Car update

For those of you wondering about the latest accident follow-up news:

Because Z. had a timely tantrum Friday night and the car lot is, of all things, closed on Sunday, we didn't actually purchase the new-to-us car until last night. It took an unconscionable amount of time, a fair portion of which was because we didn't bring our insurance card. A. had to go back for it--she was reacting so badly to the fluorescents that she literally raced out of the dealership to drive home, leaving me with Z. and no diaper bag for the next 45 minutes or so. And no binky. And no change of clothes, not that we had that to begin with.

From here you could probably write the end of the post yourself, couldn't you?

I can only hope that the bathroom walls of the dealership are very thick. Z. was red in the face with tantrum, refusing to sit on the potty, pants around her ankles because she wouldn't let me wipe her, making herself a moving target, finally peeing on the floor (not entirely sparing her pants or shoes) and still repeating over and over "Put my diaper on! I want to poop in my pants, I want to poop in my pants, put my diaper on, I want to poop in my pants!" The word "poop" is hilarious, of course, but a distraction. She is intensely invested in learning about this process and getting some sense of control over it and there I was, interfering all over the place. I don't blame her for being mad, but we were also in public and she was a mess and getting messier.

Here is what finally worked: leaving the room. This has been working magically recently. I tell her that I will leave so she can get herself together, or stop crying, or get ready to go to sleep, or whatever the situation demands. I tell her I will be right on the other side of the door, and that is where I go. And as soon as the door is shut she tells me "I stopped cwying" or "I got myself togedder" in a tone of mixed wonder and pride. So it went last night. Once the bathroom was cleaned up and she was made as presentable as possible, we found a sippy cup with a silicone top that could substitute for a binky, and walked outside until A. returned.

Driving home in the new used car, a buzzing insect whine made itself heard at about 37 mph.