Surprising. AKA: The Adjective Of Choice For A Three Year Old.

I was changing The Boy when TLNG came whipping around the corner into his room and stood next to me, wearing her best Devilish Grin.

Concerned, I asked, 'Were you out there doing something Freshy?'

'Mommy! I'm pee-peeing!' she says, playing with the back of her shorts.

Frustrated with this very infrequent but Very Annoying Behavior, I say, 'Well. I don't know if we're going to be able to go to Sesame Place, if you're going to be doing things like peeing in your pants.'

[Aside: This kid basically potty-trained herself, starting about a year and a half ago.  She's been FULLY POTTY TRAINED in the daytime for about a year. She's 'peed her pants' on purpose, maybe twice.  Also, I get an IRON CLAD behavior contract before going out these days. I have lawyers review it for loop holes before going on a big trip to somewhere like Sesame Place (where we have season passes FTLOG,) when chasing her and juggling her brother with only the back up of my father will surely = 'THIS IS A LOST CHILD ANNOUNCEMENT' over the loudspeakers.]

Anyway.

I put The Boy on the floor (to roam! CRAWLING!) and take her to the pot pot (long /o/, silent /t/,) with a little sighing and a little [useless lecturing] talking about why we have to Tell Mommy when it's time to pee, etc.

I pick her up to put her on the toilet and she says, 'But. I al-ready peed, Mommy. I had to pee pee and so I went!'

A little more sighing from me.

And I lean down to check her unders and:

Dry.

???

As it starts to dawn on me, what I'm hearing but not hearing, I start rewinding our conversation in my head.

'Where did you go pee, honey?' I ask.

She points to the hall. 'In the other pot pot.'

Um.

'Are you...Did.  Did you go pee pee by yourself, honey?'

'Yes, Mommy.  I had to pee and so I went!'

'Tell me what you did.'

'Well. I put the stool up.  I pulled down my pants and I went pee pee on the pot pot!'

As I'm still rewinding, I recall what I thought was her Grin of Mischief.  But it was a grin of Pride.  She expected (and deserved) some BIG cheering, I'm sure.  And she was probably baffled by my response.

I started to laugh and hug her and praise her with much excitement.  I told her that I misunderstood what she was saying.  That I thought she was peeing in her pants.

We went to the other potty and there it was. The little stool pushed right up to the toilet and a little unflushed bowl for evidence.

'Is this your pee pee?' I asked.

'Yes! I put it in there all by myself, Mommy!'

I got her a little treat, then. 

Aaaaand this is the kind of thing that kicks me in the gut about Three Years Old.  We have really never, ever talked about her going to the bathroom by herself.  I've made passing references about Going by Herself when she goes to preschool and that's it.  This girl, this big girl who took herself to the bathroom and then came to celebrate with me is the SAME girl who was, on the very same morning, screaming with such ferocity that I literally feared vomiting (hers) and eardrum rupture (mine.)

And so, I was...surprised. Utterly.

And as we were walking out of the kitchen she said this:

'Mommy, I was doing not something Freshy.'

And then, this:

'Can we still go to Sesame Place, please?'

Comments

[Kelly]

Freshy...love it. Peeing in pot by herself....love it. Crawling? Love it, too.

[Mama Bub]

This IS three. Not that I would know anything about those potty accomplishments, but the rest of it you captured perfectly.

And I LOVE "Freshy."

[Princess Hippopotamus]

What an accomplishment!
My son seems to have just located his wenis and was checking his equipment while crawling around his room naked after a bath. He then proceeded to stand in the corner by his crib and pee on the carpet. I guess touching wenis = need to pee = mom get the diaper!
I should have known this. My husband is 25 and still grabs his wenis when he needs to pee.

[Sarahviz]

I love that you call them unders. Me too.

[lora]

There is nothing better than when your kid can pee alone. NOTHING.

[Swistle]

WHAT A BIG KID!!! And I lovvvve the gradual dawning!

[caramama]

AWESOME!

With The Threes, you just can't tell if it's a mischief smile or a proud smile. It really could have gone either way. Glad it went the good way.

Incidentally, my girl will go to the potty by herself, but if I hear her, I hurry in. I'm concerned about her actually wiping or at least wiping completely. Is this just me?

[Stimey]

"Can we still go to Sesame Place, please?" or "Mom, will you stop punishing me for doing something awesome all by myself?"

This is such a great story. I have done this same sort of thing a million times. Not with the potty though. I don't think my kids ever did anything on the potty without my forcing them to at gun point.

Way to go, TLNG!

[Lori]

Oh. my. God. tears.