New experience: peeing outside

This is about the look I got when asking
her to pee on the rocks: "Whachoo
talkin' 'bout, Mama?!"

We went camping in northeast Minnesota last weekend.  Real camping.  Tent camping.  We've been spoiled with a camper for years, and we haven't gone tent camping ever since we got it. 

Up until we were getting ready for night-night, I didn't even think about the fact that it would probably be hard to explain to her why we are not peeing on a potty.  She tells me she's tired.  I say okay, but she has to go pee on the rocks before bed.  She looks at me like I am growing a third eye out of the middle of my head.  To make her more comfortable, I demonstrate how to do it.  She looks intrigued, but still very skeptical that this is for real. 

I pull her pants down, hold her under her arms, and ask her to act like she's sitting on an invisible potty.  She bends at the waist and dangles there for a while.  She tells me she can't--more like she won't.  I begin pleading because I'm starting to panic about how this night is about to go.  She says no more firmly this time.  I pull up her pants and head back to the tent.  I let her know that we can't go to bed until she goes potty.  She hasn't gone in nearly five hours.

She has some milk.  I'm hoping it will put her in the mood.  I'm starting to get mad about the camping arrangements and lack of information I received.  I didn't know that there would not be at least pit toilets on the beach where we were camping.  If I had known, I would have brought her little potty chair.  I knew this was going to be a struggle.   Daddy takes a turn at trying to convince her.  No dice.

Ultimately, we got directions to a lodge three miles away, and drive her there to go potty.  We were defeated, but not for long. 

The next morning, I wait her out.  She finally exclaims that she has to go potty!  I know that look--it means there isn't much time.  I tell her that we have to go on the rocks.  She knows she has has no choice.  She has to go bad enough that she doesn't argue.  I dangle her bottom over rocks again and this time she goes.  She's almost excited hearing the pee hit the rocks.  And she's pretty proud of herself to boot.  "Daddy, I peed on the rocks!"

New experience over.  Turned out better than expected.  Thank goodness.