Factoring on the Potty

On Saturday we ran down to Austin to do some shopping. Those of you who live less than 150 miles from Target and Kohls should count your blessings. While we were at Kohls both of the older girls announced the sudden need to use the restroom. I got nominated to take them to the restroom because it was my idea to let them have pop with their dinner. So, I let Anna shop and took the girls back to the family restroom. Bless Kohls for having "family" restrooms!

Of course there was the required argument about who got to go first.

"I have to go worse!"

"I asked first!"

After a few minutes of banter we came to the conclusion that Hope would go first, followed by Tori. I setup one of those paper covers and Hope did her business. She flushed and moved on to washing hands where she somehow managed to trick the automatic sensor on the sink so the water would not turn off.

I temporarily ignored the sink and turned my attention to Tori who was now doing the potty dance. I quickly put down another cover and set Tori on the throne. Having averted a potential disaster, I returned my attention to the sink which was still running.

After fiddling with it for a few minutes, I discovered that the lid on the push button had simply caught on a a protruding piece of medal farther down the valve stem. The water stopped. Satisfied with my handiwork I turned my attention back to Tori. Funny... she was still on the throne.

"Man," I thought to myself, "she's been on there for like 5 minutes!"

"Are you doing number two Tori?"

"No, I'm doing 1 + 1 Dad."

And that, my friends, is how a 4 year old incorporates her math lessons into public restroom usage.