Solitary Shower

These days it's hard to do anything in my house alone.  More often than not, I'm followed just about everywhere by a little red-headed boy who wants to do everything I do.  I brush my teeth, he needs to brush his teeth.  I do the laundry, he needs to do it too.  I go to the bathroom, he needs to go too.  He pretty much loves to do anything I'm doing.  As you might remember from this post, he even likes to breastfeed his toys.  This happens all day long. 

Joey's latest favorite grown-up activity is showering. Someone in the house goes to take a shower, and he has to take one too.  Seriously?  I can't even shower alone anymore?  Since the babies were born showering has climbed the chart to one of my Top 5 Favorite Things To Do.  This is entirely because it used to be the few minutes a day that I could enjoy some peace and quiet and actually be alone.  No one attached to my chest, no one balanced on my hip, no one in need of a snack.  Just me, the steam, and good old Herbal Essences.  (I'm having visions of that old commercial with the Carole King song, are you?)

Anyway, a few months ago I started to take Joey in the shower with me once in a when he was in need of a cleaning and bath nights were few and far between.  Since then, his interest in taking a shower has more than peaked.  My husband and I actually have to spell s.h.o.w.e.r. to each other and discreetly leave the room in an effort to not be followed by the small red-headed energizer bunny otherwise known as our son.

Yesterday was no exception.  I made the mistake of announcing that I was headed for the shower, and Joey (who seemed like he wasn't paying any attention to us) popped up off the couch and said, "my shoor too Mom!"  I tried to divert his attention to the TV, I offered him a snack, I asked him to go find his Elmo toy.  None of these worked.  When I returned with his little bowl of goldfish, he was already pulling off the remaining clothes left on his body.  He stood up, completely naked, announced, "My shoor now, OK Mom!" and made a run for the bathroom before I had time to think of another reason why he couldn't come with me.

I hated to disappoint the little guy, so I grabbed a couple of tub toys, turned the water on, and put him in the tub.  So much for my few minutes of peace.  Guess I'll have to think of a new way to get a small amount of mommy-time.