There was an old woman.... That sat above the toilet.

Faith finally discovered the 'creepy woman' today.  We've been home 2 weeks today, and I'm surprised it took her this long to find her.

We got the woman statue as a hand-me-down, and couldn't figure out where to put her..   We were young and just married and as a joke, I thought it would be funny to put her up on the cabinet above the toilet, as if she were 'peeking' on everyone... It was just a joke, but here we are, 4 years later, and she's still there.  I think for several of those years, I've completely forgotten about her.  She's never been dusted, or cleaned, or cared for.  I only seem to remember she's there when some comes out of the bathroom saying "What's with the creepy woman above the toilet?"

Faith's been pretty good at following Deken's lead.  Since both my kids came home potty-trained, for Faith, it was just a matter of learning the whole 'bathroom routine' (turn on light, go potty, wipe, flush, wash hands, turn off light, etc)  Plus the investment of a taller stool for shortstuff over here.

(notice there are three stools... fun, huh?  The new tall one for Faith, is too tall for Deken, so I had to keep his stool there too.  And Faith needs one for the toilet, but couldn't move the big one, so she has a little one that she keeps next to the toilet and moves back and forth, every time she has to go... It's a whole big fiasco, but it works for us, for now, until the peanut grows a bit, lol..  moving on....)

Since about the 3rd day we had been home, she's been able to go to the bathroom all on her own, without my help (yeah for a 2nd quick learner!).  Only every once and a while does she call for help when she can't get the soap to come out...  But today!  Oh boy... was I laughing big time...

After asking to go to the bathroom, she went on her way down the hall, and all was quiet for about 3 minutes.  Then the whimpering came.  Then it started getting louder, and I wondered what she could have gotten in to now.....  As I made my way down the hall, she came running out, pants down, screaming!  Even at that sight, I started laughing, which I know is mean, but I couldn't fathom what the heck was causing my half naked child to run in fret!  

I walked her back to the bathroom and peered in asking what was wrong.  She sheepishly hid behind me, looked around my leg into the bathroom, and with her little finger pointing up said, "  Mommy, Jjaja!"  and then quickly buried her face in my leg.

HAHA! I couldn't stop laughing.  I looked down at her and saw such a mass of confusion in her eyes, I knew I was stuck figuring out a way to explain this one to her.... oh boy!

I climbed up the stool and reached for, none other than, the famous 'creepy woman'.

I know, I know, she is kind of creepy.  But I seriously had forgotten about her up there, for years!  Deken's never noticed her either.  After bringing her down off the shelf and dusting her off, Faith let out a wail and yet again ran out of the bathroom, down the hall with her pants down.  I ever so cautiously hoaxed her back and picked her up in my lap.  I tried to explain to her that the woman wasn't real.  She stopped crying but still wasn't buying it...  I tried knocking on the woman's head, saying "not real".  Somehow that was going over either.  I had to settle for explaining that the woman was a Nice Woman, and it's ok.  I showed Faith her pretty necklace and after a little more hoaxing got her to run her hand around the creepy woman's fake pearls...  She then gave the woman a kiss and smiled, followed by a "Mommy, ganda!" as she pointed back to the top of the shelf...

So, up the woman went, back to her dusty shelf (maybe I'll get to that one of these days...) and Faith smiled and continued on her way.  She made a very deliberate point of telling me all about the woman and her necklace the next time we went to the bathroom, but she seemed content..  Hopefully she will soon forget she's there.. just like I did....

Now to go work on some storytime.  As I type this, Deken is sitting on the couch reading Stuart Little, as Faith sits next to him reading my sewing machine manual...  There's never a dull moment over here!