TEACHER TAKES CHARGE (Private for LittleJai)

[likes to be babysat]

"Why? Whose dat one fer Nana?", the little boy asked with genuine curiosity. Then before giving her a chance to answer, he picked up the stuffie of a bengal tiger and while starting to bounce in place said, "Dis one my faivwit cause he wike Tigger. I wuvs Tigger. Mama say Tigger an' me's awot awike."

[LittleJai]

"Well, you are both bouncy." admitted Bethany. "And this bear is mine... my Yaya, or grandmother, made him for me a long time ago." She smiled down at the bear. "I almost forgot that she would be coming to town tomorrow... Hm."

[likes to be babysat]

"Wuz yer bear's name? Mebbe "Snowy" an' he can be fwiends. I neber met my gwandma. Mama say we gots no ovther famiwy. I not sure, but I tink dat make her weally upset....", Neil said with a sad expression on his little face. Then as he gathered all the stuffies he'd been given in his arms he asked, "Nanny, can I take dese to my woom an' pway wif 'em?"

[LittleJai]

"Sure thing, Neily. This is Bear... Come on, let's get these up to your room." She scooped up some of the animals. "Now, Neily... you'll tell me when you need to 'go', right?"

[likes to be babysat]

Neil had appeared both absent minded and distracted when he had nodded his head "YES" and said, "I tell you." in response to Miss Bethany's clear reminder to let her know when he needed to use the potty. He was just so excited about all his "new" toys that going to the bathroom was the last thing on his mind....

Once they got back to his room Nanny had said that he could play "nicely" by himself for a few minutes and that while he was enjoying himself, she was going to get unpacked. As she left the room she reassured him by saying that she would be right nearby, and again reminded him that if he needed her for "anything, especially the potty" that he should get her "right away"!

Neil who was already happily lost in the world of imagination barely heard anything that Miss Bethy had said. Indeed, he and his newly created army of stuffed animals lead by "Sir Neil" and his three most trusted generals "Snowy" (the polar bear), "Bear" (Bethany's old stuffie), and "Growler" (the bengal tiger) found themselves far away in a mythical land, locked in an epic struggle against the evil forces of darkness. Apparently, a princess who not surprisingly looked exactly like a certain nanny by the name of Bethany Smach, had been taken captive by the dragons and trolls. "Sir Neil", "Snowy", "Bear", "Growler", and their army had been sent by the King himself on a sacred mission to save her.

While he played, Neil who was still dressed only in his duckie pajama top and his little Tom and Jerry cartoon undies began to feel a growing sense of pressure in both his "tummy" and his "bottom". Not wanting to be bothered with having to go to the bathroom right at the moment, the small child chose to ignore his body's increasingly urgent signals. Thinking "I gotta save Princess Befthany firse! I can hode it...", Neil continued to play. Unfortunately, less than a minute later he was whisked away from his heroic battles to find himself uncomfortably sitting upon the floor of his bedroom in what were now a pair of thoroughly soaked and soiled, little boy, undiepanties....

"Uh oh!" he thought, "I had accident.... I gotta get cweaned up 'efore Nanny fine out! I not know, but I tink she mebbe gonna be mad...."

Neil, who was not yet able to dress himself, did the best he could. First, he quickly removed his dirty undies, and hid them under his bed. Then, he went to his dresser and tried to find a pair of underpants to match the ones he had just taken off. Unsuccessful in finding another pair of Tom and Jerry undies, he removed a pair of Mickey Mouse ones instead. Reasoning appropriately for a four year old, he thought, "Nana not gonna notice I wearin' diffwent undies, 'cause dey bofth gots mousies on dem...." With these thoughts in mind, Neil then put on his clean underpants. Unaware that he had put them on inside out and backwards, he quickly returned to his "legendary quest"....

The preschooler was once again returned to reality, as he heard his bedroom door open and watched as Nanny Bethy reentered his room. Looking up, he smiled happily, clapped his hands excitedly, and cheered, "HOORAY!! WE DID IT!! I TODE "SNOWY", "BEAR", AND "GROWLER" WE COULD SAVE YOU!!"

[LittleJai]

Bethany smiled endearingly, noticing immediately the change in underwear. "Hm. Neily, you changed your undies. Did you put the old ones in the hamper?" she asked, in the tone of voice that said she already had a good idea of what had happened. She just wanted to give Neil a chance to come clean about it.

[likes to be babysat]

As Neil listened to Miss Bethany's question, he sheepishly hung his head and stared guiltily at his little, inside out, backwards facing, Mickey Mouse cartoon print, undies that he had so recently slipped on. Inwardly he thought, "Wow! Nana weally smart.... I wunda how she knowed dat I wearin' diffewent undapants?" Fidgeting nervously, The little boy knew that Miss Bethy expected an answer. Turning his head, he stared conspicuously at the area beneath his bed and mumbled, "Nanny, dey not in de hampa. Dey hidin' 'stead...."

[LittleJai]

Bethany's eyes softened and she got to one knee, placing a hand on Neil's shoulder. "You can tell me what happened, Neily." she encouraged. "Why did you hide your undies? Did you have a little accident?" she asked sympathetically.

[likes to be babysat]

Nanny's kind and gentle touch upon his shoulder, felt soft and reassuring. Even so, Neil felt his pale, creamy, little, cheeks flame shamefully when he heard her ask him why he had hidden his "undies", and if he had had an "accident". He covered his face with his hands and while peeking at Bethany's sandals through the small spaces between his fingers, slowly almost imperceptibly nodded his head "YES". Then slowly, haltingly he lisped, "I-I tought I c-c-could hode it.... I-I wanted to k-k-keep pwayin.... I-I wanted to s-s-save you firse." Then with his face still covered, Neil sighed, paused, took a deep breath, and continued quietly by saying, "I-I hided dem 'c-'c-'cause I-I-I 'fwaid.... I-I-I 'fwaid y-y-you was g-g-gonna be mad...."

[LittleJai]

"Alright, Neily. Thank you for telling me the truth." said Bethany gently. "Now, why don't you go downstairs for a minute while I clean up in here? Wait for me on the couch." she directed. Then: "Neily... I'm not angry, sweetie. Just a bit disappointed, but not angry.