kiwords

Ok, I don’t want to jinx anything here, so everyone lean in close. I’m going to whisper something in your collective ear.
I think Raphael is potty trained.
No, really! He wears underpants all day and every so often grabs himself with that special urgency and chirps, “Ah gotta go p**!” Often he just hauls himself off to the potty with no discussion whatsoever, then moseys up to me and casually announces, “Ah did go p**.” Proud dismissive shrug. Swaggers away.
So now I’ve ushered three little boys through this process and still I have no idea how it actually happens. It’s like when they learn to tie their shoes. Magic.
Today I was waiting for Raphael to climb in his car seat and noticed a spare diaper sticking out of the pocket on the back of the seat. Oh, I thought, I don’t need that anymore.
Whoa.
I actually don’t. A change of clothes for Raphael, yes. That’s always a wise thing to keep around – at least for a while. But diapers? Nope.
For the first time in nearly nine years I don’t need to carry diapers.
The boys are moving away from me in a sense. I used to be entirely responsible for all their needs. Diapers are a good example of the very basic ness of the responsibility I took in their lives. Now Raphael takes care of his own bathroom needs, thankyouverymuch. That’s a step away from my caretaking, a step toward taking charge of his life.
Tre is, of course, leading that march. He’s so very old and mature that if I accidentally walk in on him when he’s changing clothes he claps his hands over his nether regions so fast I fear for my future grandchildren. Oh please, I think, I changed your diapers.
But that was then, and this is now. They’re all collecting their lives out of my hands, bit by bit. Today Raphael takes himself to the potty, tomorrow Max drives himself to school. It’s all a part of the same process.
I suppose that should bring a small tear to my eye. Perhaps it’s because there’s so much of the process still ahead of me. Perhaps it’s because I’m so tired of changing diapers. But it doesn’t seem sad. It seems…exciting.
March on, boys. I’ll just watch from here.