Age

     I recently turned 39 years old. Does that make me uncomfortable? Not really. I feel young and come from a long line of relatives who seem to take age with stride, so I truly don't obsess about it. That being said, when my age was put into perspective by my daughter, I did cringe a little.
     Nola and I occasionally watch So You Think You Can Dance. It is such a fun show and usually kid friendly. Well this year there is a dancer named Fik-shun and he is adorable. He is a twitch dancer which is like street dance or hip hop. He is great with his own genre of dancing but has excelled in other forms as well. So, last week, I was talking to my mom about the show and explained to her that Fik-shun was so cute that I wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home with me.
     Nola, who was sitting near us looked straight at me and said, "Mom," imagine a bit of an attitude with the word mom, "You can't take Fik-shun home with you, he's 18 and your 39!"
     I guess I did sound like a bit of a cougar talking about a boy who could actually be my own child should I have given birth at 21. So I now recant my statement that age doesn't bother me, in the right context, it's slightly alarming. 

I'm Not a Boy

     I suppose it's pretty obvious, since I delivered two children and all, that I am in fact, a girl. Why am I pointing out this well known fact? Well...it's my main defense in the Miles verses potty training saga. Okay, saga may be a bit of a stretch, but I may have scarred my little man for life by teaching him one seemingly strange step in his bathroom routine.
     Because I am a girl I found training a boy to urinate fairly challenging. So after many, many, many months of shameless treats, countless failures and bribes, Miles finally learned to pee unassisted. Of course we had accidents here and there but for the most part, by the time he was three and a half, he was potty trained.
     Now when I go to the toilet and conduct my business, I always end with a few squares of toilet paper to towel off if you will. The problem is that I took my toilet routine and bestowed it on my Miles. So after he urinates, he grabs some toilet paper from the roll then dabs off the excess. I know what you are thinking, doesn't she know that guys shake instead of dab? Yes, I have learned that over the years but I've seen Miles shake and his technique is ineffective and quite messy. Again, I am not a boy, so I had to improvise.
     On occasion, I have mentioned this approach to male friends and family members and I usually get an eye roll at the very least or an astounding, "Ang! The poor kid is going to get teased!"
     I feel as though he will grow out of this, eventually, hopefully before Kindergarten starts!