For the Journey


Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day. ~A.A. Milne

"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." ~Psalm 65:11
So.

A few weeks ago we went out to eat.  And, of course, Ellie had to go potty.  I personally despise public restrooms.  But Ellie has always loved them.  I always make her potty before we leave the house.  And as soon as we get where we're going, she has to go potty.  It has been this way ever since she was potty trained.  And, no, she doesn't potty that often when we stay home.  I'm telling you, the kid loves public restrooms.  Ugh.

But she absolutely hates when I go in the stall with her.  And, usually, I do.  Because YUCK.  She's always trying to run ahead of me to the restroom because she thinks she can beat me there and then lock me out of the stall.  Depending on where we are, there are times when I'll just stand right outside the stall and wait on her.  But, most of the time, I go in the stall with her.

On this particular day, she ran ahead of me as usual.  And, honestly, I just didn't feel like running after her.  Nor did I feel like yelling, "Ellie, stop right now and wait on Mommy," as we were making our way through the dining room and to the restroom.  I knew these restrooms would be fairly clean so I just let her go on ahead of me.  She quickly locked herself in the first stall.  I decided to go ahead into the second stall.  She finished before I did, flushed the potty and came out of the stall.

Usually, I'm all "Ellie, I'm almost done.  Stop and wait right there."  But I didn't.  I don't know why.  I was just tired of adulting, I suppose.

And then I heard another potty flush.  I didn't realize until right then that someone else was in the final stall.  And I knew what was going to happen.  I did.  I tried to hurry.  I should've said something, but I don't even know why I couldn't seem to open my mouth.  And then it happened.  In the meantime, I was frozen.  Not only could I not say anything, but I couldn't even do anything either.

I heard the click of the lock on the door as the lady came out.  She was walking towards the sink.  And right as she was about to turn the corner to the sink, I heard, "BOO!"  And then the lady shrieked and said, "Oh!  You scared me!"

Yep.

Ellie was "hiding" around the corner to the sink, and she didn't realize there was someone else in the bathroom.  She thought it was me she was scaring.  Only, it was not.  It was a complete stranger who had no idea Ellie was right there.

Let that sink in.

Ellie just jumped out and scared a lady in a public restroom.

Seriously.

At that moment, I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.  And I'm pretty sure Ellie felt the same way.  She immediately came over to my door and tried to open it.  As calmly and quietly as I could (because what I really wanted to do was yell and snatch her up by her toes) I said, "Ellie.  Stay right there.  I'm almost done."

So I walked out of the stall and around the corner to the sink, all the while holding Ellie's hand.  Very humbly I apologized to the lady.  She said, "Oh, I have a five year old granddaughter.  I understand.  But she did scare me."

Yes, ma'am.  I get it.  

She scared a lady . . . and an elderly lady, at that!

So we washed our hands, and I led her back to our table.  We had to pass right by the lady's table.  Ellie didn't want to go.  She tried her best to hide behind me, but you better believe I pulled her sweet self right alongside me and made sure she had no choice but to pass right in front of that lady.

And when we went to leave the restaurant, I did the same thing again.

That's the LAST time Ellie goes in a stall by herself!