After changing Addison’s diaper, I threw away the old one, which was full of yesterday’s lunch and dinner, and searched for a new one. When I returned he obviously hadn’t finished the job, because he unloaded more onto the clean sheets. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and decided if I pick the child up and carry him to the toilet, I could put the goods right where they belong. When I got to there, something was missing. I had Addison, but the flattened BM once stuck firmly to his buttocks, was no where in site. I held him over my head, tipped him to and fro, nothing. I retraced my steps. IT was no where to be found. Then I looked down and there IT was: stuck to the top of my shoe. And, of course I was wearing Crocs - the kind with all sorts of holes on top.

Who do you clean up first in this situation? I decided on Addison; threw my shoes in the tub; and carried on with my day. This wasn’t going to set me off to a bad start because we were going to the beach. Later that day the kids and I arrived at our destination in paradise around sunset. We all tripped on our way out of the car, junk tumbling behind: DVD player, empty water bottles, suitcases, clean diapers, dirty diapers, stuffed animals, wet wipes, and about 100 other big and small items we couldn’t live without for a weekend. We looked like we’d been dragged behind the car, and we smelled as if we’d been living in the vehicle for a week.

The air was lush and the plants green, something I love counting on when I visit the Caribbean. We stretched and came to life. Coco and I discovered a howler monkey about 10 feet in front of us. We walked under the tree and this young female looked down at us. Remembering they often pee when humans come near them, we stepped back a bit. The howler grabbed the fan of a large palm and traversed across to another sturdy branch. She turned her back to us and hung her behind past the limb.Look out! I said.The monkey peed. Then….the monkey took two large poops. Wasn’t this how I started my day? Coco laughed so hard she started to pee in her pants. She took off running to the cabin yelling: I’ve got to poop!

I felt oddly complete, as if I had come full circle.