Busy Bathrooms

One of the advantages to homeschooling is that we don't have to rush everybody out the door every morning at the crack of dawn to get them to school or a babysitter. Our kids are expected to be clean and dressed every morning, but there is more time to get them that way than in the average household. This comes in very handy when you stop and consider that we have five kids and two bathrooms. Needless to say, the bathrooms can become very busy places if we all have to be ready at the same time. And this is exactly what happens every Sunday morning.

In our house, the master bathroom is bigger than the kids bathroom. In our modern architectural mindset, this is standard operating procedure but a rather stupid idea when the kids outnumber the parents. I guess most houses aren't built with that situation in mind, so it's really our fault for not conforming to the whims of the architects. Regardless, we have two bathrooms and the big one is in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom.

A few weeks ago I caught myself experiencing the family's love of Mommy and Daddy's bathroom first hand as I was trying my best to help get kids out the door with myself looking somewhat put together for church. The kids' bathroom is a one-man-show. The shower door is opaque and we are trying to teach the kids modesty. That means one at a time. The big bathroom, on the other hand, is really not that big, but  it does have a separate shower and tub, so we can pull double duty with the younger ones. In order to maximize its use, I put a curtain across the middle of the room dividing the shower and toilet from the sinks and tub. With that in place, someone can take a shower with complete privacy while the littlest ones are taking a bath.

Now that you have the picture of the situation, let me get to the specifics of last weekend. I was brushing my teeth while a couple of kids splashed in the tub. No big deal, I can mange this. Then Maddie came running in. "I have to pee and Zach's in the other shower!" Unfortunately, the curtain rod that provided pee privacy had broken and the curtain kept falling down.

Thinking fast, I picked up the curtain rod and held it into place so Maddie could pee. Keep in mind the toothbrush is still in my mouth, but at least I can reach the sink from where I was standing. Then Mommy came in to work on Cami's hair (which, incidentally, is a daily chore in itself.) Now we have two in the tub, one on the pot, a toothbrush in my mouth and a curtain rod in my hand plus Mommy and Cami working the hair angle. At this point, Zach is the only one not in the big bathroom. Needless to say, it's crowded.

Apparently, Zach's shower was just about done when all this started, because as I held the curtain for Maddie, Zach appeared dressed and ready to go. "What's up, Bud?" I asked casually as can be.

"I'm just emptying the trash," he replied. Darn those responsible kids and their chores.

Realizing that the trashcan was next to the occupied toilet I gave him a pass. "Skip it for today," I said. "The trash will still be there tomorrow."

Sensing a family gathering, one of the cats decides to join the party. As my hands are up over my head affording Maddie her privacy and toothpaste is beginning to drool out the corners of my mouth, the cat chooses that moment to begin her weaving pattern around my legs. Deep breath. Slowly exhale. It could be worse. We could have an outhouse. Hey, that's not a bad idea.

If anyone cares to donate to the new bathroom fund, please send a check to my wife. Homeschool moms are always looking for more projects to do around the house.