easily "set off." As I stood at the register and signed our receipt there was some discussion between Brian and the cashier about our bill. (Two quesadillas vs. one and so forth...) The older girls were jumping up and down asking for quarters to put in the gumball machine and other customers were starting to line up behind us. And then it happened. Bethany announces, "Look, Hosanna's peeing." And sure enough, there she stood in front of the lineup of tempting machines filled with plastic junk with a stream coming out of her blue checked dress and forming a puddle on the rug below her feet clad in green, froggy rubber boots. Yes, it had to be on the rug. That did it for Brian, he yanked her out of the restaraunt, while I began my apologies to the man behind the counter. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a little boy about the same age as Hosanna walk up to her puddle and began to step and splash in it as if he were outside in a spring shower. I rushed out the door with Moriah, Naomi, and Bethany feeling embarassed and ashamed...did we always have to leave our mark behind in every restaraunt we entered? I found Brian outside angry and scolding Hosanna as his host of females surrounded him. I began to gently remind him she had told us she had to go, but I knew to back off quickly. He stormed out into the parking lot in the pouring rain like a knight in battle, bringing the car to his awaiting maidens. It was his duty to get soaking wet, drenched to keep his girls dry. We waited under the awning to keep from getting soaked as he marched of through puddles and a soaking shower - full of fury and frustration. But instead of a knight with shield and sword, he stormed off with an umbrella and crooked back. It was at this point he looked up with disgust to find he was carrying a tiny umbrella covered in pink polka dots, not even big enough to keep his two year old dry. I stood there and watched him all but swear as he roughly shut the the feminine umbrella that seemed to him the equivalent of a parasol. To see the gait of an angry man march off into the rain with a pink polka-dotted umbrella was more than I could bear. I began to laugh so loud my children were frightened. My poor husband was not amused however, which for some reason seemed even funnier. Because he's the awesome guy that he is, he was able to laugh at it five minutes later. But I think pink is definitely a color chosen for my husband by an all knowing, all loving Father. Pink, it's no accident...
