I sometimes find with Anthony that I am in a no-win situation. My father had come to my house to help me in finishing the basement (or, more correctly, I help him). My wife had taken our other children out for a swimming lesson, leaving Anthony here. I discovered that he had a runny nose. With a normal child, this is a minor issue. With Anthony, it significantly impacts the way we approach things.

We have never been able to teach Anthony to blow his nose. Worse, he wipes his nose with his hand and smears the dripping matter on his face. He also does not understand the necessity of washing his hands. Finally, he touches things. Anything and everything is fair game. So, I did not want him to stay upstairs, particularly around the kitchen. But that meant deciding what to do with him as I assisted my father.

Anthony was in need of a bath. A-ha! A bath would keep him out of the way for a few minutes. Get him some nice warm water, let him relax for a while, come back and take care of him. . . .

Yes, he defecated in the tub again. I knew that was a possibility, but thought it a remote one because it was still morning and this has only happened in the evening previously. Then again, I can't say that I have put him in the bath in the morning and left him there for any length before today. And he didn't go a lot, but the amount doesn't really matter when it's in the water. I still have to remove the material, drain the water, clean Anthony and the tub, and disinfect. I may eventually learn my lesson.


On a lighter note, I was later painting the ceiling with a roller attached to a pole. This seemed to interest Anthony, and that is noteworthy because few activities do. I gave him the pole, showed him how to hold it, and held it up to the ceiling for him. He actually rolled it back and forth a few times. Then, apparently satisfied, he handed it back to me. I called my wife, who by this time had returned, and had him do it again so she too could see it.