Have you used your chapstick lately?



 Jack was a great cat. Our kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on the mat in our bathroom.

We have three children, 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli.

Eli really loves Chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick. I explained that he could use it whenever he wanted to BUT he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush in an effort to get ready for Church. Everyone seemed to be whining, crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I was trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up.

Everything was a mess. It seemed like the family had forgotten that it was Mother's Day - a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is "motherhood".

 We finally have the older one and and the baby loaded in the car and I was looking for Eli. I searched everywhere and I finally checked the bathroom. There was Eli... and Jack, the cat. Eli was applying my Chapstick very carefully to Jack's... ah... rear end!

Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped."

Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right. Their little bottoms do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.

The only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your Chapstick on the cat's butt.