We went to Chattanooga this past weekend for a little mini-vacation. We took the kids the aquarium and Rock City, plus we ate ice cream and took in the movie Cars (excellent, by the way). One night away from home was plenty really and the kids had so much fun that the six year old has already decided that when he grows up, he's moving to Chattanooga.

While out of town, I think the three year old was bound and determined to sample the delights of every single bathroom in Chattanooga. We went in clean bathrooms and stinky ones; big ones and small ones. One place that had two one hole bathrooms had them simply labelled restroom and although it makes perfect sense in that situation not to make one women's and one men's, I found it hard to figure out for a minute. I got over that challenge quickly enough and realized that I could use either bathroom.

Figuring out which bathroom to go to wasn't really that hard though. The most difficult task with taking my daughter to the bathroom also is not keeping her from touching gross stuff or getting her undressed in tight spaces. The most difficult thing is keeping her mouth shut. In one crowded restroom, we entered a stall as soon as it was vacated. My daughter proclaimed loudly, "Mommy, she didn't flush!" The poor woman had, but the water was still rippling from having been flushed and my three year old didn't approve.

Later at another bathroom, we entered as a young teenage girl was washing her hands at the sink. My daughter said, "Where's her mom?" When informed that I had no idea, she suggested, again quite loudly since she only has one volume, "Maybe her mom is dead!"

I've decided before we go into another public restroom, I need to stock up on duct tape for a certain little mouth.