On why moms of little ones can never close the bathroom door....

I think that often, one of the most startling (and let's face it, depressing) realizations for a new mom is that she has begun a years long process during which solo bathroom time mostly ceases to exist. Oh sure, for the first few weeks or months it is perfectly safe to sneak a quick shower while the baby is sleeping, but the door has to be open so that you'll hear when baby cries. And since there is something magical about mom sneaking a shower that causes baby to wake up halfway through 86.7% of the time, showers become a stressful and rushed experience completed to the background music of crying.

As babies learn to crawl, and figure out how to climb out of their cribs, and transition to toddlerhood...all of these changes complicate mom's bathroom time even more. Eventually they are old enough that you dare to close the door (still not when you shower, though!), but then you experience the charm of little fists knocking on the door moments after you sit down, and little voices calling questions that became TheMostImportantQuestionInTheWorldThatMustBeAnsweredImmediately as soon as the door was closed. Ah yes...it is lovely.

But finally -- finally! -- your children may reach the lofty ages of three, four, and five. They still conduct rambling conversations through the bathroom door, but they don't break things (or break themselves!) while you're in there, and eventually it seems like it's probably safe to even close the bathroom door while you shower.

Except, you know...maybe...it's not.

This was the sight that greeted my horrified gaze when I came upstairs after showering today. Bethany was standing in the sink -- yes, standing! -- trying to wash away the evidence of her experiment. Does that look like blood to you? Because it sure looked like blood to me!

It was nail polish. Apparently she decided that she wanted her toenails painted, and she actually did a pretty decent job for a three year old, on the left foot! That right foot...I really don't know what happened there.

Being the mature and conscientious mother that I am, naturally the first thing I did was to grab my camera. Ahem. I wanted to be upset with her, really I did, but she apologized so sincerely as soon as she saw me (and about 15 times after that), and she was trying so hard to clean up the mess she'd made. She also did something amazing -- she kept it all in the bathroom, and did not step one foot on the carpet. I was so relieved when I realized that!

Cleaning it up took a long time. I felt awful about rubbing down her soft skin with nail polish remover; it dries it out so harshly. (Afterward I soaked her feet in lotion.) We got most of it....

And apparently it tickles to have gallons of nail polish removed from silly little three year old toes! :)

And...I think I'm back to showering with the door open.