Stink Butt Has a Farm

As I struggle with a little bit of writers block, which I actually think is because I have too many ideas in my head to focus on just one, I asked my 4 year old what he thought I should write about.  His first answer (dare I say it, instinct) was the title of this blog today "Stink Butt Has a Farm".  Brilliant!  Why with all the "noise" around the house lately surrounding different odors, I thought it wildly appropriate.  Yes, we love our toilet humor!

Aside from all the flatulent occurrences, that are "ripe" within the walls of our house, there truly has been a lot of talk about odors of late.  Why?  I can tell you that I truly do not know.  All I really do know is the theme of my past week has been this.  Maybe the root cause is really because I have a 2, 4, and 36 year old in the house!  Or maybe it was the realization that I smell like a farm and my brain has been searching to find all the sources of this complex olifactory indulgence.

It all started with my arrival back from a week long hiatus that the first odor hit me.  I came into the house and noticed it smelled weird, and I couldn't put my finger on it.  I had been away long enough to completely withdraw from the smell and it hit me like the first time I'd been smelling it.  It didn't really hit me though until the smell went away that it was Farm Odor, or Eau du Farm (no, my French is NOT GOOD).

It smells like a farm in here and the more time I spend, the less I notice it.  So, I must smell like a farm and just don't notice.  I have noticed it on others in the past when I was not living with a Donkey, 4 Goats, 13 Hens, 10 Guinea Fowl, 4 Rabbits (yes, another one died), a Dog, and 2 Cats.  Now it's just normal background smell.  It's my odor now and it's inescapable.  I had the thought at one time in my life that people just didn't practice proper hygiene, but it's not really about that at all.  It simply sticks to you when you walk by.  So, to all who see me publicly, you're welcome!  I smell like grass and earth and manure and feed, not to mention the additions that my little ones contribute.

Since then, I have noticed many references to smells and/or stink.  I will not bore you with the details of every revelation considering it's kind of gross and distasteful (or dis-smellful?).  The wrap of of the odor week came yesterday while my son and I were making our Popsicle Stick Dinosaur and Truffula Tree Farm, yes we did make that, and talking about life.  We were having a very dynamic conversation, and I was relishing in being blessed with the opportunity to really get to know my children when he said "Mom, my stuffed animal dogs don't stink, they poop, but they don't stink".  Hmm, ok you're 100% right about the not stinking (unless of course they are the victim of a mis-directed vomit or other type of frequent accident in this house).  But how do they poop?

Suffice it to say that I didn't ask because it doesn't matter.  As long as he cleans it up, I'm not that concerned with how his stuffed animals poop.  I'd like him to pick up after the real dog outside, but I digress...  and nagging simply doesn't work.  So, I'm happy to say that in my revelations and discoveries about the change in the smell of my family, I have also found that my children are engaging, funny, smart, and sometimes stinky. And among many other things, I'm truly blessed.  I'll just let it be.