Bathtub Fun

The title of this entry truly is an innocent one, relating to my children. However, it occurred to me that I’ll probably get some interesting google hits off that one. Yikes.

My son’s latest obsession is bathtub placement. He wants to take the first bath of the night and gloat over it to his eighteen-month-old sister. “I’m first and you’re last!” he’ll taunt. She eyes him with a look of–”Yeah, whatever. I’ll go destroy your toys when you aren’t looking.”

It started out harmless enough. I didn’t care. After all, what difference did it make? As long as they both get clean, what does it matter who’s first or last? But then there was the night when I DARED to give his sister the first bath. I believe horns sprouted upon my son’s head and his eyes grew fiery red. Steam rose from his ears.

“She’s last and I’M FIRST!” he howled. “Mommy, you don’t let her go first!”

Okay, had to nip that one in the bud. It was a case of “Don’t take that tone with me, young whipper snapper.” Sadly, he decided to test his limits. It amazes me how the two-year-old children test physical boundaries (throwing themselves off furniture, climbing on top of tables, playing with electrical cords) and three-year-olds test verbal boundaries. Let’s just say that this mommy wasn’t about to be bossed around by Defiant Boy. There were repercussions of a sort that brought forth much gnashing of teeth and wailing. He was not at all pleased at being last.

Tonight, however, was a different story. He told me he preferred to take his bath last. When he saw me bathing his sister, he changed his mind and asked politely, “Can we do both? Can I take a bath with her?” (Okay, so sue me. They’re too young to know the difference and bathing two toddlers simultaneously is a gift of efficiency. The only comment ever made by him was–”She has two bums!”)

Within minutes they were joyfully splashing each other and sticking foam alphabet letters on each other. Giggles and fun abounded.

And I thought to myself, moments like these are the stuff of memories.