Nappy Campers

Here's something parents of young ones should know: your progeny will conveniently become toilet-training prodigies while you're out in the woods, far away from the comforts of your own bathroom/laundry room/closet full of clothes.

Caitlan toilet trained herself on a plane ride to Albuquerque. Xena spent alot of time trying to help her get into the airplane lavatory before there was an accident.

In the high country in Yosemite, one below-freezing night, my son toilet trained himself:

"I have to go!"

"Just use your diaper."

"No!"

"Please use your diaper. You can use the bathroom tomorrow."

"I'm a big boy now! I can use the bathroom now! I can do it!"

And so my poor wife shlepped him up to the toilets in the middle of the 22 degree night.

My nephew Zak decided he was done with diapers over the weekend. He decided lots of things; on Friday as the sun was setting, he told his momma, "Time to go home! We go home now!" She showed him where they would sleep, in the tent, and he decided that was okay. He decided he could chop wood (not allowed), he decided he could pour his own water (he ended up just drinking from the gallon jug), he decided he could button his own clothes (you might notice the garment is inside out... can you button your shirt if it's inside out? I don't think I can).

He kicks things to see if they are good or not:

Kick!

"Hey!" That was my leg/tent/firewood/dirty trash bag/face while I'm napping!

He browses all day; food must be out constantly. The yellow jackets like that. He found their nest, but if he kicked it, he must have done it gently because he didn't get stung.

He's very light, and very wiry and very, very busy. Caitlan said, "He's so easy to pick up!" Then she remembered he pushes, punches, head butts, kicks, and goes from frosty to warm to frosty in one breath.

"...as long as you ask him first."