What's in YOUR Child's Potty?

Scene:  I am sitting on the couch, nursing my three-month old daughter, with the Boppy placed snuggly around my waist.  My 2 ½ year old son is quietly working on puzzles in the playroom.  That’s right, I think to myself, I am mom, hear me roar!  Becoming a mother of two has certainly had its challenges, but here I am, enjoying a sweet moment.

All of a sudden, my little boy rushes in and announces, “Poo-poo, pee pee!”  while doing what appears to be the Mexican Hat Dance, his feet dancing around on the floor.  "Poo-poo and pee pee" in his world translates into pooping in the toilet (he has no problem walking around with a soggy pull-up in his current stage of potty training).  Dozens of scenarios and options run through my mind in the span of a few seconds.  “Okay, let’s go!” I say.

I promptly stand up, still holding the Boppy, and my baby girl, who is contentedly suckling on my breast.  The three of us walk towards the bathroom, my boy beaming because he knows to open the door for us.  He quickly pushes his step towards the toilet and I help him pull down his shorts and pull-up with my left arm, while my right arm props my newborn and the Boppy up on the sink counter. 

It does not take me long to realize this will not work, with my daughter growing ever frustrated because her food source is on the move.  I quickly walk her over to the couch and place her in a secure spot, saying, “Mama will be right back.  I need to go help big brother.”  (Because, you know, she understands me in this final stage before her meltdown.)

Frantically, I reenter the bathroom as my son proudly stands up from the toilet.  “Look, mama, I made the letter A!”  I peek into the toilet to find, indeed, three strands of poop that have magically fallen together to form a capital letter A.

“Wow…” is all I can muster.  I go between being an impressed former educator because my son is constantly making learning connections, even with his poop, to just wanting the experience to be over so there is peace in the house again!  The letter game has become part of our potty routine. 

My favorite references are when he says he’s made a sand castle with his feces and quotes, “All the letters fell off the coconut tree!” when he can’t quite make them out.  I can’t make this stuff up.

I catch a glimpse of my future:  driving a minivan with a bumper sticker that reads, “What’s in your child’s poop?”