traveling with toddlers

is it Murphy's law that the adults in the car don't have to pee until the kid is asleep?. it seems that every time i travel with ella, the minute she falls asleep my bladder begins to fill. within seconds -it seems- my bladder is going to explode. i must stop!

so i begin to weigh the options of a cranky toddler and a car detailing bill. i decide that the cranky toddler is far less irritating in the long run than the $200 tab for someone else to clean the explosion.

i stop. she wakes screeching "out, out, i out". i get her out, tell her that we have stopped because mommy has to potty. "ella potty!!!" so we go in search of what she deems to be THE POTTY. (steering her in the direction of the largest stall does not always work). ella proceeds to put paper down on the toilet seat (something that has sunk in so well that the first time her daddy took her potty away from home she would not go until the paper was on the seat. dad was bit confused, but now has learned the steps), the paper falls into the toilet and we start the process over. (at this point having to bend over to help her is making my impending explosion that much closer) i put her on the seat and begin my job, encouragement; which all of the people waiting behind us can hear. ella dribbles a second or so before the thunder mug auto flushes. huge problem. ella freaked, stream stopped, encouragement becomes consoling, in my arms, as i squat realizing that i must pee or i am going to be able to put out forest fires in California. i ask ella if she is done. no, so she starts the process over, this time with only a couple more dribbles.

finally is is my turn; ahhh; sweet relief. i finish my business, we wash our hands, start walking back to the car. ella is telling everyone the entire way back "i go potty"; which i thought was bad until she began telling people "mommy went potty too". because the total strangers need to know my toilet habits.

so we get back into the car, i strap her into her seat, get back on the road and what is that wonderful odor? why, it is my daughter that had the chance to "shooey" in the potty, but did not.

oh the joy of traveling with a toddler