Splish, Splash.

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Posted by michael | Posted in Toddler | Posted on 30-09-2009

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WARNING: The following post may not be suitable for those who don’t have children but might want to someday, those who have children and haven’t yet begun the painful potty-training process, to those of weak constitution, weak bladders, and those who scream at the sight of spiders.  If you fit this category for the love of all that is good in this world.  Please, please leave now.  Really, I mean it.  This is not a joke.  I’m warning you….Okay, your funeral.

I’ve previously alerted the masses of how wonderful a parental unit I am, and how I keep a watchful eye on my child never trusting her to be left alone to the world and the dangers that lurk in the bathroom.  I hereby present to you yet another stellar example of my fine, fine parental skills and clue you all in on how I manage to protect my child from the dangers lurking in all bathrooms.  Yes, a danger that affects us all, a danger that would send many people screaming from the bathroom in sheer terror and disgust…..we call this danger the Potty. (duhm, duhm, duhm)

My previous encounter taught me well never to leave a toddler unattended in the bathroom.  The concept of privacy is overrated when you must defend yourself from the dangers that lurk, and the pain of cleaning up pee from the floor is enough to humiliate anyone.  So, with renewed vigor and a determination to provide the best parental care possible I decided yet again that it would be fine to leave the munchkin to do their “doodie on the poddie” while I had a brief (really brief, nanoseconds we’re talking here) conversation with the in-law units.

“Splish, splish, splash, splish!”

?Huh?  That doesn’t sound right.

To my horror I find Isabel stomping her feet in a puddle of “pee water.”

The toddler in that brief nanosecond managed to stop up the toilet with an entire roll of toilet paper which she gleefully unraveled and dispensed of in the proper location.  Only problem was that she followed that up with repeated flushing in an attempt to hide the evidence against her.  The repeated flushing then resulted in a brilliant and highly accurate recreation of Niagra Falls.  Lovely “pee pee” water cascaded from the toilet and flowed conveniently straight for the wall where it did two things.  One, it trickled along the wall making a beeline for the hallway, you know the one with the carpet.  Two, it searched out for whatever small and insignificant cracks and holes in could find so that it could then cascade through the floor into the basement below, right next to the laundry.

Now would be the time to hire a professional potty-trainer, or at the very least apparently I should never, not even for a nanosecond, remove my eyes from the child.  Next time she might blow something up.

She’s Got Distance

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Posted by michael | Posted in Toddler | Posted on 21-08-2009

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On a much needed lighter note.

We have undertaken the completely futile task of potty training Isabel, although our approach has been far to passive for the likes of many, we move forward nonetheless in our attempts to reduce our daycare costs (There’s a non-potty-trained-child premium).  However slowly, I mean ssssssllllllllooooooowwwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyyyyyy, there has been progress.  In fact even last night our little Isabel amazed us all with a feat that would rival even the best of the boys.

I stepped briefly out of the bathroom to continue a conversation with Edie (clearly lying on the couch eating Bon-Bon’s contemplating her next diabolical scheme to rid the world of mean people,while simultaneously pondering the ramifications of Sharon’s incarceration in a mental hospital while still not telling Nick that he is the father of her unborn child, not to mention answering all the Jeopardy questions before Alex could even finish reading the answer.)  I was not abandoning our daughter to the confines of our non-kid-friendly bathroom unprotected from the dangers of mildew and an overflowing mini-trashcan.  She had a roll of toilet paper to protect herself from any danger she would be facing.  Or, so I thought.

“Daddy, lookee I poop-eed. I poop-eed daddy.”

I revved up my fatherly excitement on my fine abilities to potty train a toddler while barely doing more then helping her steady herself while she takes off her diaper.  Yes, folks I am a stellar dad that few, neigh any can compare with.  My potty training skills will be famous around the world.  I will have book deals and the multitudes will line up eagerly awaiting for me to sign their portable toddler toilet seats.  They will put my face on the back of bathroom doors everywhere as a sign of encouragement for toddlers……..Hmmmm, okay let’s not put my face in every bathroom in the known world.  That would just be disturbing.

I went to the bathroom to help out with the unmentionable duty necessary post poopy.  Isabel kept pointing at the “poopy”, alas I saw nothing…..at first.

Uh Oh!  What’s all over the floor? and the toilet seat?  and her leg?  And mommy’s Edward and Bill Entertainment Weekly?  In fact two whole feet plus away from the toilet?!?

Ahhhh haa!  My little girl can whiz just like the boys, and she’s got distance!

Yeah, what proud moments of fatherhood and embarassing stories for her wedding day.