IT'S A SHELTON HOUSEHOLD RULE

I will start by saying that I have a weak stomach. A very weak stomach. The slightest smell of something foul in nature sends my gag reflex into a tailspin. Ask Mr. Shelton and he will let you know, as whenever he (or any of the kids for that matter) let's a particularly foul smelling "something" slip out I tend to get up a runnin' to the bathroom in fear of vomiting all over the place. And sometimes I do - vomit that is. Really.
It has always been this way, not sure why, but it just has. So when we decided to start our family I was a bit worried as kids are sort of stinky in nature. They toot a lot, poop a lot, and even puke on occasion - this could be bad. Very bad.

Luckily I found through some trial and error, that I was able to plug my nose without actually having to use my fingers. Which was HUGE as it tends to be difficult cleaning up puke, or changing a diaper full o' poo while plugging your nose with one hand.

Potential of an every day crisis was averted - whew.

Now that I have given you some background on my unusually weak stomach, on to the Shelton household rule. This is a rule that, I will admit, is my rule - I came up with it, and I enforce it.

When going to the bathroom (#2, that is), before leaving the bathroom you must, must turn on the fan and after exiting you must, must close the door behind you. Why you ask? So that the smell is able to get out of the bathroom as soon as possible. AND so that Mom is forewarned that someone just went #2, and that I should enter with caution and plug my nose.

I can't tell you how many times (before this rule was in place) that I walked into the bathroom unsuspecting, took a deep breath in, and exhaled vomit. Nothing worse.

This rule is so engrained in the kids heads, they do it without a second thought. It is just part of the bathroom ritual for them. Enter bathroom, turn on light, close door, do your business, flush, wash hands, turn on fan (if # 2), turn off light, exit bathroom and close door.

However, my Anthony Thomas is still in training with our bathroom household rule (so is Mr. Shelton, but that is a whole other story). He is just newly potty trained, so I am cutting him some slack. But Lucas sure isn't. This morning Anthony had gone to the bathroom (#2) without me knowing and left some of our bathroom rules undone.

How do I know this you ask? Lucas told me.

Lucas: Running out of the bathroom. "Mom! I just went potty and there was a big poop in the toilet. I flushed it and it did not go down. Then I flushed it again and it did go down."

Mom: "Oh, Anthony must have forgotten to flush. Thanks for doing it for him."

Lucas: "But Mom. He even didn't turn on the fan! He must have just wanted to smell the stink."

So I have some work to do in regard to Anthony and the bathroom rule, but otherwise I think I have my kids pretty well trained in this area - especially Lucas.