Super-Soaper!!

There’s a good rule of thumb that we adhere to like a religion around the Cole household: our three-year-old, Judah, and a toilet are not to be left alone in the same room for more than two minutes.  If this rule is not upheld, don’t come crying to me (only I’m usually the one crying, so how does that work?!).

I had just pressed the start button on the dishwasher yesterday after cleaning up after dinner when my internal “Judah bathroom alarm” begin to go off.  I hadn’t heard any excessive flushing or running water coming from the bathroom so I wasn’t too worried but when I hollered his name from the bottom of the stairs and he appeared at the top, I knew trouble could always be found when one diligently seeks it…water not required.

There Judah stood.  Naked as a jaybird and shining like a greased pig from head-to-toe.  Good Lord, what now?!

“Jude, did you put on baby lotion?”  I was trying to be optimistic, hopeful and…unrealistic.

“No, BIG boy lotion!”  he replied, but as he hopped happily down the stairs, my nose felt like it had just toured a Bath and Body Works factory.  I swiped him with my finger to confirm my suspicion, yep: soap.  My boy was slimed from head to toe in a thick layer of juicy liquid watermelon soap.

I then remembered my famous last words when he was heading up to the bathroom, “Make sure you wash your hands with soap.”  The J-man puts a new spin on enthusiasm, give him an inch and he runs with an idea a mile.

“Honey, you are supposed to wash just your hands with soap.”  I sighed as I lifted him by his slippery arm-pits and carried him towards the tub.

“But Mommy, me DID wash my hands with soap.  Me put soap on everything!”

As I hosed him down with the shower-head, I confirmed the soap had indeed been applied to everything-including huge globs all over his hair.  Five minutes later, my three-year-old was the most watermelon scented and cleanest kid East of the Mississippi.  

I wrapped him in a towel, deeply inhaled his watermelon-infused hair and sent a word-of-thanks Heavenward.

Thank God for enthusiastic kids.

And thank God for unexpected moments in my hectic days to stop and smell the watermelon.

Note: A new rule has been added to the Cole household: Judah and the toilet AND soap

are not to be left alone in the same room.