Updates and Conversations with Lucy (TM)

It is Spring Break here at 83 Durant Street, which doesn't mean all that much -- or at least, doesn't mean a trip to Bermuda or other sunny climes. On the up side, it does mean that things have warmed up a bit here, which is nice. The iceberg in our driveway has gotten a bit smaller, and the iceberg at the end of our driveway has nearly disappeared, so hopefully, someday soon, we will have the full range of parking options at the house. Woot!

The inspiration to write today comes from Lucy, namely, today's hilarious Conversations with Lucy (TM). After I picked her up from school today, we went downtown to get her a haircut. We go to Angela Salon (91 East Merrimack Street, Lowell), which we love. They know her (and the whole family) and she enjoys it there. And it's totally reasonably priced, which, if you're aware of the frequency of haircuts needed amongst the hirsute members of our family, you know means something to our bottom-line budget. When we left with her bangs nicely trimmed, there were a lot of nicely-dressed office workers heading home on the street in downtown Lowell. We were walking behind a woman, and Lucy asked:

"Mom, do you have sticky-outy shoes?"

By this, she meant "high heels." I thought that "sticky-outy shoes" is the best Lucy-ism I had heard in a while, and so obviously, I needed to post. And yes, by the way, I do own a few pairs of sticky-outy shoes.

This evening, when I put her to bed, Lucy asked out of the blue:

"Mom, do I have stink waves coming off of me?"

She had just had a bath, so I really didn't notice an offending odor, but I did think the question a bit odd, until I remembered that she and Jake had been listening to the audio book of The Witches by Roald Dahl, which totally explains her concern regarding stink-waves.

The other exciting update is that Lucy successfully used the potty this evening after her bath. This represents a huge milestone, as for sometime now, she has screamed bloody murder at the mere mention of using the potty or wearing big girl underwear. Her daycare teacher told me last week that in her twenty years of experience with kids, she has never encountered a potty training challenge like the one our daughter has been presenting. We always knew she was exceptional. It's good to have that feeling validated.

What was particularly impressive was how thoroughly she had reasoned things out regarding her choice to use diapers instead of the potty. She had an answer to every objection an adult could pose.

Adult: But Lucy when are you going to use the potty?
Lucy: When I'm eighteen! I will wear big-kid diapers! They have them at CVS!

Lucy: I want to be Super Girl for Halloween next year!
Adult: Lucy, you know, Super Girl wears underwear, not diapers.
Lucy (after thinking for a moment): I will be Baby Super Girl.

Adult: Lucy, why don't you want to use the potty?
Lucy: It's uncomfortable.
Adult: Having a diaper rash is more uncomfortable.
Lucy: When you use the potty, you get a potty rash. All over your body.

There was no reasoning with her. After a nuclear meltdown this evening, we had potty success, and then she was riding high on the excitement. She still wore a diaper to bed, but she said (on her own) that she wanted to use the potty in the morning and wear big kid underwear to school. We'll see how that goes. Fingers crossed. Maybe legs, too.