she got her pa-piano

At the dinner table last night my daughter looked like she needed "to go." She gets a certain expression on her face that usually precedes a doody filled pull-up diaper. Only last night, she wasn't wearing a diaper. She has been pulling them off at home and seeing how long she can go before I force one back on her.

So, I say to her, "Do you want to sit on the potty and try to make a doody?"

She thought about it for a few moments and said something she has never said before, "Yes, I have to make a doo doo."

I didn't want to act too excited about her willingness to sit on her Dora the Explorer Potty seat. I casually got up from the table and walked her into the bathroom. She climbed up and asked me to read her some stories. We read DW'S LOST BLANKIE and HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, which were the only two books in the bathroom. Then she asked me to tell her a Willie Wonka story. Yes, her new obsession is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I start to tell her about the 5 golden tickets, Charlie and Granpa Joe, and then my son starts to wail. I had left him in the highchair. Cousin Sammy was staying with us and she was trying to calm him down, but it was way past his bathtime -- little dude likes to stick to his schedule. I asked Sammy to take over for me with the storytelling and I took my son upstairs for a quick bath. I expected to find my daughter off of the potty when I was done, but to my surprise she was still perched atop Dora and friends. Only now she was asking for a diaper to "go" in... and her pink blankie... and her "cold whoa whoa" (sippy cup of water). I handed little dude off to Sammy and rushed in my daughter's comfort objects, but no diaper. I sat down beside her and she started to cry. I looked her in the eyes and asked, "Are you a little scared?"

She stopped crying and said, "Yes, Mommy, I'm scared."

"I know it's scary, sweetheart. But that is only because it's the first time. All big girls go on the potty. And you're a big girl. I know you can do it."

And then Sammy added, "Cinderella and Snow White go on the potty."

My daughter's face lit up. "And Winnie the Pooh, and Piglet and Eyeore, they all go on the potty, too!" She exclaimed.

My son started to laugh and crawl into the bathroom. "Look at him, Mama, he's so cute," she said with a big smile.

And then she started to shake. She grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes with fear rushing through her tiny body again.

"It's okay, it's going to be over real soon. You can do it," I said firmly.

"Tell more Willie Wonka Mommy," she begged, still shaking.

I started to sing, "I've got a Golden Ticket, I've got a Golden Chance to make my way, And with a Golden Ticket it's a golden day..."

She let go of my hand and took hold of the edge of my shirt instead. And then,... curplunk. She looked at me with wide eyes. "I did it! I made a big splash in the potty!"

My eyes filled up with tears of joy, my niece Sammy looked on with pride and my son sat on the bathroom floor giggling.

"I can get a pa-piano now!"

"Yes you can, Sweetie, yes you can."

We had been promising her a little toy piano as an incentive to go doody on the potty. I bought a purple one and KB Toy and Hobbie about 5 weeks ago. I ran upstairs and pulled it from the closet.

"Open it, Mama, open it!" We ripped it open on the staircase and she pounded out a few original compositions. She was so proud of herself. It may not happen again for a while, but it happened. It finally happened.

It was indeed "A golden day."