De Paul University
Writing from the Inside
Teacher: Zoe Keithley
The Key Wonder
I was at work. John was babysitting. (Why is it called babysitting when it’s the father, no one calls it babysitting when it’s the mother). He just got her to bed and plopped on the couch. Men dream all day about coming home from work and plopping on the couch. (I used to dream all day that he would call and say he was going out with the boys for a beer, or he had to work late. Then I could have macaroni and cheese for dinner. Then I could plop on the couch after the kid was in bed).
Anyway, picture the familiar scene of a dad on the couch and the darling 20-month-old little girl sleeping innocently in her youth bed. He hears her get out of bed, hears her starts down the stairs, and yells up to her, “Get in that bed little girl”.
She replies, “But daddy I go poo poo”.
Oh no, he thinks, this is just what I need.
“Why didn’t you go before you went to bed”? He says with real disturbance.
“I sorry daddy”. Say Miss Innocent.
Dad gets up, and goes up into Jenny’s room to find little brown balls all over the room.
He thinks, “Jesus, I’m glad she didn’t have diarrhea”.
He proceeds to change the diaper and pick up the little balls one by one. Jenny tries to help but Dad tells her that she is NEVER to touch those little balls – EVER!
“You tell daddy when you go poo poo, don’t EVER touch poo poo”. He says with great parental authority.
Thank God that’s done he thinks as he puts her back in bed and heads down to his sanctuary. All is quiet for about 10 minutes and then………..
Just as dads do, he fell asleep on the couch and did not hear her calling him to tell him that there was more poo poo in her room. What was she to do now? Daddy said NEVER to touch poo poo, but she couldn’t leave poo poo in her room, she thinks. She must clean it up. Jenny searches her room with great care and after using all of her 20-month-old creativity finds the solution to her problem.
Daddy would be so proud of her when he saw how well she did what he said and at the same time helped to clean up the poo poo. She couldn’t wait to see his face.
She slowly crept down the stairs that led into the living room where Dad was asleep on the couch. She had to use great care because her creative idea was a real challenge to do; it was a great balancing act.
She watched him sleep for a while savoring the moment when he woke up and would praise the good work that she did. Ever so gently she touched his shoulder and whispered, “Daddy, look daddy, I helped clean the poo poo and no touch it”!
He awoke with a start, having just fallen asleep, he saw the innocent smiling face of his daughter. There she was so proud of her great accomplishment. She beamed as she looked at Dad and then at the prize in her hand. You surely recall the play keys that are made for toddlers. They love playing with keys so toy companies have made them some pastel-colored keys, put them on a chain, made them larger than real keys so kids could handle them easier. Picture the eye of the key, the handle part that you would hold while turning the lock on a door. Well, it’s made with an ornate circular shape – just circular enough to allow it to hold a little ball of poo poo. Picture this little one balancing the ball of forbidden substance upon the handle of the toy key. Imagine now how she managed to get the ball on the handle without touching it?
Her smile could melt a stranger’s heart let alone a dad’s heart. John laughed so hard he was in tears as I walked in from work. What a sight I had to behold before me. The innocent face of my proud daughter looking with wonder at her dad who is falling off the couch laughing. I will never forget the joy of this funny moment with Jen.