I Scream, You Scream, We all scream for Caffeine!

Every empire usually falls because of some vice.  The financial institutions  fell because of greed.  Corporate America, the same.  My fall this week was because of the greed over one lousy cup of coffee.  For Edie, it was a fascination with public potties and souvenier pennies.   

Friday was the culmination of a week of screaming.  After three days of non-stop screaming, I thought it would be nice to drive to the house during nap time on Friday.  I thought we might be over the hump.  

At school all week, they have been talking about being 'big kids' and learning to use the potty, saying good-bye to pacifiers and bottles and such.  Edie had so many potty accidents that they changed her clothes and shoes at least three times every day.  Apparently one of the other children was so traumatized by the Go, Potty, Go video that she cried all through her nap.  

I should have known better than to be sweet talked into picking her up from school before nap.

Every thing was jolly and fun in the car, until Edie announced in the middle of a huge traffic jam on the Major Deegan that she had to use the potty.  The next bathroom is at 233rd street after all of the traffic at the GWB exit.  I figured she would end up going in her diaper, but the video had such a profound affect on her, that she held it.

We finally got to 233rd street and she 'made a big one' in the potty at the gas station.  Thus begins the fascination with public restrooms.  No sooner were we on the highway again that she needed to go to the potty at the coffeeshop.  I was exhausted and longed for a coffee myself. Lately Edie has been pretending to be a mommy, "mommies drink lots of coffee"

We stopped at the next rest stop and used their potty.  We watched a little boy make a smooshed penny in the machine and against my better judgement, I plunked down 51 cents to make a Statue of Liberty id.  After all, we had been reading all of these books about New York and I thought it would be educational.  Admiring our new penny, I ordered my coffee and hoped to hit the road again, nap time had now come and gone.  She asked for another penny, and I said no. She started screaming at the top of her lungs threw herself on the floor.  I carried her out of the rest stop kicking and screaming with Roxy hanging off of the other arm, everyone staring at us with their lofty opinions on parenting.

She had time-out in the car and screamed for another 20 minutes.  Even though she wasn't done, I decided it was time to go.  Not I, nor any strongman,  could have gotten that howling Banshee into her car seat.  I got so mad that  I decided to drive off with her standing in the back seat.  I peeled away so loudly that we turned the head of just the strongman I could have used to help me.

My judgement got the best of me as I jerked to a stop 100 feet later and as I was getting out of the car I saw my beautiful soy latte splash down the side of the car and onto the street.  Damn the caffeine and public potty vice!