Yes, some of you are thinking, "Oh, thank goodness she's taking a break from all of the preschool madness" and while that is true, this post may be somewhat of a "stinker" as well.
Let me just say that having a potty trained 2 year old is FRUSTRATING!!! First there's the constant need to go. Lucy drinks a lot. Like 3 cups of juice (1/4 juice, 3/4 water) or milk within the 1st hour of being awake a lot. So after her 2nd cup, the trips to the potty begin. Every 20 minutes. Every. Single. Morning. Your thinking, "Limit the amount that the kid drinks and get over it, lady" but Lucy comes from a long line of heavy drinkers and she really is thirsty so I feel like that would just be neglect and I can't just deprive the kid of liquids now can I?!
Of course, when your kid goes every 20 minutes, you have to plan your trips strategically. We used to have this great ritual of me saying, "Lucy, we're leaving in just a few minutes. Do you need to go potty?" and to which she says, "No, I not need to go." Followed by me saying, "lets try" and a huge meltdown because I carried her to the potty, wrestled with her to get her pants down, forced her to sit on the potty kicking and screaming just for her to sit there and not go. Then I say, "Ok, it's going to be a little while until we get there so if you need to go you're going to have wet pants." Then I gather our stuff, get her past the bushes, pine straw, flowers, and butterflies (she likes to bring nature on her journeys), and buckle her in her seat. Then I get myself buckled, sunglasses in place, Bob and Larry on the radio, get out of the driveway and she says, "I need to go potty, Mommy." Ugh!!! Is there anything more frustrating?!
We have gotten past the meltdowns and now she will generally go before we leave without much of a fuss. Instead she now has an obsession with public bathrooms. Gas station bathrooms to be specific. Some you may know that I have a fear of public bathrooms. Bad things happen in there. And gas stations are the worst. We have actually gone to a gas station bathroom (the outside kind) where the lights didn't work. Yes, try getting a 2 year on the potty without touching anything in complete and total pitch-black dark. And she thinks this is fun. She has even said when I've asked if she needed to go before leaving the house, "I go in gas station potty." Really??? She has to get this little pleasure from her daddy.
Because I have a blog and I can write anything I want, and since we're on the subject of public bathrooms, I thought I would share some public potty etiquette.
Rule: It is not ok to share with your fellow public potty uses what you are currently doing in the potty. We DO NOT want to know!
Here's a story for you.
We stop at yet another gas station potty (we live in a small town about 40 miles from our families and there are only gas stations) and Lucy is jabbering away as usual because, you know, she never stops, and the lady in the stall next to us says, "Do you have to go potty?" (Well hello lady. We are in a bathroom and it's certainly not by choice.) Lucy, being the happy little clam that she is, says "Uh-huh. You have to go potty too?" Lady: "Yes. I'm trying to pass some kidney stones. I just passed one 30 minutes ago and I've got 2 more to go. It's like having a baby." Me: (In my head) "Oh my goodness. Is she really saying this? Hurry Lucy, hurry. Must. Get. Out." Lucy: "You're having a baby in there? What's her name?" This conversation went on but it's kind of a blur because I was really focused on getting out of there.
In summary, my kid potty's a lot, public potties=gross, kidney stones AHHHHHHH!!!
