Something I Never Thought I would Do

A few weeks ago, as I picked up Emma from school, her teacher told me that she had just gone potty because she had a lot of water that afternoon.  Emma had been potty-trained for a while, so I didn't worry too much about it.  As we headed to the car, I asked her if she needed to go again and she said she didn't.  We made the drive to Pearland to pick Olivia up from daycare in about 30 minutes.  I asked Emma before we went to Olivia's room if she needed to go and she said no again.  We got Olivia's things together, and as soon as I got her buckled in her car seat Emma said that she needed to go potty.  We went to the restroom that is closest to the front of the school but had to wait because someone was already in there.  Emma started bouncing around saying she really needed to go, but by that time I thought it would be faster to wait than to walk to one of the other restrooms.  Little did I know how long the woman that was in there would take.  Emma kept telling me that it was urgent and I showed her how to cross her legs hoping that would help... but it didn't.  About 15 seconds before the woman opened the door, Emma started to whimper and I knew it was too late.  I still hurried into the restroom, but by that time her pants and shoes were soaked.  She sat on the potty and went some more so she really did have a lot of water in her.  I felt so bad that she had to put the wet clothes back on, pick up Olivia, and walk to the car.  We keep a bag with an extra set of Emma's clothes in the car, but naturally on this day I didn't have it.  So I stripped her down and buckled her into the car seat with just her shirt on...  Now onto the funny part of the story.

We had planned to meet Matt to eat out for dinner that night.  I was debating going home to get clean clothes for her or buying something for her to wear at Target since it is right next to the Chili's where we planned to eat.  When I called Matt, he said he was almost to Pearland, so I decided to wait for him in the Target parking lot and he could stay with the girls while I ran in to get something for Emma.  Now remember that Emma is naked from the waist down.  I unbuckle her so she can stand up in the back seat.  After a minute or two, she says that she needs to go potty.  I look through the car, but I don't even have a coat or blanket that I can wrap her in to take her into the store.  As I look back and forth from her to Olivia she says she really needs to go and I tell her to just wait for a few more minutes.  As I try to distract her, she tells me that "The pee pee is coming!"  I say just hold it and she starts bouncing and repeats, "I can't!  The pee pee is coming!"  So now what do I do?  Do I let her stand in the car and pee all over the back seat?  Not something that I want to clean up.  Do I try to get Olivia out of the car and get both girls into the restroom without exposing the fact that Emma doesn't have any clothes on?  That would take too long.  Or do I let Emma go in the Target parking lot?  I can't believe that I am even considering that.  Can I really let her do that???  When nothing brilliant comes to mind, I decide that is my only option.  I open my door and hers and set her on the ground between them.  Then I tell her to go.  She looks at me like I have gone crazy when I spread her legs and tell her to squat down a little bit.  Then she starts - and she pees a river.  As she keeps going and going, I am looking around hoping that no one walks by to see my shame.  How can I let my precious little girl do this?  As soon as she finishes, I quickly put her in the car and close our doors so that I can deny any part in the large puddle on the ground by our car.  Matt pulls up just about then and I run into the store to buy Emma a cute little dress because I feel so bad about what I just made her do.  We get her dressed and head to dinner. I am still in shock about what just happened, and Emma is happy to be in her new dress and forgotten the events that led to her getting the new dress.

So I learned a good lesson: there might come a time when you are forced to do something that you had previously thought was impossible.  And survive the event with nothing to show for it but a new dress.  :)