Daddy Time

Mommy is helping Merit with BabyGirls's sweet 16 celebration tonight. It's just me and two very tired little girls. And Toby, the 100lbs runt of a Saint Bernard....mustn't forget him. I might hurt his feelings. He would try to hide it, but I know he would be huring deep down inside. The four of us are hanging out on the couch watching a movie.

We just got back from the in-laws where the C-Monster was properly swooned over and B-Bear got to run and run, hop and hop, and play dress-up with her cousins.

Speaking of B-Bear, she was ready today. Mommy and Daddy weren't though. She got up dry; which happens with some frequency, especially when we need to go somewhere. We spent some uneventful time on the potty before showering. Nutten. B-Bear really wanted to wear her big-girl panties and even put them on (twice) correctly, by herself. Since it is an hour and a half drive to the in-laws we put her in her pull-ups and took off.

Big mistake.

Huge.

Bigger than big.

We are such lousy parents.

No, not putting her in the Dora. That's not it, our big mistake is that we didn't pack a potty seat; not the easy carry version that can be placed over any commode, and not the self-contained unit that we could pull over and have her use it in the privacy and luxury of a highway ditch. This is important, remember that thought.

Bad parents.

Thirty minutes from our destination brings cries of "Poopy Mommy...poopy!" "Pee-pee Daddy!" Cries and tears follow. Whining and tears are so infrequent from her that we know she is serious. I finally find a place to pull over. Silly me, I thought it was to change her...but NOOOOOOO, she was still dry and still letting us know about the impending disaster.

We drive - destination gas-station potty room. This particular small-town Iowa watering hole had a very clean restroom. Several people milling about got to listen to B-Bear's screams as I held her over the commode. She was not happy - NOT HAPPY. She was still dry and did not want to use that particular potty. I packed her up after five minutes because I was afraid that someone would call the cops. She was screaming, crying, pleading and holding on to me for dear life. But she wasn't using the seat for its intended purpose. Bad Daddy, no potty seat means no potty. B-Bear was prepared on the exact day that we need to drive long distances. Bad parents.

This does follow the pattern she has set for herself. She just started eating solid foods one day, out of the blue and on her terms. She didn't spend long in the teeter-totter stumble phase, just seemed to go from crawl to walk (run) one day, just not when we tried to get her to do it. Now this, she is ready for the big girl panties on her terms.

Well, only if we haven't set it back by saying that it was alright that she went in her Dora today. She couldn't hold it all the way there. She was so brave and strong trying though.

We just weren't ready.