Bathroom Near-Misses

It's a truly lucky thing that Madeleine didn't have any accidents today, because she sure didn't want to listen to any of my suggestions that she try the potty.

After we got home from a few hours at the playground, I encouraged her to go to the bathroom.  Julia and I had both taken a potty break while at the playground, yet Madeleine had steadfastly insisted she didn't need to go.  Just as she continued to insist she didn't need to go as she wiggled around the dining room back at home. 

Thankfully, she managed to make a mad dash for the toilet just in the nick of time about ten minutes later, and I overheard her talking to herself while sitting on the potty.

MADELEINE: Well, she DID hold it too long and so she PEED in her UNDERWEAR.
ME: (alarmed) You peed in your underwear??
MADELEINE: Um, no, RACHEN did.
ME: But did you?  Did you get pee-pees in your underwear?
MADELEINE: Um, no.
ME: Then why are you saying that?
MADELEINE: Because.  RACHEN peed in her underwear.  But *I* didn't.

Thank goodness, it fortunately DID turn out to be Rachen who peed in her underwear, because Madeleine's were actually dry.

Later this evening, I knew Madeleine needed to poop.  The gag-inducing scent of her flatulence alone was enough to tell me, but seeing her repeatedly clenching her hand against the seat of her pants was proof positive.  Nonetheless, no matter how many times I suggested she try, she was CERTAIN she didn't need to.  She got invested in a game over at the play kitchen, only to suddenly go sprinting out of the room a few minutes later, yelling, "Mama, I need to get there SO FAST!" 

And sure enough, she needed to poop.  And miraculously enough, she DIDN'T leave any premature stains in her underwear.

As she put it, "Mama, I was playing in the night, and I heard a sound like...like poopies were ready to come out!"

Then she began her typical marathon poop session, leaving the rest of us to wait around the bathroom door, because it just happened to be time to start the bedtime routine.  Julia patiently awaited her turn to brush teeth and use the potty, but I attempted to hurry Madeleine along.

ME: Madeleine, are you done pooping yet?
MADELEINE: Uh...not YET!
ME: Okay.  Well can you please hurry?
MADELEINE: (earnestly) Well Mama.  It takes for DAYS and DAYS.

In a pleasantly fortuitous turn of events, it didn't actually take for days and days, and Madeleine was soon off the pot and the rest of the bathroom activities were able to commence.

Have I mentioned how much I love having just one bathroom to share between all four of us??