Joel Update

I know it's been awhile since I've read the blog when I start typing "Burrichter" in my browser and it doesn't bring up the blog in my internet history.  Sorry about that.  I'm busy trying to graduate from law school so I can take care of all your legal troubles (for free I expect…).

Anyway, someone (Dana) I think asked about graduation/babysitting/etc. in a previous post.  Here's a brief update:

I'm in the thick of finals right now, which is why I haven't done much blog reading.  I had a 3-hour-long Employment Law exam yesterday.  I have two more exams next week (Monday and Thursday) and a paper to finish.  Then I'll officially be a law school graduate, assuming I don't fail any of my classes.  My last official day of class was Monday.  I've been walking the same path every day to school for the last 3 years: through a neighborhood, across a park, and up a trail in the woods.

As I walked home on Monday I was struck by how much of life I've pondered on that walk in the past 3 years.  I've walked literally hundreds of miles to and from school in the last year.  It was emotional thinking of all the things I've had on my mind (good, bad, sad, etc.), all the prayers I've prayed along that walk, and how faithful God is to walk with me every step of the way.  Even now, it makes me a little emotional to think about.  The past 3 years have been some of the best of my adult life.  I'm so grateful that God sent me here.  Just think - I could have been wasting away up in Boston at Harvard.  Yuck.

As for the poop on the floor story…I became licensed to provide respite care for foster families.  Basically, I'm approved to babysit foster kids for up to 8-hour stretches.  In my work with foster kids last semester, I got to know one of the families really well.  So a few weeks ago, I babysat for them.  They have a 2-year-old biological son and a 7 month old foster girl.  The little girl was my client last year.

The little boy is in the middle of potty training and does pretty well.  I stayed on him and any time he fidgeted I would ask him if he needed to go to the bathroom.  I was successful in navigating him to the bathroom once.  However, I made the mistake of going to the bathroom myself.  During the 90 seconds I was gone, he "had an accident."  I could tell by the wet stream down the front of his pants.  But as we walked to the bathroom…well, as he waddled to the bathroom, I knew there was something in his pants.

Once in the bathroom, he laid down on the floor and I stripped his clothes.  Lo and behold, two turds fell out onto the bathroom floor.  I cleaned him up and deposited the turds in the toilet.  Then the real challenge began: putting on the diaper?  Which side is the front??? I had no idea.  It was hard enough just figuring out how to maneuver him to get the diaper on in the first place.  (It was bed time and he wears a diaper to bed.)  But once I had it on, it was clear that it was on backwards.  Now I know - the sticky flaps go from back to front.

I will say this: I am an excellent babysitter.  The baby girl went down with no issues.  And the little boy, who is notorious for not going to bed with his parents, let alone babysitters, went right to bed.  I just had to wear him out a little by playing games.

That's my story.  Love you guys.

Joel