A Warming Sensation

Ian stripped naked after lunch today. I’m not sure what his impetus was. He was playing in the dishwater while I gathered dirty dishes, soaking his shirt. Once his wet shirt was on the floor, maybe he felt his pants were a little damp. After his shirt joined his pants on the floor, maybe he decided to finish the job and removed his diaper.

Whatever inspired his birthday suit look, he was standing at my feet and screaming as I washed dishes. Normally I tend to my naked screaming children promptly, and not just because it feels like something a responsible parent would do. I don’t like my children to go naked for extended periods for fear that they’ll leak. Abbie has some control over her bodily functions, but the boys haven’t grasped the concept of finding appropriate places to deposit their waste.

I only had a few dishes left to wash, though, so today I decided to make him wait while I finished. Doing so would help him learn the consequences of removing his clothes, plus it would let me finish washing the dishes as efficiently as possible. I figured the worst that could happen is he could on the floor, but after handling poop for over three years, a little pee on the floor is nothing. We have hardwood floors, so they’re easy to clean up. His screaming at me might drive me crazy, but it’s not like I’ve got much sanity left after three years of handling poop.

I continued washing dishes while Ian continued screaming. Ian, sensing my lack of action, upped the ante and peed on my foot. I was disturbed that he soaked my sock, but at least he stopped screaming. I abandoned my dishes and whisked him to the changing table for a fresh diaper, pants, and shirt.

In retrospect, I’m not sure why I changed course. The damage was done, and it’s not like he had anything left.