A whole new world

How is it possible that it is only with my third of three boys that I have interacted with a urinal? Raising these fine young gentlemen has certainly opened my eyes to some new behaviors that may or may not relate to the y-chromosome. But hey, maybe if I had daughters, I'd still be scolding them about heaps of sweaty clothes on the floor and chuckling every time anyone said the word, "nuts". This morning, the smallest one--so proud of his ability to control his own bladder--led me straight into the unisex locker room and walked directly to a shiny, white trough on the wall.

Okay, I've gotten close to a urinal before. Who didn't sneak into the boys' bathroom at some point in her elementary school career? Naturally, I was curious about this off-limits place, and my chance came during an evening performance at my brother's school. Lizette and I excused ourselves from the audience and raced in for a quick look-see on this rare occasion that we had the site completely to ourselves. The risk of getting caught resulted in a pounding heart that it kept me from fully appreciating the finer details.

Today I held little shorty up to assist his aim. I took inventory of the mesh guard and deodorizing cake, as well as the same ability to flush as a traditional toilet. Fortunately, we were the only ones standing before this impressive row where efficiency and convenience overshadow a need for privacy.

Parenting, like teaching, is such a give and take when it comes to lessons learned. They learn from me; I learn from them. Today was one of the days when I was on the receiving end. Thank you, son.