Potty Time!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEE! BEEP! B33P! BEEP1

That's what I'm hearing right now and, no, it isn't my wake-up alarm. (I left the typos because I'm barely awake yet, still on my first cup of coffee, and that's how well I'm typing.) I am going through an "early-riser" phase, though I know it won't last. Nevertheless, even on a Saturday morning I am up before 7:00.

That sound is our "potty time" alarm. During the first weeks of school we often forgot to have Hannah, ahem, go to the ladies room before leaving for school, which resulted in "accidents" at school. To solve the problem I purchased a $5 digital alarm clock radio, placed it next to the microwave, and set the alarm for 7:15/daily. When it goes off, everyone in the house yells, "Potty time!" Hannah runs through the house hollering "Pah-ee time! Pah-ee time!" after which she actually does, ahem, potty. In the pot.

About once every season I come up with an idea that actually works. This one has been a jewel...except on Saturday morning, when we have forgotten to turn off the alarm, my medicine & coffee haven't kicked in, and my body aches too much to set aside the laptop or book I'm reading and drive my electric chair (wheel chair sounds so old-lady) to the kitchen.

So, here I sit, enduring the beep beep until Carl emerges from the shower to turn it off. Hannah did the potty time dance and still here I sit. I hear Hannah pushing a chair up to the microwave and fumbling with something, attempting to gag the grating noise and still...here I sit.

I don't deserve full credit for the potty time alarm. My sister, Ashley, suggested I set an alarm for ten minutes prior to departure-for-school time so that everyone could walk out the door composed and prepared for another day. Being the superior parent that I am, I didn't need an alarm for this purpose [snort], so I improvised and used it for Hannah. It's almost like "pARty time" every morning at the Solomon house. Almost.

Oh, thank-yuh, Juheesus! (I don't consider that taking the Lord's name in vain: I haven't been this thankful in a loooong time). Carl killed the beeping AND brought me another cup of coffee. It's time to start another day.