My Girl Wants to Potty All the Time

Today is a banner day because when we got home from Animal Crackers there was a giant box on our doorstep. And I knew what was in there.

"Ooooh!" I squealed, like a girl who's just been presented diamonds or Jimmy Choos, "Jarrah! Your potty is here!"

For some time now, Jarrah has enjoyed the occasional respite from her busy life on a cushy seat insert atop our toilet. She's never done anything up there, but she enjoys the view. Recently, I purchased her the book Once Upon a Potty, about a little girl named Prudence and her adventures in Pee-Pee and Poo-Poo. Jarrah enjoys this book very much.

"My potty?" Jarrah asked, perplexed. "In bawth-room!"

"This is your very own potty," I told her. "All for you."

"Open!" she said. "Open, open!"

"As soon as I bring the groceries in."

But she couldn't wait. She hoisted the box which was--no joke--taller and wider than she is, and carried it over the threshold. "Open, open!" she repeated, each time I walked by with bags.

When I finally zipped open the top and revealed what looked kinda like a salad spinner, she was entranced. She smiled at me and said:

"And she sat and sat and sat and sat."

For a moment, I had no idea what she meant. I often have no idea what she's talking about these days. It used to be that I couldn't understand her. But now it's about fifty-fifty between the unintelligibility factor and the opaque logic factor. Sometimes I just can't work out how she got from A to Z. Then it dawned on me.

"Yes! Just like in the book! That's what you do on the potty!"

She couldn't pull her pants off fast enough. She sat down, smiled, and...she sat and sat and sat. I got the book and read it to her. But she wasn't really listening because the potty also came with a Prudence doll, who comes with a Velcro diaper. Off and on. Off and on. Finally:

"All done!"

"Well, that's the cool thing about this potty," I said. "When you're all done, you just stand up and go. You don't have to wait for us to help you."

She stood up, very pleased with herself. She peered in the potty. "Look!" she shouted, "A tiny poo-poo!"

I looked. There was a speck, maybe a sand granule or wood particulate from the park. Maybe just a molecule of fuzz. No poo-poo. The kid has some amazing eyesight.

"Not this time." I said. "But maybe next time, okay?" She was satisfied as long as Prudence could take a nap with her. I'll keep you posted on further developments.

In more serious news, thanks to everyone who expressed concern for the state of Jarrah's health after my last harrowing post. It was a tough week of staying indoors in isolation, but she is much, much better. She still coughs occasionally, but each day when she doesn't vomit is a good day. One learns to be thankful for the little things. ;)