Warning: Not for the weak-stomached

This weekend I had to buy bleach. That’s an unusual purchase in our house, mainly because we can’t tolerate the smell. Unfortunately for us, it’s also the quickest and most effective disinfectant to Ladybug’s latest trick: pooping in the tub.

You’ll remember a while back we had an isolated incident (see the Sept. 29 posting “Double Bubble Trouble”). Then twice last week she did it again, each time with a tubful of toys.

The first time I noticed it, it was waaaayyy too late. I pulled Ladybug out of the tub and put her in the stand-alone shower, where she proceeded to freak out. (She doesn’t like having water sprayed on her.) So I wrapped her up in a towel and carted her off to the guest bathroom. When I placed her in the other tub, I saw her foot was covered in blood. Each time she moved, she’d leave a bloody footprint. Now it was my turn to freak out.

I wrapped her up in the towel again and ran in a panic back to the other bathroom where my husband was cleaning up the original tub mess. We determined she nicked her pinky toe on the shower drain but, boy, did that sucker bleed.

The second time she pooped in the tub, she sent a warning boulder before the mudslide. I got her out in time but still had to do another round of disinfecting.

Now I’m a bit gun shy each time Ladybug takes a bath. Whenever I hear a mischievous giggle, I quickly push back the bubbles, looking for uninvited guests. We haven’t had a repeat yet, but the Clorox is ready if we do.