nik newark

I put bumblebee down the drain

I don't often write about my kids, I normally leave this to the good folks over at Kittenhead Towers who normally do an excellent job of such things. However, Lady Kittenhead wasn't present for this particular event, so I feel duty bound to document it.

We've been potty training Digi for a few days now. I think we started this on or around Boxing Day, when we decided that there was nothing much on the TV and we felt that potty training would be a good alternative. So far, it has been pretty effective - only a few minor accidents. But it is sometimes a challenge to identify whether he actually needs to go or not. Normally conversations go like this:-

Digi : I need wee wee
Nik : You need a wee?
Digi : No!
Nik : OK. Well, just in case, let's get your potty…
Digi (falling to ground and kicking legs in air): NO! NO! NO! DON'T LIKE WEE WEE! DON'T LIKE POTTY!
etc.

On this particular occasion, we were around some friends' house, and he'd pulled this stunt two or three times. It was time for the car ride home, and by dammit, we were going to make sure that he had a wee before leaving. The scene opens in the bathroom, where Nik has carried Digi and a potty, and has spent ten minutes discussing with Digi as to whether he is going to have a wee or not. So far, the conclusion has been firmly, not. However, each time Nik says “OK, let's put your pants back on”, Digi says something like “I need a wee wee, Daddy”, and the whole charade continues. Nik starts to think that this is an elaborate wheeze to delay our departure. Either that, or Digi just likes quality time with Daddy in the bathroom. Anyway, the scene is set…

Nik : OK, let's put your big boy pants back on.
Digi: I wee wee in big boy pants.
Nik: Do you need a wee?
Digi: I wee wee on the floor.
Nik: No, I really think you should wee in the potty.
Digi: I wee wee on … (looks around the room) … the towel! I wee wee on the door!
Nik: Digi, do you need a wee?
Digi: No. I don't like wee wee. I wee wee in the bath. I wee wee down the drain.
Nik: …?
Digi: I put bumblebee down the drain
Nik: A bumblebee? Where will you get a bumblebee from?
Digi: From outside
Nik: But its far too cold and windy. There won't be any bumblebees outside.
Digi (smiling ecstatically): I'm silly! I put bumblebees up my nose!

Incidentally. he didn't wee in the end, until much later at home.
And nor did he do anything with bumblebees.

Lady Kittenhead has apparently requested that I recount another incident that occurred this morning whilst in bed. Digi and Kalila have a habit of waking up quite early in the morning, and climbing* into our bed. This morning it was shortly after 5.00am. Digi, sitting on the bed, picked up a piece of paper that Lady Kittenhead had ripped from a magazine. Kalila saw it and her interest was piqued. She grabbed it from him. Digi thought this was quite funny, so he grabbed it back. He them held it out in such a way, that she could reach it and grab it, which she duly did.
This went on for a minute or two, both of them playing “grab the paper from your sibling”, laughing and smiling as they played. Unfortunately, the rules of this game are ill-defined at best. On this occasion, the game ended when Digi grabbed the paper, and tore it into pieces, at which point Kalila burst into tears, and then proceeded to try and eat one of the shreds.

*Well, Digi climbs, Kalila is more sort of carried in.