spark

What? You sound triggered. I'm sorry I triggered you about this. I change my diapers, so I'm technically a caregiver. I don't know what to tell you. A diaper should be changed when it is sufficiently wet enough to be uncomfortable to the person wearing it. Your assertion is that the only can guarantee that a diaper is soiled is to feel the inside. I assert that it's not necessary to check the inside of a diaper, and squeezing the outside is good enough. I, and maybe you're different, think that's all that is needed to determine when a diaper needs to changed.

I don't remember it being a black disease. It was a gay disease. There might have been a correlation on the racial side, which is for factors that are far too complicated for us to discuss here, but it was a disease that hit gay men. At least that's how it was seen in my circles. I know most of the celebrities who contracted aids. Rock Hudson was the first celebrity to die from Aids. Everybody in Hollywood knew he was gay, but they kept it private (it was very different time, and privacy was still a thing back then). Liberace was another one, but that was obvious, and so was Freddie Mercury. Mercury was the first one for my generation that hit, but most of us didn't want to admit that we liked Queen (we all did, but wouldn't admit it). I remember the day Magic announced his diagnosis. thought my friends were joking when they told, but it would be a crap joke. One of the most shocking days in my life up to that point. It was comparable to a day 9 years later.

It's not a delicate medical procedure. It's a diaper change. Maybe it's just me, but approximation is more than good enough. Based on my experience, I've peed in a whole bunch of diapers. if it feels squishy on the outside, it's almost certainly wet on the inside. What's the worst-case scenario? Changing a diaper before it is saturated.

I think Magic Johnson getting diagnosed with aids played a big role in how it was perceived. He was 32 when he was diagnosed with HIV and it's been 34 years since he was diagnosed. That was not thought to be possible before that. If it happened now, it wouldn't be news, and he wouldn't have retired. I'm young enough to remember when Aids started. I did a speech at my 8th grade graduation about the future of technology (it was crap, but I was in 8th grade). I mentioned how we would cure diseases, but there would be new diseases we haven't discovered. For an 8th kid who only recently had learned to tie his shoes, that was poignant observation.

I don't think you need a wetness indicator to tell. I'm wearing the same diaper I put on this morning, and it's clearly wet. All you need to do is squeeze the front, and you can feel through my sweat shorts.

It depends when this was set. Aids back in the 80's was a death sentence, and because it was prevalent in the gay community, there was a lot hysteria about it. It was a different time, and I can't imagine that happening in the 2020's😁(I almost said that with a straight face- sarcasm mode was enabled). We know so much more about it now, and while it's still very serious, there is no where near the hysteria about it that existed back then. AFAIK- HIV is transmitted through blood, and requires a significant amount to contract it. In the situation that they are in at Aunt Jenn's house, Hepatitis is a far greater risk. When I took the Bloodborne pathogen class in 2005, it was stressed that HIV wasn't a significant threat, but Hep-A was very significant. Now, when I take refreshers, they don't mention HIV as a risk factor. FTR- a quick rundown about the class: if it comes out of the body, it might have a pathogen that is bad. Blood, snot, spit, pee, and poop are all bad to touch.

Aunt Jenn is cray-cray, but kids like that will do anything to survive.

If you're just talking about exposure and the humiliation that would come with it, I think that's minor compared to what I just wrote. The antagonist in this chapter is based on a character from 'A Christmas Story' but makes Scott Farkus look like a Boy Scout. Eddie's character is far too complex to blame everything on his mom. Almost everything that has happened could've been avoided with what I think are pretty basic steps of maturity: Taking the sheets off the bed, putting on Goodnites to avoid wetting the bed, and basic hygiene issues (bathing, wiping, and washing hands). Eddie is 15 years old, and wets the bed every single night. At the very least, he should be taking care of basic hygiene without his mom's prompting. By 15, he should understand the concept of 'I'm in the car for the next 3 hours, so I should pee now." One of the things that I'm proud of is that in the beginning, Eddie wrote like he had little control over what happened to him. In his mind, consequences had very little connection to his actions. Now he is manipulating his actions to get the desired consequence. Believe it, or not, that's a sign of growth and maturity. The problem is that the desired consequence wasn't supposed to be a desired consequence.

It could be the difficulty in finding a voice for the character. This is such a strange story, but I'm enoying. Your stories and my stories tend to have similar characters, but mine tend to come from more traditional homes. In my case, every character I write is an extension of a part of me. If the same is true for, writing is cathartic and a form of therapy. In this case, even Carl is giving into the push to become more babyish.

Just a quick update on my progress. I just finished the draft of the update, and I'm excited about it. The update turned out to be just under 4k words, but might end up a bit longer when the editing is completed. The crux is a cathartic moment between Eddie and Sarah, but before there is a traumatic experience that happens. PS- I feel comfortable giving that part away, because the first words are "They saw my diaper!" @Dirty Boy I hope it redeems Sarah's character in your mind. I've maintained all along, she and Eddie have a very close bond. It's a bond that is similar to what I have with my brother. One of the themes of this story is sibling bond/rivalry. One of the main ideas of this story is that Eddie and Sarah were close when they were younger, but then they were pulled apart as they grew older. Suddenly, becoming Eddie's nanny over the summer has drawn them even closer than they were before. PS- there is more to Sarah than I've directly led on. I'm not 100% certain about the ETA of the next draft. My editing process can be rather time-consuming, and the first draft was just completed. I might get a second run through tomorrow, but most of my Saturday and Sunday next week will not be near my computer. If not next week, it might be two to 3 weeks away.

They are so afraid to break the rules, regardless of the logic of those rules.

If you think about- they are moist, and need to hold together. That means they don't break up when wet. Japan has a good idea about that. They stole from Europe, but they perfected the bidet. More water, a lot less paper. Pro-tip, bidets work well when you need to clean up after using your diaper to its fullest capabilities

I have enough Wisconsin in me that there is no reason to eat a hot dog when you can eat a Brat (but Brats are only good in Wisconsin). I might get disowned from my family, but I like a little ketchup on my brat. The chicago-style hot dog is damn good, and shouldn't have ketchup. The school lunch hotdog with relish and mustard needs a little ketchup

It's a lottery, but look at what happened to the Turpin children after they were rescued from their parents. It made my blood boil. What their parents did to them was beyond awful, but what their foster parents did to them was beyond cruel. I've had people on the story that I'm writing saying that the parents need to be reported to CPS, but then you have 15-year-old who wets the bed. Eddie would be lucky to get out without worse abuse than his home environment, and most likely far worse. The fact is: a foster child is far more troubled than a child from a loving home. They either end up being beaten down, and try to hide in the background, or rebellious and manipulative. Foster kids can't afford the luxury of being altruistic. FTR- you tend to write about the wallpaper characters pretty well. The sad reality is the people who are drawn to becoming foster parents often have savior complexes. You also have abusers, who get access to vulnerable children. In most cases, once the child is old enough for school, especially 10 years old, they end up in some kind of group home. I've taught students from one of those environments, and not at one of them was a good placement for the child.

The Foster system is well known for placing kids with people who are wonderful and don't abuse children😁 It's bad in the USA, but it's also bad in Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, China, Japan and almost every other country on earth.

I don't know if George's story will redeem him. I don't think it is fair to see George as an authority figure when his wife doesn't see him as an adult, or somebody who's opinion matters when it comes to their children. Sarah's opinion matters far more than George's.

Aunt Jenn is crazy, but boy does she have control of the kids in her house.

Alice feeling guilty is not a thing, and wouldn't have had a child with a partner that she can't 'manage'. She knows the program didn't work, and her reaction with the playpen is an attempt to rectify. Obviously, it wasn't the right method. Ironically, what she needs to do is what she isn't willing to do, which is back the hell away and let Eddie face the natural consequences. Making it all the more complicated, from their perspective, Eddie hasn't shown any readiness. And he doesn't want to be potty trained. After being in playpen, Eddie was happy that nobody hassled him about the potty. He and Tara would have been perfectly happy in a diaper that was falling off his waist.

Except for the stroller, there hasn't been a lot of public humiliation. Part of the reason Sarah changes his diaper at school is to avoid potential leaks. It's not like she is changing his diaper on park, or being paraded around with onesie. \The vision that I have for when they are out in public in the stroller isn't that's immediately obvious on first glance. Eddie is tall enough, but his height is hidden when he is in his stroller. In most cases, it would be seen as a bigger kid in a stroller, and likely you would assume that he had a developmental disability. Eddie has gone through such a mind-bleep, and there is no way that he gets out of this unscathed. That's common for a lot of people. I lost my mother when I was 16. It will 40 years in July '26, and I can assure that I didn't get out of that unscathed. Tara won't come out of it, she'll survive it. During this story, Tara has had two trials at becoming potty trained, and in both cases, her mom interfered and tried to 'help', resulting in a complete resistance to the potty from Tara. You can also assume that it was similar before this started. I think it's better if I leave the gory part to the reader's imagination, but Tara and Ashley are spending so much time at their house for a reason. The next update is the last update in the 2016 timeline. In the story, it will be 2 weeks later. Tara and Eddie will not miraculously become normal teenagers in the next two weeks. Maybe if Eddie had better male role models, his dad might be able to pull him out of this in a few weeks, but that ain't George's forte.

Interesting start. Sara's sense of dread is true regardless of what your dealing with. Whenever I have an intense conversation upcoming, my first instinct is to avoid it.

Notice mom backed off from the playpen on the second day. It's not stated, but it's implied that somebody talked to her to stop the punishment. Both Sarah and Mom realize that therapy backfired. Right now, Eddie mental state is pretty close to a toddler. He won't take care of his diaper, won't tell anybody when he wet, and constantly sabotages himself. Tara has a strong incentive to stay a baby. When she is a baby, her mom ignores her, she gets attention from her sister, Sarah, and is friends with Emily and Eddie. When she is a big kid, her mom gets involved, and things go really bad. FTR- even if Tara didn't have accidents, the dynamic with her mother is still harsh. She has absolutely no incentive to use the potty, and wants the extra attention. Ironically, Eddie has an incentive to remain a baby. First of all, he gets a lot of attention from Sarah, which he doesn't get when he's has big kid status. Eddie also didn't get much positive attention when he's a big kid. His sister ignores him, he has no friends, and he gets yelled at for not doing chores or caring for his sheets. After the next chapter, Sarah will share why she agreed to do this over the summer. Eddie might understand that his mom is crazy, but she is also somebody that you want on the your side.

That's why Mom wants Sarah to come along. Dad is mostly harmless and almost entirely useless. He cooks a mean set of ribs, and access to the press box is pretty cool.

Saturday, September 3, 2016: My Birthday! My birthday was on Thursday, but we celebrated it today. I’m sixteen years old; that’s old enough to drive, but it doesn’t feel like it. I sleep in a crib, wear diapers, and use a highchair! I’m not even allowed to open a door. I have to wait for somebody to open it, and they have to stay with me. I feel like I should be in kindergarten, but I’m not potty trained. I don’t use the potty or change my diaper at school, and that makes my mom really mad. Teachers don’t like it when we ask to go to the bathroom, and I’m afraid other kids will see my diaper. I’m supposed to go to the nurse’s office, but it’s on the other side of campus. It takes a long time to get there, and I hate changing my diaper. I went there once and missed fifteen minutes of class. I think Caitlyn was right, and nobody can tell I’m wearing a diaper. I thought it would be obvious, but it’s not. Nobody has said anything, and nobody notices when Sarah changes my diaper in her car. I didn’t use the potty the first three days of school, and Sarah had to change my diaper every day. I peed in both first and second period, and Sarah checked me during break. Since it was wet, we went to her car to change it. She got mad at me on Monday, because the same thing happened. She said, “Eddie, you’re ruining my break. It’s not fair that I have to do this every day. It’s my break and I don’t want to spend it changing your diaper. You should do this by yourself.” I asked, “Why?” “Stop that, you know why. Why won’t you go to the nurse’s office?” I shrugged, “I don’t know.” “Are you afraid?” I mumbled, “Kinda.” I wish I knew why but going to the nurses office is scary. I didn’t know what I wanted. I whined when Sarah took me to her car, but I didn’t want to go to the nurse’s office either. She said, “Well, the only way you’re conquering your fear is to go there.” I cried, “It doesn’t feel that wet. I don’t need to do it yet.” “Eddie, it’s too wet. You either go to the nurse’s office, or I have to change you.” I begged, “Don’t do that.” Sarah shook her head, “I’m not going to. Just go to the nurse’s office.” I walked away and made it look like I went to the nurse’s office, but I didn’t. I went to my history class, and hoped my diaper wouldn’t leak. Fortunately, it didn’t, but it was close. When Sarah picked me up from Ms. Lisa’s house, Ms. Lisa said, “Eddie’s diaper was almost leaking when I picked him up. I’m surprised it didn’t leak.” Sarah asked, “Was it a Pull-up, or a diaper?” “It was a diaper. I didn’t think Eddie wore Pull-ups?” “Eddie can’t handle the tapes on his diaper, so there are Pull-ups in his backpack. He wears them when he changes his diaper by himself, which he was supposed to do during Break.” Sarah glared at me, “Eddie, you told me you were going to the nurse’s office.” Technically that wasn’t true. I never said that I would go to the nurse’s office. I just left the table and made it look like I was going there. I started to defend myself, but Sarah plopped a pacifier in my mouth. “Don’t bother defending yourself. I don’t want to hear it.” When mom found out what happened, she made me stay in the playpen for the rest of the day. I had to do my homework there, and I wasn’t allowed to talk. After that, I had an early bedtime and ate baby food at dinner. The next morning, mom said, “Eddie, don’t tempt me. That was just a warning. If you try something like that again, I’m putting you in the playpen for an entire week.” I don’t think I peed during either first or second period the next morning. I might have peed a little bit, but it wasn’t very much. Sarah didn’t say anything when she checked, nor did she tell me to go to the potty. When Ms. Lisa picked me up, my diaper was wet, but I didn’t get in trouble. She just changed it like she usually does. The next day, I was wet when Sarah checked. She grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go.” I thought she was taking me to her car, but we walked the opposite way. I asked, “Where are we going?” “We’re going to the nurse’s office. This time I’ll make sure you get there.” I pulled back and said, “No, please. I don’t want to go.” “I don’t care. You’re going to beat this fear. Eddie, I promise. It’s not as bad as you think it is.” I begged, but she kept walking. She whispered, “Don’t worry, it will be okay. You can do this.” After we got to the nurse’s office, she hugged me and asked, “Do you want me to go in there, or can you do this by yourself?” I knew it would be worse if Sarah was with me. I had to do it by myself. I shook my head and said, “It’s okay, I can do it.” Even though the nurse was nice, it was embarrassing. When the nurse saw me she said, “Eddie, it’s the first time I’ve seen you. I wondered if your problem wasn’t as bad as your mom let on. Are you here for the bathroom, or do you need a change?” I mumbled, “Change.” She sensed I was nervous and gave me a reassuring nod. “That’s fine. Just remember to toss the garment in the trash. Don’t worry, this is a private zone, so nobody will know.” I messed up the tabs and touched the inside of my diaper. It was gross! I didn’t use baby wipes, so I was still a little wet when I put the Pull-up on. It also took me a long time, and we were late for class. Fortunately, Sarah got a pass from the secretary, so we didn’t get in trouble. Once we left the office, Sarah whispered, “How was it?” I mumbled, “okay.” I didn’t want to tell her the truth. She gave me a side hug and said, “I’m proud of you.” Unfortunately, the Pull-up leaked. It wasn’t enough to show, but Ms. Lisa noticed. At first, she was proud of me. She said, “Eddie, you changed your diaper by yourself. That means you are a big boy!” Then she felt the side of my shorts and said, “Uh-oh. You sprung a leak. I’m afraid you have to wear a diaper and be a baby.” The next day, I used the potty in the nurse’s office. It was during Chemistry, which is really far from her office. It took almost fifteen minutes. When I got back, my teacher asked, “Did you get lost?” Fortunately, my diaper was still dry when Sarah checked, so it didn’t need to be changed. I was still a baby after school, because I was wet when Ms. Lisa picked me up. Last Friday, I thought about going to the bathroom before Chemistry, but I didn’t have to go. I’m not good about that. I can’t use the potty when I don’t have to go. My mom used to get mad because I wouldn’t go potty when we stopped the car, and then we would have to stop because I had to pee. I had to pee halfway through chemistry. Based on what happened that Thursday, I didn’t want to ask the teacher, so I peed in my diaper. I already peed a little in first period, so my diaper was pretty wet when Sarah checked. She started to take me to the nurse’s office, but I pulled the opposite way. I didn’t mean to; I couldn’t help it. Sarah asked, “Why are you pulling away? Is something wrong?” I mumbled, “I don’t want to go.” She calmly asked, “Why not?” I mumbled, and Sarah couldn’t understand. I had to say it a few times. Finally, she heard, “It’s better when you do it.” I thought she would be mad, but she wasn’t. She said, “Okay, if that’s what you want.” She turned around and walked to her car without saying anything else. She was quick. It took less than five minutes to change my diaper, and we still had time left in Break when we got back to the quad. Cole doesn’t wear Pull-ups during the day and doesn’t wear diapers at night either. He doesn’t sleep in a crib and hasn’t worn Pull-ups all month. Ethan still wears diapers to bed, but not during the day. He started wearing Pull-ups last week and this week he got to wear underwear. If he doesn’t have any accidents next week, his mom promised he can go back to a normal school. Unfortunately, that means I’m the only baby at their house. Mom said, “As long as you change your diaper, you can be a big boy the whole day. If you’re dry when Ms. Lisa picks you up, you can be a big boy. But, if you need your diaper changed, you’re a baby the rest of the day.” Being a baby means that I eat lunch in a highchair, and I have to take a nap. Ethan doesn’t take naps anymore, and neither one of them sits in a highchair. Sarah picks me up after my nap, so I can’t play with Ethan and Cole. I don’t get to play with Tara until I finish my homework, and sometimes that’s after she goes home. Tara had a big accident on the second day of school. Her Pull-up leaked, and her mom had to pick her up. She didn’t go to school the next day, and I didn’t see her over the weekend. When I saw her the following Monday, she was back in diapers. Now she won’t use the potty. When somebody asks, she screams “No potty! I don’t want to be a big girl, it’s too hard.” She won’t tell us what happened. When we ask, she cries, “I don’t want to talk about it,” and won’t say anything else until we stop asking. Emily asked her, “Why don’t you want to use the potty? Isn’t it embarrassing to wear a diaper?” Tara shook her head, “No! When I wear Pull-ups, my mom makes me sit on the potty a really long time and gets mad when I have an accident. When I wear a diaper, she makes Ashy take care of me and doesn’t talk to me.” I asked, “What do you do when you need to change your diaper at school?” “I go to a classroom with other kids who wear diapers. They want me to use the potty, but they don’t get mad when I don’t.” When I got home last Friday, Mom said “Since you don’t want to be a big kid, you can spend all weekend in your playpen. That’s where babies stay.” She put a pacifier in my mouth and demanded, “Get in! Don’t whine, it’s your fault. Don’t even think about taking the binky out.” I sulked quietly, because I was too afraid to say anything. Sarah argued, “Mom, Eddie didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t do this.” Mom retorted, “Sarah, not now! He’s not trying, and I don’t know what else I can do.” That scared Tara. She cried, “But I want to play with Eddie.” My mom almost snapped back but realized she was talking to Tara. She took a deep breath and said, “I know honey, but Eddie can’t play right now. He’s in his playpen, and babies can’t play with other kids.” Sarah pleaded, “Mommy, please! I know why you’re frustrated, but you don’t need to do this. Can we talk about it?” “This isn’t up for discussion! He’s my son, and I will decide what we do about this.” The playpen is super boring. I only get to play with one toy, and I’m not allowed to talk. I have to keep a pacifier in my mouth the whole time. I couldn’t even choose the toy; mom gave me a toy meant for a baby. When Emily asked if I wanted a better toy, my mom snapped, “Don’t talk to the baby. He needs to know what it’s like to be a real baby.” My mom is strict, but she isn’t mean like that. It felt like a long time, but time drags when I’m in the playpen. Mom used a sing-song voice meant for babies to announce dinner. “It’s time for din-din, than it’s time for bed. Babies need a lot of sleep, so it’s off to bed for you.” She purposely chose the most disgusting baby food. “Oh, isn’t this nice. Beef, broccoli, and peas.” When I blew a raspberry in disgust, mom said, “When you decide to be a big boy, you can eat what you want. Until then, you will eat what I tell you to eat. This will make you big and strong.” Usually, Emily is quite happy to help, but she wasn’t this time. Mom asked, “Do you want to feed the baby?” Emily replied, “No, I’m playing with Tara.” Mom waved her off, “Okay, I guess I get to feed him.” She held out the spoon and said, “Here comes the airplane!” I kept my lips pierced, but mom pinched my nose. When I tried to breathe, she put the spoon in my mouth. I gagged, and spit most of it out. Mom replied, “Whatever you spit out is going back in your mouth. You’re eating all of this, even if it takes all night.” Sarah pleaded, “Mommy, please. He’s miserable.” Mom barked, “Sarah! That’s enough. Stop, unless you want the same thing to happen to you.” Sarah shook her head in disgust, “Whatever mom. I don’t want Tara to watch this, and Emily shouldn’t either. We’re going to my room.” I think that helped a little, because mom wasn’t as mean after that. She still made me eat the whole thing, but didn’t jam the spoon as aggressively as she did the first time. I ended up eating about half of it, and the rest was on my face and bib. After the disgusting mush, I got some rice cereal. It was bland, but there was a little bit of vanilla and enough sugar and salt to give it some flavor. It was a lot better than dinner. After dinner, mom gave me a bath and got me ready for bed. She was gentle and used a lot more lotion and baby powder than she usually does. Before she pulled up the rails, she caressed my hair and said, “Eddie, I’m very disappointed in you. You need to be a big kid, and you’re not acting like one. I hope after this weekend you realize it’s time to grow up.” I could see the sun from the window, and it was even brighter than Monday night. Even though I went to bed early, I didn’t sleep very much. Normally, I fall asleep after the lights are turned out and don’t wake up until it’s time to get up. I’ve trained myself to sleep when the lights are out, but I barely slept that night. I knew mom was mad, and that scared me. I just wanted to get through the weekend. The thought of spending a whole weekend in the playpen was awful. I slept a little bit and then woke up. I didn’t know what time it was, so I tried to sleep some more, but I kept waking up. Finally, mom let me out of the nursery. I was wide awake and sitting in my crib. I was afraid that she would be mad I wasn’t sleeping, but she wasn’t. She said, “Look at you, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Did you sleep well?” I nodded, even though it wasn’t true. Then mom said, “Eddie, I shouldn’t have put you in the playpen. The playpen is only when you’re naughty and you weren’t naughty.” “I wasn’t?” Mom shook her head. “No, you weren’t. I let frustration get the best of me. I wanted you to be a big boy, but you aren’t ready for that. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t get punished for something you aren’t ready for. That’s not fair.” For some reason I replied, “That’s okay.” Mom shook her head, “No, it’s not okay. I was wrong, and I need to make it up to you.” I asked, “But I’m almost sixteen. I should be a big kid?” Whenever I say that, mom gets mad and tells me to stop pouting. This time she hugged me and said, “I know, but age has nothing to do with it. If you were ready to be a big kid, you would act like one.” I asked, “Does this mean you won’t treat me like a baby anymore?” “Are you asking if I’m going to treat you like a big kid?” I nodded. Mom shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, I can’t treat you like a big kid until you’re ready. You’re not ready, but you don’t have to sit in the playpen. You’ll be treated like you were this summer.” Tara and Ashley spent the weekend with us, and we played the whole time. I watched a football game, and we watched a movie on Saturday night. Nobody made us use the potty, and nobody was mad when we used our diaper. On Saturday, Tara and I got to stay up until nine o’clock. At school this week, I only needed my diaper changed once. I peed just a little bit on Monday, and not at all on Tuesday. When Sarah checked it, my diaper was dry, and I could wait until Ms. Lisa picked me up. Sarah changed my diaper during Break on Wednesday, but she wasn’t mad about it. On Thursday, I used the potty during third period, so my diaper was mostly dry when Ms. Lisa picked me up. She said, “I don’t know if I should do this. It’s your birthday and you used the potty, so I’m proud of you. Your diaper is only a little wet; I’m going to let you wear Pull-ups this afternoon.” That meant I was a big boy at lunch, and didn’t have to sit in a highchair. I also didn’t have to use a sippy cup, but I spilled. I haven’t used a real cup since June, so I’m not used to it. I felt sorry about it, but Ms. Lisa didn’t seem mad. Since I didn’t have to take a nap, I got to play outside with Ethan and Cole. I got distracted and had a big accident. My Pull-up leaked, and Ms. Lisa put me back in diapers. I was a baby the rest of the day. That night my dad made spareribs. His birthday was on Tuesday, so we celebrated together. Spareribs are my favorite, and he let me choose the meal. That’s also what he wanted, because that’s his favorite. I had to sit in my highchair, but the ribs weren’t cut into small pieces. I got to eat the whole rib with my hands, which made my face really messy. Tara ate them as well, and her face was just as messy as mine. Birthdays aren’t a big deal in our house. A meal and a small gift are usually all I get. Since my dad’s birthday is so close to mine, we celebrate them together. I’ve never had a birthday party, because it’s always so early in the school year. I didn’t know the kids in my class yet, so it was hard to know who to invite. My dad said the same thing use to happen to him. I tried to have one in fifth grade. I invited kids to Chuck E. Cheese, but one of the kids said that Chuck E. Cheese was just for babies and nobody came. Mom decided to give me a real birthday party this year. She let me choose between kids my age, and doing something appropriate for teenagers, or kids from Play Group and doing something appropriate for little kids. I asked, “Can I invite both?” Mom replied, “No, you can’t have big kids and little kids at the same party. If you invite big kids, it’s just for big kids. And if you want a little kid party, it’s just for little kids.” “What about Tara? Can she come?” My mom shook her head, “No. She’s not old enough for a big kid party.” A little kid party is funner than a big kid party. I’m sixteen, so I shouldn’t want a little kid party, but I don’t have friends my age. I know some kids from soccer, but they aren’t really friends. I just know them, but I don’t fit in with them. They do stuff I don’t like and talk about things that I don’t understand. I think my friends from Play Group are better friends than anybody at school and it didn’t seem right to not invite Tara. Caitlyn, Tara, and Emily had a sleepover last night. It might have been partly for me, but I wasn’t allowed in Emily’s room. Mom said, “That’s only for girls.” I got to play with them, but I had to sleep in my nursery. I asked Caitlyn, “Have you had any accidents? What about school?” She replied, “Sometimes, but I wear Pull-ups, and nobody knows when it happens.” “Does your mommy make you wear them?” She blushed, “Not really, it’s my choice.” I looked confused. She remarked, “I still have accidents, and I don’t want other kids to see. Besides, it’s better.” “Why?” “I can change my Pull-up whenever I need to, and I don’t have to wear a diaper. I only have to be a baby when I leak, and that hasn’t happened yet.” Before dinner, Emily meekly asked, “Mommy, can me and Caitlyn be babies, like Tara?” That surprised me. Caitlyn is proud of her big kid status, and Emily hasn’t been curious about diapers since she wore them in June. She prefers being a big sister to Tara and me. I think mom was confused as well. She asked, “What do you mean, honey?” “Can we wear diapers and use baby bottles and get treated like Tara? That way, she won’t be alone.” Mom was reluctant, but didn’t say no. She explained, “But Tara isn’t alone. Eddie is with her, and you and Caitlyn can be big sisters.” Emily pleaded a little more, but not with much passion. Eventually, mom replied “If that’s what you really want, it’s okay with me. Remember, if you wear diapers, you have to stay in them all weekend. And then, you’ll need to be potty trained. You can’t go back to big girl panties until I know you are ready for them.” Caitlyn replied, “No, my mommy might make me go back to diapers all the time.” It didn’t matter, because they got to wear diapers anyway. Caitlyn still wears a diaper at night, and mom let them get ready before dinner. That meant Caitlyn and Tara were both in diapers, and Emily got to wear one as well. All of us had our pajamas on, and we sat at this little table. We each had a sippy cup, and our pizza was cut into small pieces. After dinner, we watched a movie while sucking on baby bottles. Tara’s crib is too small for three people, so they slept on the floor. I think Emily used her diaper, because she was still a baby in the morning. They didn’t get to be big girls until they finished breakfast. The party was really fun! It was in our backyard, so I wasn’t a baby in public. The only people who saw me already know about this. Everybody from Play Group came, as well as Ethan’s little sister. Mom let me drink soda, which she never does. We had cake, ice cream, hot dogs, chips and candy. All the foods that I like, but mom never lets me eat. We played outside, and then we played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. I haven’t played that game since I was a little kid. They sang Happy Birthday to me. I didn’t like that, but I pretended to like it. It was awkward when everybody looked at me. I’m sitting in the press box at the A’s game tomorrow. Sarah and I are coming along with my dad while he works. Since it’s in the press box, I don’t have to be a baby. I still have to wear a diaper, but I’m wearing the same clothes I wear to school. I’m not sure if Sarah really wants to come, but mom won’t let me go unless she does. I feel bad because the other girls are going to the spa with my mom. It’s the first time that Tara and Caitlyn have ever been to a spa, and they are super excited. My dad tried to convince mom to relent, but she won’t budge. “Alice, he’ll be fine. I can take care of Eddie, and Sarah can go with you to the spa. I think that’s what she prefers.” Mom laughed, “George, it’s not just Eddie I’m worried about, and he needs an adult to watch him.” My dad protested, “Alice, I am an adult. You and the girls can go to the spa together, and we can have a father-son outing. It will be good for him.” “George don’t push this. You already know how I feel about it.” Sarah replied, “It’s okay, daddy. I want to go to the game. It will be fun, and it’s been a long time since I sat in the press box.”

Remember, these are diaper stories, written by people who have a predilection to wear diapers. A conflict with these characters is that they are pretending to be something that they aren't. His mom senses that Robbie is hiding something, I can sense there is conflict in Robbie. Based on how his mom treats him, I don't think the long-term effects would be as devastating as what happened in All My Mother's Rules. In wasn't just the baby treatment that wounded Sarah, it was the harshness and callousness that her mom treated her with. In this story, I think the mom was very close to losing her son to delinquent behavior, and Robbie lost his mother in a similar way. Mom has been angry at Robbie for a couple of years, and he hasn't felt loved and supported by his mom since his behavior was so bad.

I'm very close to making my next update. I'm working on his birthday chapter, which is two weeks into the school year. It's a detailed chapter and a lot happens, so the editing process is taking longer than usual. After that, I have two more chapters. The next one will be two weeks after Eddie's birthday, and that's where Sarah will explain to Eddie why she did this. The last chapter is set in 2025, and I'll give an update on all of the major characters in the present day. Eddie has finished college, and Tara is out of high school. After that, I'll release George's story, hopefully making him a more sympathetic character.