diaper dimension Done Adulting, Vol. 2 (Final chapter posted 12/21/20)

[Sarah Penguin]

hmmm

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 84

 

Amanda picked up Jamie after his afternoon nap time and took him back to their apartment. She was excited for him, perhaps especially so because she’d psyched him up for three whole days to encourage him. He was enthusiastic, though perhaps not as much as she was. Once inside, still on her hip, they looked at one another for a moment, trying to read the other’s thought.

“Four days seems like a long time all of a sudden,” Jamie said. He felt bad for Becky. To give them an entire day to work on potty training, Amanda had told her they had plans with Mel the next day. He wondered what Becky would do all day and with two nights on her own. He figured with school starting soon, it would get easier for her. School also meant daycare; he hadn’t given potty training and daycare much thought.

“It’ll seem like it went by fast when it’s over,” Amanda said as she set him down on the kitchen chair they’d gotten him. She put away his milk and the leftovers Becky had insisted she take with her.

“So what’s the plan, exactly,” Jamie asked.

“Well, I think we play it by ear a little bit at first. I’m thinking you go to the potty whenever you need to, and I’ll remind you. We can always have you sit on the potty for five minutes every half hour or hour, but I think we can see if that’s necessary first.”

“I’m not sure that would help anyway. Not really sure what skill that teaches. When are we gonna start?”

“How about right now?”

Theory and reality changed places, and Jamie felt anxious. So silly, he thought, that this seemed like a big step. He could do this, certainly. But he was still anxious. “Okay,” he said.

Manda held out her hand, and Jamie took it. She turned, and he hopped down from his chair and followed her to the bathroom. “Be right back,” she said. She went into the hall closet right next to the bathroom and was back in a minute with the box she’d shown Mel. He peered around her as she squatted down to open it. She folded the flaps back with fanfare, singing out, “Da-da-da-DAH!” 

Looking at the thing, Jamie smiled a little, not because of what it was but because she’d put some thought into it. “Dinosaurs,” he said, looking at the decals on the outside.

“One of your favorites.” She tilted it toward him. “There’s even one right in the middle for you to aim at.”

“I have great aim already,” he assured her. “I’ve hit the inside of the diaper almost every time.”

“Very true. Anyway, for the time being, I think you should stick to sitting. But later, aim for the Pottysaurus.” She set it down opposite the toilet. “We’ll leave it out all day so it’s ready when you need it. And,” she said as she reached back into the box, “pull-ups. They’re made for toddlers but they should fit you. These are the smallest size.”

Also with dinosaurs on them. He thought for a moment that he needed to pick a new favorite design for things; he was getting so predictable. “Do the dinosaurs disappear when they get wet?”

“They do. Do you think you could pee now if you tried?”

“Maybe. I mean, I think so.” He didn’t see why not. At least a little bit. Manda motioned for him to step toward her, and she reached out to undo his shorts and slide them down. He stepped out of them; she folded them and reached up to set them on the vanity. She untaped his diaper, and he bowed his legs a little to let her pull it out from between them.

“Almost dry,” she set as she felt the weight of it. “Not bad. You’ve been awake for over an hour.” Jamie blushed at the compliment, and not just because he usually blushed at compliments. 

They both looked at the training potty. Jamie’s seeming hesitancy had Manda wondering if she needed to further explain how it worked, but first she said, “Whenever you’re ready.”

Feeling awkward to be watched, he first stood over it and then lowered himself onto it. Haven’t felt this in a long time, he thought to himself. He noticed the splash guard; at least he didn’t need that. Amanda folded her legs under herself and leaned back against the wall.

“I don’t think you need to watch,” he suggested.

“I know. I just wanna go over a couple more things.”

“Okay ... just feels a little strange to be watched.”

Amanda looked at him a little incredulously. “Need I remind you that you’ve pooped while sitting on me without taking your eyes off the book we’re reading? And leaked on me?” An accepted risk of having a little - sometimes you get peed on; sometimes worse.

“No,” he said red faced and a little defensively, “but you weren’t, ya know, watching me.”

“Buddy, we watch sometimes 

,” she broke the news to him. “It’s why you get changed so fast. Pretty unmistakable body language.”

“Oh,” he said. He’d not given much though to it.

“So two rules. First, don’t try to empty the bowl yourself. Just let me know when you’re done; I don’t think either of us want that kind of mess with you trying to reach that high over the toilet rim.”

Jamie pictured the potential catastrophe that might lead to and the scrubbing he’d need to ever feel clean again. “Agreed,” he deadpanned.

“Second, I’ll handle wiping at first.”

“I think I can manage that.”

“I know you probably can, but let’s keep it simple. We can get some wipes closer to your size this weekend.” Jamie noticed the size of a single sheet of toilet paper for the first time; it did seem a little unwieldy.

“Okay.”

“Feel anything yet?”

“Not yet.” He was trying to go. Perhaps he just didn’t need to, but then it certainly seemed, as he’d focused on it the past few days, that he peed very frequently.

“Wanna keep sitting?”

“Um, for a few more minutes I guess.” 

Amanda nodded. “There’s one more thing I wanted to say, and this is super important: it’s okay to have accidents. Understand?”

Jamie nodded solemnly.

“I won’t get mad, and you shouldn’t either. It’s just part of the process. If you have one, ya gotta let me know right away. The pull-ups aren’t diapers, and I don’t want you to get used to them feeing wet. We’re gonna change them right away.”

“Okay,” Jamie interjected.

“And I want us to make a commitment to each other. If we get frustrated, we talk it out. Okay, buddy?”

“I promise I will.”

“And last, if you wanna take a break from it, that’s okay. Don’t be shy about saying so. We don’t have to get it all done this weekend.” She watched his face after she said it, and he seemed distracted. Then she recognized his expression. That’s his potty face, she exclaimed so happily inside.

A moment later, they were greeted by the sound of urine hitting plastic. Jamie tired to suppress a smile. It seemed silly to feel delighted at something he had done a million times before, and anyway, he’d been sitting there for four or five minutes. He wasn’t sure how much credit he deserved for it. He’d been trying to pee, but maybe his body has done it on its own. Still, Manda saw his smile.

From where she was sitting, Manda was deciding whether to do what all the books and advice forums suggest and make a big deal out of it. She wanted to, but she didn’t want to embarrass him. His inability to hide his smile helped her decide, and she sang out, “Yay, Jamie! Way to go!” It made Jamie break his barely-there stoicism and laugh. She held her hand out, and Jamie gave her a high five.

“Ya done,” she asked brightly.

“I think so.”

“Stand up,” she told him. She tore a square of toilet paper off. He felt oddly exposed standing there like that. It felt more natural after all those years to be flat on his back for this. Amanda wrapped the toilet paper around his penis and gave it a squeeze. More than a drop of urine came out but was absorbed by the paper.

“I guess I wasn’t all the way empty,” he said with embarrassment.

“That’s okay.”

“Guys don’t really wipe after,” he said. 

“Well, you do. At least until you’re sure you’re totally empty.” She nodded her head just barely toward the door, and Jamie stepped out of her way. He watched as she lifted the toilet lid and threw the paper away, then removed the bowl from the potty and poured away his urine. It wasn’t much.

“You wanna flush,” she asked. “Little mini celebration?”

“Ha! Sure.” The button was on top of the tank. She lifted him under the arms so he could reach it. “Ta-da!”

“What a good job!” She gave him a kiss as she set him down. “Now, your new undies.” Getting on to her knees, she opened the package, removed a pull-up, and opened it for him. Just like when he was putting on shorts, he put his hands on her shoulders for balance as he stepped into the garment. She pulled it up his legs, letting the elastic snap back against his waist. She rubbed the front and gave it a pat. “So handsome. How do they feel?”

Jamie’s question exactly as he took note of the different sensations he was feeling. It was definitely thinner than a diaper, but it also felt more stiff. The waistband hugged his tummy and thighs so well but was so soft, too. He liked that feeling a lot. He felt he could run and jumps and play in any direction and the pullup would still fit perfectly. His diapers didn’t fit so great after he was on the move for a while. He noticed as well the trim on the garment around the leg holes, just a little extra material. It didn’t bother him, but his diapers didn’t have that.

“Different,” he pronounced.

She took his shorts off the vanity. “No need for these. Don’t want anything extra between you and the potty. Just go to the potty whenever you feel you even might have to; better safe than sorry. You don’t need to ask permission.”

“What if you’re in here?”

She stood and picked the bowl up again, putting it under the bath tub faucet for a rinse and then putting it back into the potty. “How about we slide this over here,” she said as she pushed it toward the door. “If I’m in here, just come use it.”

“You’re comfortable with that?” He’d seen her naked; he hadn’t seen her on the toilet.

“We’ll just pretend it’s not happening.”

“Deal.”

“Remember, if you even think you need to go...”

“I’ll go straight to the potty.”

“No waiting. I’ll remind you every once in a while, too. Also, if you have an accident ...”

“I’ll tell you right away.”

“Good. I know you may not realize sometimes if you had an accident, so I’ll check you once in a while.”

“Okay.” 

“Let’s wash our hands.” She lifted him onto the vanity, and as she usually did, she soaped her own hands and then rubbed his between them, running water over them at the same time. She dried his hands for him and then her own.

“What now,” he asked when she’d helped him down.

“I’ll get dinner started. You can hang with me or go read a book or watch TV. Whatever.” 

This was it, then. Just like his other house. There was nothing special about being there; it wasn’t moving day or his first night or hers. It was just another night in their home. 

“I think I’ll read,” he said.

“Suit yourself.” She headed for the kitchen, and he headed to the living room to get the book he’d packed in his overnight bag.

At least she wasn’t straight out of secondary school. She knew how to cook and knew more than a few recipes. Many of them were things she learned from Becky. Becky didn’t write things down, so there were no recipe cards to pass on. She’d simply had Amanda help in the kitchen, and Amanda had watched and learned. She was good at weeknight meals and half hour dinners. 

Amanda had stuffed herself with all the produce Becky had bought her to keep it from going bad - she never had figured out exactly how long produce kept - and decided to get some poultry out of the fridge. It had to either be cooked or frozen that night. She put a skillet on the stove, added a little oil, and tossed a sprinkling of chili flakes in. Looking through the space between the cabinets and counter, she saw Jamie on his rug in his play area.

“Comfortable,” she asked. She doubted it. She could read on her belly like that as a kid, but now it was too much of a strain on her back and neck. 

“The rug feels good,” he said back.

She got an onion and a pepper from the fridge and started to cut a piece of each into thin strips. “What if we got you a pillow, ya know the kind with arms you can lean against? Or the kind that folds out like a mini-bed?”

“That would be better.” He put his book down and walked quickly but nonchalantly to the bathroom. She watched him shuffle past the kitchen as she set the aromatics aside and opened the package of chicken. On a cutting board, she sliced the breast into strips like the onion and pepper. It didn’t seem like much dinner, and after washing her hands, she wondered what else she could add to the skillet. She picked carrots from the fridge and nuts from the cabinet. There was soy sauce In the spice cabinet along with ground ginger. She sprinkled some of the ginger into the skillet as she called out, “How’s it going in there?”

He was back in the doorway of the kitchen just as she finished saying it. “False alarm,” he reported. He walked behind her and got into his chair. “You’re cooking up a storm in here.”

“Nothing too fancy.” She took a packet of microwaveable rice from the cabinet, tore it open, and nuked it for ninety seconds. She held a hand over the skillet to test the heat. “Hot enough to cook quick but not burn,” she said out loud for no reason. She slid the chicken in, pivoted to put the cutting board in the sink and wash her hands, took a spatula from the crock, and pivoted back to flip the chicken. Jamie was impressed with her timing.

She added the other ingredients and a slash of the soy sauce, let it sizzle for just a moment, and took it off the burner. The residual heat would soften the vegetables the rest of the way.

“That smells great,” Jamie remarked. “It’s pretty, too. When I left, people were always taking pictures of their food to post on the internet.”

“Why,” Amanda asked as she got the rice out.

“Bragging, I guess. Or wanting attention. Maybe to not feel so lonely ... I never really got into social media, so I probably didn’t understand it.”

She took two bowls down, her own and his smaller one. She added some of the steaming rice first, then took out a spoon to ladle on the stir fry. It was easier in a pan with more angles sides. She’d ask for one for her birthday.

“Meet me at the table,” she asked. She handed him the bowls after he got down. He went to the coffee table, and she followed with his chair. She needed another trip to get water glasses and silverware.

“Better fit,” she asked as she watched him scoot his chair closer to the end of the table.

“Yeah. You?”

“Much. How is it,” she asked as she took a bite.

“Good ... flavorful.” He took a drink.

“Too spicy?”

“Spicy, but not too spicy. You like it?”

“A little less chili flakes next time,” she replied.

“I burned every stir fry I ever tried to make,” Jamie told her.

“How many was that?”

His eyes turned up and to the left searching for a likely number. “Maybe four? I gave up trying. Rice bowls were more my thing. Put it on a tortilla, eat it in a bowl, on lettuce .... And sandwiches. I never wanted a dinner with an entree and sides. I just wanted sandwiches most of the time.”

“Sounds like you eat better here.”

“Definitely. Better quality and healthier. Diet would’ve caught up with me eventually.”

Amanda did the dishes and once more watched as Jamie speed walked from the living room to the bathroom. She was about to call out to him when he came around the corner with his head a little down and his ears red. Manda couldn’t quite tell from her vantage, but she figured a least one of the dinosaurs on his pullup has gone extinct. She turned off the faucet and dried her hands.

“I didn’t make it,” he said softly.

“That’s okay,” she said as she bent down and felt the front of his pullup. “Did you really feel the need to go, or were you just trying?”

“I felt it.” It was a weak urge, which seemed like a wake up call of sorts that this would be harder than perhaps he had realized. The urge felt weak, but he hadn’t been to able hold it for less than a minute. It struck him, too, that he wasn’t sure if he felt himself peeing by the time he got to the potty or just felt his pullup getting warm. It was just hard to tell.

He reminded himself it was a process. Knowing his tendency to get inside his own head, he figured he’d be reminding himself of that a lot.

“Well there ya go! You felt the need to go. That’s progress.”

“I didn’t feel it that much. I got up as soon as I did ...”

Manda cut him off, “Hey, you don’t don’t need to justify it. This is going to happen, especially at first. It’s okay.” She picked him up into a hug and carried him into their room, rubbing his back and setting him on the changing table. She returned in a moment with the bag of pullups from the bathroom.

“Lay back for me.” She tore the sides of the pullup and unfolded it. She pulled it from under him and got a wipe out. She paused just before touching him. “Do you wanna go try again, see if there’s more?”

“Pretty sure there’s not right now.”

“Okay,” she said as she wiped him off. He lifted his hips for her to slide a new pullup in place. She tossed the wipe in the used pullup, rolled it up, helped Jamie down, and handed it to him. “Mind throwing that in the diaper pail?” He went to do that, and she went back to the kitchen. He joined her.

“Sorry,” he said.

She turned the faucet off. “No. No no no no no no no no,” she said. “No apologizing. It’s not your fault, and there’s nothing to be sorry for. Got it?” 

She gave him a serious look. He shook his head yes and smiled weakly. She wasn’t going let him feel bad over accidents. Getting frustrated might happen, but she wouldn’t let him get sad or angry or guilty with himself, and definitely not with her. She turned the water back on. “Why don’t you go read some more, and I’ll come check on you in a bit,” she suggested. “We can try the potty again a couple times before bed, but don’t wait for me if you need to go.”

“I know,” he said. “Thanks,” he added before walking away. He meant it, too.

As he took up his book, he wondered if it would be better to sit on the potty for a few minutes every half hour, at least at first. He could sit there and try, and that might keep his pull-ups dry. He didn’t see how that would help his training, though. Sitting there until his bladder opened didn’t seem like taking back control; it seemed like waiting for the inevitable. That wouldn’t help him practice holding it long enough to hold it from when he recognized the urge until he got to the potty. 

Still, he thought Amanda reminding him to go and taking him every so often would help. Trying at least two more times before bed was a good idea. Then it would be back into a nighttime diaper until morning.

[littleTomás]

I think that neither Jamie nor Amanda have thought about if retraining Jamie is a possible thing that can be achieved. I mean it’s been 5 years of diapers 24/7, so it’s both physiological and physiological things that need to change. Meanwhile Amanda is approaching this like Jamie is a toddler instead of a fully-trained adult who wore diapers for 5 years and has lost control as a result.

[Alex Bridges]

1 hour ago, littleTomás said:

I think that neither Jamie nor Amanda have thought about if retraining Jamie is a possible thing that can be achieved. I mean it’s been 5 years of diapers 24/7, so it’s both physiological and physiological things that need to change. Meanwhile Amanda is approaching this like Jamie is a toddler instead of a fully-trained adult who wore diapers for 5 years and has lost control as a result.

Is that the only reason Jamie lost control?

ive been wondering. Jamie has adopted a lot of habit and mannerisms that shouldn’t just automatically happen because he became a little, at least that we know of. I think we should learn why.

Another thing: simply wearing and using diapers 24/7 for years doesn’t take away control. So what’s really going on with Jamie?

[Pierry Louys]

I think if you uses diapers 24/7 you probably gonna lost some control since you grown so acostumed in releasing that you bladder muscles can be grow weaker just like his bowels muscles ! So if you uses diapers for 4 years I rest assure that some control you gonna lost ! 

[Guilend]

I've worn for a couple weeks straight and I actually wet myself once or twice once I went back to underwear just because my mind got used to telling my bladder to let go so I can imagine what would happen after 5 years. It's not just muscles being weak, it's about muscle memory as well. 

[Samriis]

4 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

Is that the only reason Jamie lost control?

ive been wondering. Jamie has adopted a lot of habit and mannerisms that shouldn’t just automatically happen because he became a little, at least that we know of. I think we should learn why.

Another thing: simply wearing and using diapers 24/7 for years doesn’t take away control. So what’s really going on with Jamie?

Isn't the cannon that breastmilk has properties that cause littles to lose control?  I mean if it's like some of the drugs we have it's going to be in his system for a while... and given the fact that he splits his time, I dont think he's going to get much of a reprieve 

[Alex Bridges]

2 hours ago, Samriis said:

Isn't the cannon that breastmilk has properties that cause littles to lose control?  I mean if it's like some of the drugs we have it's going to be in his system for a while... and given the fact that he splits his time, I dont think he's going to get much of a reprieve 

I think that may only be in countries where the bigs eat a lot of processed food. ??????????

[Sarah Penguin]

2 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

I think that may only be in countries where the bigs eat a lot of processed food. ??????????

Well this is your own Diaper Dimension so I'll assume you're right. 

[Little Andrea]

9 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

Is that the only reason Jamie lost control?

ive been wondering. Jamie has adopted a lot of habit and mannerisms that shouldn’t just automatically happen because he became a little, at least that we know of. I think we should learn why.

Another thing: simply wearing and using diapers 24/7 for years doesn’t take away control. So what’s really going on with Jamie?

I’d suspect that on some subconscious level Jamie willingly gave up his control, perhaps because he likes the intimacy of being changed, of being taken care of. I think that he might just realize that he misses that. 
 

And on a separate note, what is he going to do when he goes back to daycare? You can’t potty train part time and expect to be successful. This could bring up some interesting issues for him and I for one am looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

[Mugi]

10 hours ago, Samriis said:

Isn't the cannon that breastmilk has properties that cause littles to lose control?  I mean if it's like some of the drugs we have it's going to be in his system for a while... and given the fact that he splits his time, I dont think he's going to get much of a reprieve 

I thought that was only for doing nr.2 though?

Alex I think its mostly psychological why he has loosen control, also it could be because of the environment he is in like in daycare why he has adopted little mannerisms. Kind of like you can become like the people you hang around or work with.

[SGTbaby]

I think the potty training is a fun  idea I am just not sure if it is a good one? Between Becky and daycare and the world having to switch back and forth a lot might actually cause more harm than good...but I am enjoying reading about it! 

[Alex Bridges]

My bear and I were writing new chapters this morning. He always says the same thing. “More bear characters! Make the bears do more stuff. Why are the humans always the main characters?”
 

He hasn’t said so, but I think he thinks me calling Jamie a bear is appropriation.

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 85

 

As he often did, Jamie woke first, rolling over and closing the gap between himself and Amanda. He reached down to feel his diaper. Wet, as usual. He didn’t especially mind being a bedwetter. How he became one made even less sense to him than how’d he lost so much daytime control, but he slept well. He slept better in Itali than he ever had before his departure. He put a hand on Manda and sighed. He didn’t make a good big spoon for her.

Manda sighed, too, and opened her eyes, facing another day. She stretched and sighed again before bringing a hand to her face and rubbing her eyes. “Morning,” she said.

“Hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Think we’re on about the same sleep schedule. You sleep okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Still like this better than your crib?”

He had come to like having his own space, and the bars he resented so much at first had turned from a cage into his nest. He liked sleeping with his bigs, too, though. “I like both.”

“You can always sleep in your playpen if you want your own space some nights,” she said.

“Maybe sometimes.” 

Manda scooted herself forward and then rolled toward Jamie, always mindful not to roll over him. You’re not really supposed to sleep with your little for that very reason, but Jamie being unregressed, there was less risk of hurting him that way. He”d wake up and move himself or at least shout out. In four years, she’d never rolled all the way over him. Maybe over his arm, and he’d just wake up with it asleep. It never dissuaded him from sleeping in her bed again.

She reached her hand up to brush his hair down. His hair always stood up in every direction in the morning. It stayed down just fine after being washed and combed but always looked in the morning like it had spent the night desperately trying to escape his head.

“You have the worst bed head,” she reminded him.

“I have lots of good qualities, too.”

“Ha. Yeah ya do. Ready to get up?”

“Mhmm.” She started to get up, sliding her legs off the bed and stretching her arms above her head. Jamie propped himself up on one elbow, ready to follow her off the bed when she turned suddenly and put both arms under him, lifting him up and giving him tummy kisses.

“Gonna be a good day, Jamie Bear,” she said as she swung him over the edge and set him on his feet with a swat to the back of his jammie shorts. He felt more alert now and smiled at her as she stood.

“Wanna try going potty?”

“I don’t think I have to.”

She reached down and felt his diaper. “Feels like you went pretty recently.”

“I was asleep still.” He said it to assure himself and her he hadn’t had a daytime accident.

“Then why not keep that on until after breakfast.” She went to the bathroom and he went to the living room and waited. She came back out and got a box of cereal down from the cabinet. “Mel’s coming over around lunch time,” she said as she poured two bowls.

“You said. Are we going anywhere?”

“Not today. We’re just hanging out today close to the potty.”

“I was right,” he said as he pulled himself onto the couch. Manda handed him his bowl and sat down next to him.

“About what?”

“We do see her less.” Manda frowned and put her hand on his head, pulling him toward her as she leaned over to kiss his hair.

“I know. But we still get to have fun with her. The three of us can play with some of your new toys or go hang out by the ... well, no pool today.”

“Too far from the potty.”

“Yeah ... but we can spread our towels out by the patio. Get a little sun at least.”

He finished his cereal first and drank the milk from his bowl. He stretched and yawned again.

“Do you need to go back to bed for a bit?”

“Just feeling very relaxed. Getting myself in the right frame of mind to have a lazy day at home.”

She finished her cereal. She didn’t like milk on its own very much and less so after cereal had been dissolving in it, but Jamie did. He handed him her bowl. It took more than a couple swallows and some ran down his face and onto his chest. “Bath time,” she said. 

He followed her to the bathroom by way of the kitchen. As big as the place was compared to him, it still felt like an apartment, with everything so close together. He’d never lived in a house other than Becky’s as an adult and was starting to appreciate the space in a way he hadn’t. He’d gotten used to not living his life on one floor and not being able to see every room of the house from the hallway.

“I’m gonna put you down for a nap this morning if you need it,” she said when he sighed and stretched again. She knew the hot bath would only make him sleepier. She pulled his shorts down, and he laid on the rug. She used to take his diaper off in the bathroom with him standing, but she’d stopped doing that years ago, never perfectly confident what she’d find. 

With that familiar ripping sound and the tugs at his hips, Jamie felt her pull down the diaper and expose him to the air. He did like that feeling. He drew his knees up and open to get the air everywhere. “Totally clean this morning,” she said. She pinched his butt and he jumped. He lifted his hips, she drew the diaper out, and she handed it to him. “Why don’t you see if you can use the potty while the water runs?”

He threw the diaper away in the pail under the second vanity, an odd feature for a one-bedroom apartment, and sat down on his potty. Amanda turned the tap on and let the water warm before stopping the tub.

“And we don’t wanna forget these,” she said as she reached into the cabinet under the sink and took out his new bath toys in their bag of plastic netting. “Why’d you pick boats?” He liked his animals at the other house so much.

“I was in a boat kind of mood.” He was trying to concentrate. Even if she was right and he had used his diaper around and even on her for four years, this was different. It just was. Maybe she did watch him use his diaper sometimes when she recognized his body language, but that was different than being in the same room as he tried to use the potty. It was the difference between someone hearing him sing in the shower and watching him sing on stage, not that he did either of those. But one was getting coincidentally caught in the act, and the other was like the most uncomfortable performance ever. “Could I be alone for a few minutes,” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, turning off the water. “Call me when you’re ready.”

She closed the door behind him and went back to the kitchen to wash their breakfast bowls. She decided to make a pitcher of tea when she was done. She’d set it on their patio in the sun, the way Jamie had showed them soon after he arrived. What a novel invention cold tea was for them.

“Manda?!”

“Coming!” She left the pitcher on the counter and returned to the bathroom. Jamie was still seated. “Way to go,” she said as she stood over him. “Did you go peepee too?”

“Yeah,” he said, “when I ... you know. I wasn’t sure if I should stand up or not, so I ...”

“Definitely stay seated,” she said with a laugh. He rarely went that way in the morning, but apparently he could if he put some effort into it. She got a tub of wipes from under the sink. She looked at him for a second and thought how much easier it was to do this with him flat on his back. “Lean forward.” He did, and she knelt down next to him and wiped him clean. She hadn’t thought through this so well; there was no diaper to deposit the wipes into. She didn’t just want to drop them in the pail. She leaned over to the pail, opened it, and got his night diaper back out. She put them in there. “Now you can stand.” He did, and she wiped his penis first. “And bend over just to be safe.” He did, feeling a little embarrassed to be in that position even if it was just another take on lying with his feet in the air, and she made one more pass at his butt.

That left the potty to clean. Jamie was grossed out by it when he turned around. He opted to look elsewhere. Flushing it down a toilet or having it in the back of a diaper seemed less gross. He knew that wasn’t entirely logical, but that’s how he felt. 

Amanda felt the same way but didn’t say anything about it. She didn’t want him to know she felt anything but pride, though emptying the thing was worse to her than changing a poopy diaper. You don’t have to tap a poopy diaper against the toilet rim and hope what falls out doesn’t splash. She wiped the potty out and put it back in the chair, throwing the last wipe into the night diaper and putting it back in the pail after rolling it up.

“We need to get you some flushable wipes.”

“Toilet paper would work, too.”

“Oh ... yeah.” Even though they’d talked about toilet paper the day before, the idea of wiping his bottom with toilet paper seemed off somehow. She’d known for years that you wipe a little’s bottom with wet wipes. She’d just have to unlearn that.

“Is that, um, all,” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s ... nothing.”

She hadn’t thought of it, but now that he had asked, she asked him, “Would you like a sticker chart or some little prizes to earn? We can do that; no need to be embarrassed by that.”

She misunderstood him entirely. He hadn’t given a single thought to a sticker chart. “No, I mean ... I just pooped in that thing. It seems ... unsanitary just sitting there.”

She felt rather the same way, and she knew Jamie was a bit of a germaphobe. Toilets get flushed; diapers get rolled up and thrown in a special pail with a lid. That thing got wiped out and was just there now, without even a lid. “I’m gonna bleach it after your bath ... unless you’d rather do that first?”

“Could you please?”

“Yeah.” She moved back to the sink as he stepped out of the way. She got a bottle of bleach from underneath and poured some into the potty. “I’ll rinse it after your bath. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

She stood and washed her hands well before turning back to him. “In ya go,” she said as she lifted him over the side of the tub. She felt the water and turned the faucet back on to warm it up more. Jamie was surprised at himself. He hadn’t had to look at or deal with his own waste in four years; pooping in what was essentially a bowl was off putting. He wasn’t sure he wanted to keep doing that, but perhaps he’d grow used to it.

“So, Manda,” he said after she’d turned the water off, “when I’m back to being potty trained, is there a way I could use the actual toilet, or will it always be a potty chair?”

“We can get a seat attachment when you’re ready, and a little step stool, too. They make those for toddlers. I just wanted to start with this first.” It was less expensive, though she didn’t want to tell him that reasoning. It implied she didn’t want to spend money on something they might not be needing if this proved impossible or if he didn’t want to do it. She didn’t see any reason why it would be impossible, but since money was limited and this was something she couldn’t let Becky buy for her, she went with the cheaper choice.

She took the soap and washcloth from their places and started to lather them. “Gimme a foot,” she said. He did and inspected his boats. Two of the three floated proudly, riding the waves. The third, designed to look like a container ship, had taken on water and was listing to port.

“This one was made by non-union shipbuilders,” he told her. “The captain is probably inside looking at the commutator  and trying not to panic.”

“What should he do,” Amanda asked as she reached under the water for his other leg.

“Dump some cargo to right the ship, but he’s not gonna yet.”

“Why not?”

“The shipping line would lose a lot of money, and their insurance premiums would go up.”

Amanda chuckled with her belly as she turned her soapy attention to other parts. “You play the silliest games. What’s he gonna do instead?”

“He’ll try counter flooding to take on more ballast. Could work, but she’s already riding pretty low in the water. If they get water on the bottom of the orlop deck, they could lose power. They have a second power system to run the pumps, but they’re not as powerful, and being dead in the water is more dangerous. But it could give them enough time to make the repairs.”

“You can fix a hole in a boat at sea?”

“Oh sure,” he said while she scrubbed his chest. “But this ship took on a lot of water really fast. I think they’ll need to abandon ship. But if they can right her and pump out enough water first, they could maybe stabilize her, and a repair ship can get her secure enough so she can get towed to a port.”

“What’s on the boat,” she asked as he leaned forward so she could get his back.

“Various consumer packaged goods, televisions, and some bulk grain in the forward hold. Plus twenty-eight souls.”

Amanda rolled her eyes as she chuckled again. “O, where did you really come from,” she asked. “Whole different type of human.”

“I felt that way before I left sometimes.”

“Sweet little soul that you are. I think we’ll keep you forever. Call off that other plan.”

“What plan?”

“To sell you to a traveling circus.”

“I’m not a big fan of clowns anyway. I had a bad experience with a clown once.”

“What happened?”

“He forgot his nose.”

“Is that all? That’s not so bad.”

“No, I mean his prosthetic nose,” Jamie explained as he pinched his own nose and pulled his hand away. Amanda stopped washing and started laughing, not loud but audibly, her body rocking and her eyes closed tight, a little wet around the edges.

“You ... is that a true story?” Jamie was laughing now, too, because her reaction was so funny.

“No, but wouldn’t it be funnier if it was?”

Amanda wiped her eyes. “We gotta take you to an open mic or something. You have such good timing. Stand up for me?” He did and she washed his diaper area thoroughly. She wanted to reach out and give his shiny, wet butt a spank, it was so cute, but she resisted the temptation. He sat back down.

“Time for your hair,” she said as she took a pitcher from the corner of the tub’s rim.

“Rough seas are the last thing that ship needs,” he said as he gave it a tap to send it toward the faucet.

[Little Andrea]

Definitely a cute chapter.

[Shotgun Diplomat]

1 hour ago, Alex Bridges said:

They have a second power system to run the pumps, but they’re not as powerful,

Small quibble in an otherwise beautifully crafted chapter.

 

In order to adhere to SOLAS regulations, all ships must be equipped with secondary power sufficient enough to run all emergency, navigation, and d.c. equipment. So, unless the "Captain" had pulled an Exxon Valdez type of maneuver, it is unlikely that they would be totally at the mercy of the sea.  

[Sarah Penguin]

5 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

My bear and I were writing new chapters this morning. He always says the same thing. “More bear characters! Make the bears do more stuff. Why are the humans always the main characters?”
 

He hasn’t said so, but I think he thinks me calling Jamie a bear is appropriation.

I like your bear stuff also and want more of it too

[littleTomás]

2 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

Jamie was surprised at himself. He hadn’t had to look at or deal with his own waste in four years; pooping in what was essentially a bowl was off putting. He wasn’t sure he wanted to keep doing that, but perhaps he’d grow used to it.

I think Jamie is starting to have second thoughts about potty training. I wonder if he wanted to lose his control as a way of getting Ella to like him and a way to get closer to Amanda and Becky.

[Alex Bridges]

1 hour ago, Shotgun Diplomat said:

Small quibble in an otherwise beautifully crafted chapter.

 

In order to adhere to SOLAS regulations, all ships must be equipped with secondary power sufficient enough to run all emergency, navigation, and d.c. equipment. So, unless the "Captain" had pulled an Exxon Valdez type of maneuver, it is unlikely that they would be totally at the mercy of the sea.  

But have you checked the regs in the diaper dimension?

[Sarah Penguin]

Fun

[Shotgun Diplomat]

2 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

But have you checked the regs in the diaper dimension?

No... No I have not. Sigh.

 

Well shucks... it is almost like it is a world of your own creation, and not bound to this mortal plane in any tangible sense. 

[SGTbaby]

Yeah bath toys! And Mel and potty success. I feel like the potty thing will slip out more than anything and I love that thought 

[Samriis]

43 minutes ago, Shotgun Diplomat said:

No... No I have not. Sigh.

 

Well shucks... it is almost like it is a world of your own creation, and not bound to this mortal plane in any tangible sense. 

Somehow... I get the sense I've walked that road recently.... ?

[Alex Bridges]

1 hour ago, Shotgun Diplomat said:

No... No I have not. Sigh.

 

Well shucks... it is almost like it is a world of your own creation, and not bound to this mortal plane in any tangible sense. 

If only the rest of creation was what was in my mind.

[Shotgun Diplomat]

7 minutes ago, Alex Bridges said:

If only the rest of creation was what was in my mind.

That would be a frightening power indeed to hold.