Body Curious

Scarlett is very body-curious right now, as most toddlers probably are. She likes to talk about pee-pee's and boobies and point them out on other people. Much to Michael's chagrin, she's the most curious about him. Mostly because he guards his goodies like Ciara. (I'll give you a hint:" They stay in the jar.") And he's the only boy around for miles.


"If you'd just let her see it, she'll leave you alone!" I'm always saying, through fits of giggles, while he keeps his hands firmly clasped over the, ahem, "convenience" opening in his pajama pants. If Scarlett spots a gap in the fabric the thickness of a credit card, she'll announce, "I see your pee-pee!" It's all very funny, especially when Michael starts blushing.

As for me, I'm old news. She's been in the bathroom with me practically since she was born. She used to shower with me. (In fact, it's kind of disappointing that she refuses to do it now. A dual shower is sooo much easier than having to give her a bath. Sigh.) Sometimes, though, she'll catch me by surprise.

Like this morning, when she was using the potty, and I was undressing to jump into the shower. Just as I pulled back the curtain to turn on the water, I hear, "Mommy? Can I touch your boobies?" Uhhhh... no.

When I get out of the shower, Michael tells me that she was jumping around in our room and saying, "You know my pee-pee? You can call it a pat-pat." A pat-pat? Yikes.

Then, as soon as we got home today, I heard, "Mommy? Can I take my clothes off?"

Me: "What?"

Scarlett: "Can I take my clothes off and pretend to go to the beach?"

Oh, right. Her new favorite game is to strip down to her undies and be "at the beach." She once set up a piece of cardboard on the couch and laid on it, semi-upright, as though she were suntanning on a poolside lounger. She didn't learn that from me - my alabaster Irish-influenced skin does nothing but burn, blister, and peel.

Me: Sigh. "Okay."

A few minutes later, Scarlett: "Mommy? Can you take your clothes off?"
Me: "Uhhh... no."

Scarlett: "Can you take your clothes off and dip your feet in the water?"

Me: "No."

Scarlett: "Do you want to take your clothes off?"
Me: "No. I do not want to take my clothes off, and I am not going to take my clothes off."

Scarlett, with her lip pushing out sadly: "Okay, Mommy."

It suddenly occurred to me that she might be asking to play this game at Miss Babysitter's house. Jeez.