Remember that Gas-X commercial where the line goes, “Your son Rip is on line toot”? It’s a sensitive subject for many of us, but it can be especially sensitive for those of us who install car seats because of, well—isn’t it obvious?—our bums are usually smack in someone’s face as we work and they watch to learn. If you’ve dared to have Mexican food, or an unusual amount of a tasty effervescent libation that day, chances are you’re in trouble when you go to help someone get their car seat installed. They may watch to learn, but sight is not the only sense they may get to use.
Thus I found myself the other day after school when a friend graciously offered to take my kids to a local restaurant for dinner. What? Why yes, please take my children! Have fun! I suggest you order a strong drink for yourself while you have dinner with five crazy kids by yourself (my two, her two, and another youngin’). And then it hit me. I didn’t have a spare booster for my dd to use. Man! I’d have to install her 
Frontier in my friend’s Tahoe. Dangnabbit! So I grab the Frontier, head over to her Tahoe, and heft it up. All of the kids are inside rarin’ to go and I set about trying to get it installed. Uh oh. You know the feeling. Tight space . . . people all around . . . lots of tasty effervescent libation enjoyed during the day. Aw man—not now! And of course, my friend is *right there* behind me, helping me by holding the seat belt, while my bum is hanging out the door. Feeling passes—whew! Argh! Seat belt’s not long enough for the long belt path install, so I try the short belt path. Nope, too loose. Scoot (rhymes with toot, you know) the seat over to the middle for LATCH and my friend’s daughter is behind me sitting on the console in the front. Did I mention how claustrophobic the car felt? Oh no, not again! Tried doing a little dance while installing the car seat so the wind wouldn’t pass. I just would never live it down if it happened in an SUV full of three 8-9 year olds and two 6 year olds. Believe me, you’ve never seen a Frontier installed so fast 😀 . Fortunately, I was able to save my reputation as a freshly scented mom, at least in public.
Surely I’m not the only one who has, um, nearly embarrassed herself while installing a car seat. C’mon, roll down the windows and fess up. And join me in singing this lovely line to the tune of “She’s Like the Wind”, “She passes wind . . .”
OMG, I can’t stop laughing!
I have a story along the same lines, but alas I don’t have the guts you do, I’m not going to share here. Look for it at a forum near you in the senior section (is that what its called, I just giggled, I am not a senior!@) Good for you for not just letting it rip. I’ll admit that I have broke the sound barrier while sitting in my room at this very computer with my son as an audience. He howls, while I triumphantly declare…it’s my room. Flash forward to Monday when we do his school in his room, and he let’s er rip, and I say, ‘excuse you young man’ to which he replies, of course “Its my room!”
One word: Beano.
😀
Seriously, I can’t remember an incident like this, but I assume that’s because I’ve repressed the painful memory so well 😉
I’ve had the urge to toot when working at a check but to the best of my knowledge I have been able to avoid it. I did however catch the seat of my jeans on a van door at a check and produced about a 2 inch angled rip exposing some of my tush and my undies! Fortunately it was a check-up at the MOPS meeting and it was at my home church and someone gave me a sweatshirt to wrap around my waist!
That’s too funny Heather! It reminds me of those broiling hot summer check events when suddenly I get a whiff of something offensive only to realize a moment later that it’s me! 😛
LOL! At a slower check event last summer, an instructor picked up lunch for all the techs from a Taco Bell drive-through. That could have had volatile side effects, lol. It’s a good thing the weather was sunny and pleasant with a nice breeze for extra cross-ventilation for the few cars that arrived after lunch. 🙂
Okay, that’s just too funny!
at least your daughter was traveling safely and no one gave you and lip about making sure she did so!
LOL that’s hilarious, Heather!
You can count on CarseatBlog to discuss those CPS taboo topics!