Mia and the Commode

 

         My granddaughter Mia is now age four and a half.  She will turn five in October.  She is potty trained, and has been for some time now.   She went through a spell of feeling she needed to strip naked to use the toilet.   We have passed that now and move on to other interesting quirks about toileting. 

   Mia is a little bit of a germophobe.  She is totally freaked out by the idea of the toilet getting clogged and overflowing.    Who can blame her?  I'm recording some of the funny things she has done to be able to recall them and laugh later.   

       I heard Gabe tell  her yesterday "Mia, you need to go in the bathroom and pick up some of that toilet paper you have all over the place. The trash can is running over and it is falling in the floor. Why did you feel you needed to use SO MUCH toilet paper? Why did you feel you could not put it in the toilet and flush it? Were you scared of the toilet getting clogged?" To which she responded "Yes. I am."  

     Sure enough the trash can was a mountain of toilet tissue.  He wasn't kidding.  

Her response to him that ended this exchange was "How dare you speak to me about that!" but then she looked at me and cut her eyes and grinned.  She was leaning into her wicked side.  

   We were outdoors and Gabe and Mia were playing on the swing set in my back yard.  She jumped down and yelled "I've gotta poop!" and headed for the house. Gabriel spoke to her and said "Girl, please remember to FLUSH the commode when you are done."  and I added "Yes, and please try not to clog the toilet again with so much paper". She went from being on a dead run to go do a number two... to fussing and yelling at us and running around in circles while she fussed.  She got her point across. "Don't talk to me about this EVER AGAIN!"  Once she made her proclamation she finally headed indoors to use the bathroom.

        I went by the bathroom a few weeks later and noticed the toilet was not flushed, but needed to be.

Mia had struck again.  When I tried to flush it the toilet acted like it was going to overflow. It was clogged.   I went round to my master bath and got the toilet plunger and quietly went to work unstopping it.   Gabriel came by and asked "What are you doing?" I explained and asked him if he wanted to learn how to use the plunger in case of an emergency?  He nodded yes.  He knows it isn't if, but when it will be needed.   We were in the bathroom with the door half shut and being very quiet.

We could hear Mia in the living room watching cartoons and playing so we believed we were safe to proceed.   About the time I started plunging the toilet and demonstrating to Gabe how to do it, Mia appeared .  She popped in and looked at us both accusingly.  "What are y'all doing?"  Gabe's eyes got big as saucers. Neither of us wanted to poke the bear today.   After her Don't ever talked to me about this AGAIN!" declaration we knew better.  

    Mia is anything but stupid.   I had to think fast.   " I'm trying to unstop the commode where I clogged it from using too much toilet paper. I'm real bad about doing that."  Gabe is behind Mia grinning, but daring not laugh.  She looked at me and seemed to agree that yes, I did have a problem. and she trotted off satisfied that she was not being accused.  

     Once she was safely out of ear shot we both lost it and laughed.   I am a weak woman to be scared of a four year old and to allow myself to be bullied by her, but I do.   I am a peaceful soul and it is just easier to make it about me and claim it as my fault than suffer her wrath. 

    

     Below is a funny video by Betty Butterfield talking about commodes.