#2's in the #1

I'm not intentionally trying to focus on bathroom stories this week (see also Monday's post), but it just so happens to have flushed out that way.

Last Christmas, my dad got Little Brother a plush train. The train has 5 cars numbered 1-5, each with a different color. There are also 5 monkeys numbered 1-5, each with a hat and shirt that color-coordinate with a train car.

Little Brother has recently become very interested in playing with this toy.

Sometimes he says, "I want my monkeys", which is kind funny in-and-of-itself, coming from the mouth of a 2 year-old.

Other times he refers to the monkeys as his "babies". "Babies are tired. Want to go nite-nite," he says. And he will cover them with anything that resembles a blanket, whether that be a real blanket, tissue, or a sheet of paper towel.

And so the other day, Little Brother woke up from his nap and wanted his monkeys babies--all 5 of them. I picked him up out of his crib and helped him scoop up all of his babies.

Then, suddenly, I had to pee, and pretty bad, too.

The only problem is that Little Brother is really clingy after his nap (and with me in general), and he did NOT want me to put him down while I went potty. (I tried to, and this only met with the beginnings of a scream fest.)

I also tried to coax him into setting the monkeys down on the bathroom counter, which also met with protest.

Mom-E was busy in the other end of the house, and so my options were rather limited: pee my pants, or pee while holding a toddler.

And so I went potty while holding Little Brother, who in turn was holding his 5 monkeys.

I recognize the awkwardness and potential embarassment of this situation, but in a pinch I've done it before, and I'm sure I'll have to do it again. (Ah, the things we do as parents.) I'll also admit that it takes some "skill" to navigate both potty and toddler simultaneously

And who said men can't multi-task? Tsk, tsk.

The nly problem was that Little Brother had a little trouble handling all 5 monkeys.

Yep, you guessed it. Monkey #2 went for a "swim in the yellow pool."

I managed to fish the monkey out of the potty, which required another power squat), as I was still holding Little Brother.

I couldn't help but laugh as it was Monkey #2 who fell in the #1.

Little Brother didn't find it quite as amusing, especially when I told him that his monkey got yucky and needed a bath, which prompted a flood of crocodile tears and nasal discharge, in addition to more cries for "I want my monkey."

And so that you know the story had a happy ending, here's a picture of Monkey #2, who has been decontaminated, and is now out of quarrantine and reunited with his family.


See you on Fatherhood Friday. Until then, keep the monkeys out of the potty,
Busy-Dad-E