Tales From the Side of the Tub

Otherwise titled "How I Spent My New Year’s Eve"

After scrubbing my bathtub and cleaning the bathroom yesterday I bent over to pick something off the ground and felt something pop in my back. For weeks now it’s felt like my back might be trying to go out but yesterday it did. I made my way to my bed and layed down. I immediately knew that this was going to impede my New Year’s Eve plans. Not that I had much planned out with Mike, Garrett and Savannah being gone, but sitting on the floor playing a mean game of championship Candyland was now out of the question.

Later, after eating supper I decided to soak in the bathtub for a little while to see if it would ease any of the pain in my back. I went to my room and undressed, got in the tub, turned on the water and started so try to relax. Then Anna decided that she might need to “help” me through my warm water therapy.

Anna, “Mama, do you think taking a bath is relaxing?”
Me, “Yes, sometimes.”
A, “Yeah… except when someone comes in and bugs you, right? Like when Madison or Caroline bug you in the tub. They just talk and bug. Well, Caroline is the whiny one and Madison is the a-nnoy-ing one. Aren’t you glad they are in bed? I think I’m going to keep you company.”
M, “Yes, very glad they are in bed. Thank you for keeping me company.”
A, shrieking a small shriek, “There’s a spider over here! I’m going to kill it!” She runs out of the bathroom into my room to get a shoe. Coming back she hits the spider several times, finally getting it and it lands on the side of the tub. I flicked it off and said thank you. She giggled at where it landed and the shrieked again since it was not all the way dead. She hit it over and over again until there was no denying it had met its maker.
M, “Now you need to clean him up!” She did and then came back.
A, now at the side of the tub, pulling back the curtain which I closed for a little bit of privacy, “So, are you just going to lay there? Or are you just going to sit? When Bella and me sit in the tub together thewater goes way up.”
M, “I’m just going to sit here for a little bit and see if it helps my back.”
A, “Hmm…. your bathroom is clean. You know our bathroom isn’t very clean. Hey did you know that Madison got soap stuck in her hiney? I thought it was funny.”
M, “Ummmm…”
A, getting up from the side of the tub and going near the toilet, “I like that you have magazines in your bathroom. That way if you are pooping you can just sit and read a magazine too. We don’t have those in our bathroom. Oh! Look at this big one. It’s about houses. I think I’m going to read this one!” (she starts flipping through a house plans book and then brings it over by the tub) “Look at this one! I like this one!”
M, “Yes, it’s very nice.”
A, “And it has a fountain! I wish we had a fountain!”
M, “Yes, a fountain would be nice.”
A, “So, does the water help your baby too?”
M, “ I suppose so. It helps relax my whole body so it relaxes him too.
A, “That’s nice. Baths are relaxing.”

Ben enters the bathroom to join in our party.
B, flinging open the rest of the curtain, “So, whatcha doing? Taking a bath? “
A, “She is taking a bath, it’s relaxing! “ At which point I figured it was not worth arguing about if I was relaxed or not.
B, “Why are you just laying there?
M, “Well, I’m trying to let my back rest and maybe feel better.”
B, “That’s weird. “
A, “Yeah, she’s just been sitting there.”
B, “So, is your baby taking a bath too?”
M, “Yes, I suppose he is.”
B, “What happens if he dies?”
M, “I would be very sad.”
A, “Yeah, me too.”

Ben, running off down the hall now, yelling for Bella, “Bella! Hey, come quick… Mama’s taking a bath!” Isabella came running down the hall, into my room and then into my bathroom.
I, “So, you’re taking a bath?”
M, “Yes.”
I, “That’s so weird.”
M, “Why?”
I, “Because you’re naked!”
M, “Well how do you take your baths?”
I, “I lay down.”
M, “But you are naked aren’t you?”
I, “Yes, I guess, but it’s weird that you are naked in the tub!”
A, “Yeah, it’s pretty weird.”
B, “So, when is it candy time?”
M, “Well, we’ll have candy in a little bit.”
B, “Ok, I can wait.”

I turn to be on my side instead of sitting upright.
Anna, super interested in this newest change of events gets up on her knees on the side of the tub, “So, now you’re going to lay in the tub on your side?”
M, “It appears that way.”
B, also getting on his knees on the side of the tub to have a better look for himself, “Yes, she’s on her side now.”
I, “Does it feel better to be on your side?”
M, “Not so much but I thought I might try something different.”
B, “I bet I can touch the other side of the bathtub without falling in!”
A, “Me too!”
M, “Please don’t do that because if you fall in you’ll land on my legs and hurt my back even more.”
B, “Would we hurt the baby too?”
M, “Possibly. It’s better if you just don’t do it.” They both got off their knees and sat on their hineys on the side of the tub.
B, “I was wondering something… why do mamas get milk in their boobies? I mean, they get big and everything. Look at yours… they are big and they have milk.” (insert a big deep sigh from me here)
M, “Boobies only have milk if the mama has a baby. I don’t have milk yet. When the baby comes I will.”
B, “Then why are your boobs SO big?”
M, “I guess I just am made that way.”
A, “Yeah, those are some big boobies!”
M, “I think we need to talk about something different.”
I, “It’s my turn on the Kinect!” She runs off to play her turn.
A, hearing Lady Gaga on the Kinect takes off running to see what’s going on. She comes back singing, “Poka, poka, poka face! Bella is dancing to Poker Face!”
B, “This is fun.”
M, “Sure is.”
A, putting her feet in my bath water, “I like taking baths too. Maybe I could take one.”
B, putting his feet in the water too, “Yeah, your water feels good! Why is your water warmer than ours when we take a bath?”
M, “I don’t know. I guess because you guys take baths one after the other and the warm water gets used up.”
B, “Yeah, that’s true.”
Isabella, running down the hallway after her song is done, “I’m back! Now I’m sweaty!”
M, “Guys, I think it’s time you left the bathroom so I can get out and dry off.“ (not that I was worried that they would see me naked, by now that wasn’t the issue but it was nice to have an excuse to make them go on!
A, “Ok, let us know when you are done so we can come back. I don’t want you to be bored tonight!”

This 30 minutes of my New Year’s Eve wasn’t what I was expecting it to be but I’m sure it’s one that I won’t ever forget. It reminds me of similar conversations I had with Savannah and Emma(and Bella and Anna were tinier!) when they were about the same ages. It’s funny how our lives change over time and what makes us smile and how priorities change. I know that even though I really hoped for some peace and quiet while I nursed my hurt back that me sitting talking with them for that time probably meant the world to them. I’m not sure they will remember the exact conversation but they will remember being able to sit and talk to me while I sat awkwardly in the tub. Ah, New Year’s… I always love being surrounded by the ones I love, this just takes it to a different level.

To read my of my previous adventures with Savannah and Emma perched on the side of the tub, click here :) http://georgiamama.blogspot.com/2006/01/joys-of-taking-bath-with-onlookers.html