The Poop Monster Strikes Again
Twice in one day.
This whole potty training deal is hard. Two years old is just old enough to know what you want, but not old enough to actually make it happen. Bless her heart.
Lily is typically a great napper and rock-star sleeper at night, so I have no complaints there.
These last few months, however, since potty training began, have left some afternoons (and mornings) smelling very foul.
You all remember the original poop-scapade. Well, since then we’ve had about a dozen others. Yesterday, was the first time it happened twice in one day though, so I thought that fact alone was worthy of documentation.
Honestly, it’s hard to be mad at her. She IS trying to help and “handle” the situation, but my goodness–it’s definitely NOT helpful!
Picture this Scene:
You hear little pitter-patter footsteps upstairs, but you’re enjoying your coffee and one-on-one time with your baby playing quietly on the floor. You know once the second one comes downstairs, the calm morning is over. So, you soak up those last few moments with your littlest and chug the coffee. You make your way upstairs with your ten month old on your hip. You open the door to find a bright-eyed and smiley faced toddler stark-naked jumping on her bed. You can’t help but smile because she is so precious, but then the smell overcomes you…
In all honesty, it wasn’t that bad. It’s mostly hilarious. I can say that now because I’m not scrubbing the floor at the moment.
She proudly says to me: “Mommy, I made doodoo. I put in diaper genie.”
Both true statements.
She had, in fact, done both in that order. But what a two year old fails to realize is the mess she leaves in her wake.
Where do you even begin? How do you know where to look (especially when your carpet hides things so well)? All you have to go on is smell and little clues left not so inconspicuously on walls and bed frames. But you can never be sure you actually got it all.
In her mind, everything is fine. She handled it. The deed was done. Clothes came off. Diaper went in genie. Wipes were used. Boom. Handled. Time to play.
Oh sweet girl.
So I let her soak in the sink during breakfast. Yes, I said during. Cereal tastes even better eaten from the kitchen sink. We were able to put the ordeal behind us by 8:00am.
The afternoon’s events were very similar. Take nap. Wake up. Make doo-doo and then deal with it. These are the only times I wish I actually invested in a monitor.
In all honesty, I’m no worse for the wear. I’m not really looking for advice. I don’t even care if it’s “normal” or not. Sadly, it’s become somewhat normal for us, but I know it’s a phase. I know it won’t last forever.
I can’t be mad… She’s too cute, and I don’t know that it calls for discipline because nothing is being done maliciously.
For now, I just suck it up, clean it up and laugh about it. Then write a blog post, so you can laugh about it too!
Let’s not stress about the little things, y’all.
My daughter is healthy and smart; she’s alive and spunky; she brightens my day and makes me smile.
I want to cling to those things. I choose to dwell on the good and encourage the positive behaviors. I don’t want to focus on the negative things. I try to have a good attitude in the challenging moments. It’s not always easy, but this is where God has me, and I want to make the best of it.
Have you had challenging situations lately? At work, at home, or at school?
How much of the stress from a trying situation or conflict can be alleviated by the way we choose to respond? Just something to think about.
Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
