Yesterday, we were talking about nicnames and three of the names that I call Martin are Stinky, Martian and Monkey Feet. We thought it was pretty cool how they sounded when put together.

Well, this morning he lived up to the name. Yesterday we brought down from the attic an entertainment thingamajig that he sits in and can spin around and play. He really seems to be enjoying it. After feeding him this morning, I put him in it. After a few minutes I noticed that he had dropped a bomb. Martinah went over to change him and halted with an “OH MY GOD!” I look over and it had run down his leg all over the bottom deck after which he had put his feet in it and got it EVERYWHERE. While trying to get him cleaned up, which was a team effort, I actually had to pick him and hold him upside down while we disrobed and cleaned him.

Sticky Martian Monkey Feet is right.

Today we completed our first family trip with four. Despite a few hickups, it went very well. This year was the biggest packing challenge yet. With the stroller, porta-crib, bouncy seat, and, oh yeah, a baby, made a once tough task almost impossible. The trip down was gorgeous.

The first hickup came when Martin decided that he was not going contribute to a boring vacation and blew out his o-ring: up his back and soaking through his clothes and the carrier. After cleaning up, I hopped in the car headed to a laundromat down the street with the plan to put the stuff in a washer and get groceries while it is washing.

Unfortunately, things were not going to be that simple. Hickup #2: the laundromat that we normally use midtrip is gone! For those not in the know, we stay on an island that is 20 miles long and we are smack dab in the middle with bridge access only on the ends. Iwent into one of the local shops and they told me that the laundromat has moved to the mainland and how to get there. Off to the mainland I went.

I went to find this place and eventually did even though it wasn’t were I was told to find it. However, they no longer operate coin machines. Ugh. I ended up in a grocery store and started asking around (sidebar: this store was amazing). An employee there told me of one not a quarter of a mile away and saves my sanity.

45 minutes later I headed home with a fresh smelling baby carrier and a ton of groceries.

Operation “Cleanstink” is a success.