Awkward

I'm sure that Jason and I aren't the first parents to realize that using the restroom in peace and solitude is a thing of the past and if we're lucky of the very distant future, but surprisingly enough we've both grown accustomed to the company -- even if it includes a toy train and a Woody doll.

What's not so easy to get used to is the questions...Charlie is a very curious boy and absolutely fascinated with bodily functions -- to the point that he yells out "poop!" anytime he hears a questionable noise, no matter where we happen to be, and is convinced that that happens every time anyone uses the restroom.

That said, this morning his shouts of "puh-puh" didn't phase me, until he refused to believe my denials, and I realized he was pointing at my hip...well, the "purple" pansy on my hip to be more precise...

How exactly does one explain a tattoo to one's child -- especially if it has zero emotional or spiritual significance?   In fact, it doesn't even have a very good story.

When I was twenty-one a girlfriend convinced me to go with her to get a tattoo one Sunday after church (not kidding) since the tattoo parlor was just down the street from my apartment.  Feeling oh-so daring, I let her talk me into getting one, too, but lacking any great inspiration, I just picked a flower off the wall and changed the color to purple since I'm not really a pink person.

For a while I semi-convinced myself that like the pansy, I was extremely strong and hardy despite being seen as weak and young, blah-blah-blah...but that was definitely an afterthought.

I don't suppose I particularly regret the tattoo (especially since pregnancy and childbirth didn't turn it into a mini-Monet across my abdomen), but I don't think I'd do it again.  Thankfully it remains hidden, since I'm not exactly a crop-top kind of girl.  The crazy thing only sees the light of day in the shower and only serves to remind me that my one great rebellion in life was completely meaningless -- I imagine a lot of people can say the exact same thing, though.

I almost wish I'd gone the belly-button piercing route like so many of my girlfriends since you can just yank those out, but at the time that seemed pointless, since I don't where clothes that show my belly (and yes, I do see the fault in that logic).

Back to this morning, I basically just changed the subject, washed my hands and hustled Charlie out of the powder room, but it made me realize that Jason and I are going to have a lot of explaining to do over the next few years -- some innocuous and some a bit more complicated.  Thankfully, we're pretty boring.