Lessons From My Brother

This morning I was getting ready to mop the floor in the kitchen and sent the kids downstairs to their playroom. As I was moving furniture I heard it - Nathan's hysterical laugh - for anyone that knows Nathan this means....TROUBLE! The laugh was not coming from the basement but from outside. (Audrey started crawling through the dog door several months ago and Nathan recently worked up the courage as well). I ran down the stairs, unlocked the keyed deadbolt and bolted outside.

Now just close your eyes and imagine this scene. The sky was overcast and a light sprinkle began to fall. I peer around the side of the house and there stands our 20 pound Audrey, bare naked from the waist down. Behind her about four feet was her diaper and about two feet further were her pink Minnie Mouse shorts. Audrey proudly looked up and declared that she was "peeing" on a bush.

After hauling them both inside the house, locking the deadbolt and 10 minutes of serious time-out I started talking to Nathan about the inappropriateness of their behavior. I asked Nathan how they got outside and discussed the danger. Then I asked him what Audrey was doing with her pants off. He proudly stated, with giggles in his voice, that she was peeing on the bushes. I inquired further to see where she would get an idea like that. He responded that in the minutes previous he had to do the same thing.