Edgy Mama

I’m driving the kids back from Atlanta after Turkey day, and we make a pit stop at Mickey D’s for lunch. First off, as always, we run to the potty, and I mean run, because both my boy and I are in dire straits.

There are two stalls; the boy takes one and I take the other. I tell the girl to stand outside the stalls and wait. Because my kids are young, we share a lot, including one very small upstairs bathroom at home, and we often talk about impending bodily functions as we’re running for the loo.

Until I got married, I thought everyone did this, but I realized that it was my crazy family growing up who always said when we were going to the bathroom. I thought it was bad manners to leave a room without telling those in it where I was going. But, it seems that most adults don’t feel the need to say, “I’ve got to go tee-tee now.” My family still does, however. And I’ve inadvertantly trained my kids to do so.

Anyway, while the boy and I are relieving ourselves, I hear someone walk into the bathroom. She says hello to the girl. The girl announces: “You’ll have to wait. My brother and my Mom are on the potty and they’re both pooping.”

I’m slightly horrified, but I laugh and say something inane. The woman gives a nervous titter. But she recovers quickly.

“So, little girl,” she says. “Do you know what your Mom’s credit card number is, too?”