A Lot of Potty Talk

Tonight's my night to blog, but really, all I feel like writing is blah blah blah blah blah. Not because anything bad is going on, but the same old same old is going on. Many of our highlights from the past week involve the toilet, so if this isn't your thing, just check back in next week:

• Doodles watched his father, um, relieve himself. Doodles said, "Daddy's making juice!" Uh, no, not quite. Which is right up there with his comment after doing his own thing in his potty: "We don't eat poop!" While that's true, I'm not sure where he got this and why it needs to be verbalized.
  
• Purim was last Monday and we had a Purim-filled weekend from my co-leading the Tot Shabbat on Saturday to the Purim carnival on Sunday to the megillah reading on Monday. I took Doodles with me to the reading, as it's a huge party. We dressed up in costume and headed to synagogue. I wasn't sure how he'd do with the costumes: at Halloween we went to a party at Adam's office and there was a Spider-Man and a Big Bird there and they totally freaked him out. But he seemed okay. Very curious. A little clingy--wanted to be held, which was fine with me in that crowd and also because it was my special time with my not-so-little Doodles and it's fun to hold him when Sweetie Pie isn't also demanding attention. There was a costume parade, musical acts, mask decorating, all sorts of fun. I also worried that Doodles would be frightened by the noise, because it's traditional that every time the villain's name, Haman, is mentioned, people use noisemakers and shout to drown out his name. But Doodles loved it and adored sounding his noisemaker! However, we didn't get to stay very long. After the first group performed, a special guest was announced. Music played as we eyed the crowd, looking for the special guest. "I recognize this music!" I thought, humming along, trying to place it. I'm humming it to Doodles. It hit me at the same time that the doors opened and out trotted the "special guest." The one, the only... Spider-Man. Yup. That was the end of it for Doodles, even after Spider-Man removed his mask and showed him that he was just our normal, friendly rabbi. We made a quick exit after that. We'll try again next year.
  
• Our child is still light years away from potty training, yet the potty seems to occupy much of our time. When J. and Grape come over, there generally tends to be a group potty session. This past week, J. and Doodles sat on the potty. The two started grunting. "I'm trying to get the poop out!" J. told Doodles. Doodles replied, "I'm trying to get the poop out, too!"
  
• Ferber isn't doing his thing for Sweetie Pie. With Doodles, it took three whopping nights. For Sweetie Pie... well, I don't know. It still hasn't taken and it's been a week and a half. It's killing all of us.
  
• My new favorite activity: On Saturday and Sunday nights, one of our local college station has a program called The Playground, which is kids' music, but lots of cool kids' music, including music from my youth, TV theme songs, songs from movies and theater, plus of course a bit of Wiggles and whatnot. When Doodles hears it come on, he comes running into the living room and yells, "Dance party!" He loves it. The two of us get down with our bad selves and dance ourselves silly until it's his bathtime and I'm ready to collapse. The kid sings along with the music (whether he knows the words or not) and mimics everything I do, which is not a good thing, as those who know me, know I am incapable of finding a beat. I taught him all my best moves (stir the pot, raise the roof, the sprinkler--hey, I told you I'm a lousy dancer) and we work up a serious sweat together. Man, that kid rocks!
  
• I'm getting used to the Ocean Mist atrocity. It's actually a pretty good drive. I still think the dashboard sucks, though.