You Went Potty WHERE?

Okay, I have just one more legendary potty story for tonight. I know, I know, I have way too many potty stories. But this one is a winner!

Just before Joshua turned three, he began to potty train on his own. He really did quite well, but there were a few bumps in the road. The most memorable “bump” occured one peaceful Saturday afternoon. The kids were busy playing, Maddie was napping, Rick and I were talking in our bedroom. (Yes, just talking!) Joshua came into the room, climbed into my lap and said words that I really never, ever thought I would hear… “Mommy, I pottied in the cupboard.”

Huh???

When I asked what he’d just said, he matter-of-factly repeated, “I pottied in the cupboard.”

Still in denial, I asked my sweet, blue-eyed two-year-old to show me. He held my hand and led me to a kitchen cupboard. I opened the cupboard door and sure enough, there was a large, round, yellow puddle in the bottom of the cupboard! At least he moved the dishes aside before he left a puddle behind. 

The Mysterious 10pm Puddle of Urine

I went to the bathroom tonight and sat on a wet toilet seat. Yes, it was that, compliments of a little boy who has terrible aim and apparently forgot to lift the seat tonight. Eww!

It reminded me of something that happened quite a few months ago before I started my blog, but I still want to record it. Be warned, I will name a certain little-boy body part in this entry…

One night at about 10pm, I went into my bathroom and found myself standing in a giant puddle of urine surrounding my toilet. I changed my socks, washed my feet, cleaned up the floor. All in a day in the life of a mom, right? The next night it happened again; my socks and the bottom inch of my pajama bottoms were soaked! I was completely baffled by this puddle of potty that appeared mysteriously around my toilet every night. When it happened for the third night in a row, I decided it was time to investigate.

As luck would have it, the very next night I noticed Joshua inch-worming across the floor in my room. Guessing that he could be responsible for the recurring puddle around my toilet, I pretended not to see him and then quietly followed him into the bathroom. He slithered the entire way into the bathroom, then stood and went to the toilet. He unzipped his footed pajamas, and then (instead of just pulling his pull-up down!) he folded the very top of his pull-up down, allowing his little penis to barely peak out of the top. Unfortunately, it was pointing up, straight up. 

Before I could stop him he went potty- STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR! Some potty landed in the toilet, most landed on the floor, splashing everywhere like a little fountain. Oblivious to the puddle in front of him, he calmly zipped up his jammies and flushed the toilet, and then turned abruptly to find me standing behind him. 

Together we cleaned up the mess and I explained the importance of aiming into the toilet instead of the air above the toilet. We haven’t had a problem since then. And as funny as it may sound, I can’t think about that experience without chuckling a little bit. I laugh because that is SO Joshua, cutting corners where he can to be as fast as possible. I also laugh when I remember him crawling across my bedroom floor, being so very sneaky. And I laugh because that sneaky-crawling bit actually worked- for three days I had no idea where all that urine was coming from!

How I adore my little boy! I just hope I can “aim-train” him before he gets married.

Madalyn-ese

Madalyn has the cutest was of saying various words. (Remember the Bacheetoes?) Today she came up with a new one. Pa-Rooter. Any guesses? Anyone want to take a stab at translation?

Computer.

Power Windows, Power Seats, and… ?

Maddie and I waited in the car while Brenna went to choir practice (the other kids were at home with Daddy). I kept Madalyn entertained with all the “magical” features in our van. She’d say “Window down!” and I would secretly roll down the power window. She would say “Up seat!” and I’d quietly push a button to raise the seat she was sitting in. Madalyn was delighted by our magical van! Really on a roll and completely overestimating the power of modern technology, she commanded, “Seat, turn into a butterfly!” When nothing happened, she made her request a little easier, “Seat, how about a flower?!”

Someday…

The kids ate breakfast around 8am. At 10am they had a snack. At noon, as I began to prepare lunch, Madalyn ran into the room and cried with joy, “Oh, yay, Mama! I knew you would feed me someday!”

Sick Games

Madalyn approached me this morning and sweetly asked, “Mama, do you want to play a game with me?”

“Sure. What game?” I asked.

“Freeze tag.”

“No,” I told her. “I don’t feel well enough to play freeze tag.”

“Okay,” she responded, unfazed. “How about The Chase Game?”

“No, I really can’t play that either.”

Madalyn went on to list several more games that all involved running, chasing, and general rough-housing, and each time I responded that I was sick and couldn’t play those games. Finally she asked tenderly, “Do you want to play The Lie Down Game?”

“That sounds like something I could play!” I replied with a smile at how cute she is. “How do we play?”

“Well, you be the sick lady and I’ll be the get-better lady. I am a helper guy that is a girl and I’m really nice. I make blankets and bring you money.” She ran off and then returned a moment later. “Here you go, Sir,” she said as she pressed a penny into my hand.

I’m still not entirely sure how this game is played, but we are both enjoying it.

Madalyn’s Suggestion

Madalyn is still trying to consol me and care for me while I am sick. Snuggling up against me, and remembering how much we have longed for another baby, she sweetly asked, “Would you feel better if you had a baby?” I told her that I would still probably be sick even if I had a baby. She was thoughtfully quiet for a very brief moment, and then quickly suggested, ”How about two babies?”

Best Friends

Madalyn came to me today, grinned in her adorable way, and told me in her sweet, chirpy voice, “Mama, you and I will be best friends always.”

We shook hands on it, and then Madalyn announced cheerily, “And now we can have a party for us!”

New Word

During the last month or so, Braden has really started to love babies. He hugs, kisses, and rocks them like a pro. Today he said a new word, while grinning and tightly hugging a doll to his chest: “Baby!”

Sweet Maddie

I’ve been sick this past week and the house has definately fallen apart as a result. Tonight we held a family meeting to discuss this problem and to remind the kids of how important it is that they each work extra hard to help while I’m sick. Madalyn, who has been very concerned about my health this week, was particularly talkative during our meeting. At one point, she burst out talking and continued on so quickly that all the rest of us could do was stiffle chuckles. Here is basically what she said…

“Mama, if you are sick, I will help. I will give you my little Carebear so you will be better. Are you better? Now will you give me all your things? And I will paint you.” (Meaning that she will paint my fingernails for me.) “Okay, Mama? So you will be better? Are you better?”

All day she has been tending to me in her sweet little way. She has been bringing me play food to eat, dolls to play with, and pillows to make Mama extra comfy, as she put it. She has even been telling me cute, mixed-up little knock knock jokes, which are the current craze around our house. Several times today Maddie has made me a “special blanket” to go on my tummy and help it feel better. It was a dish towel (a clean one, thankfully) that she had folded neatly. Then in a very maternal voice she would instruct, “Lie back, sweetie.” Once I had rolled over, she would place her neatly folded towel on my tummy, quite certain of its incredible healing power.

There’s nothing like a little TLC from a sweet three-year-old girl to make a mama feel loved.