How not to toilet train...on a train

Picture it. Packed train on the way back from Brighton, school holidays, nice weather. Let's just say it was a bit busy.

The Prince (five weeks into toilet training) suddenly announced he needed a wee. Of course he did. When we tried going to the toilet five minutes prior to catching the train home, he didn't need to go. Now he was desperate it seemed and we had only just set off.

I had a pushchair overloaded with shopping bags and knew that wandering up and down the carriages to find a loo would be stressful with two kids in tow.

But what do you do when a three-year-old is desperate? Who then started pulling the desperate face which meant I had seconds to decide what to do.

I had to think fast. I casually pulled out his plastic drinking bottle and decided we only had one option. I got the Princess to help me assemble the makeshift loo in a private fashion so no one on this crammed train would see what we were doing.

The plan was that she would open the flask while I got the Prince to aim inside it, do a quick wee and job done. And we would deal with the flask when we got home. Simples.

Unfortunately things are never smooth running so why would this be any different?

The flask was still full to the brim with drinking water (I hadn't realised) so when the Princess opened it, loads poured all over my lap as the Prince weed into it at the same time. A pee monsoon cascaded over the Princess's hand and filled up in my lap like a reservoir. The Princess was repulsed but I hissed for her to keep quiet and then realised the Prince was doing a horse wee (like the one he did in the middle of Mothercare several weeks ago) which didn't seem to stop.

After he had relieved himself (half an hour later it seemed), I managed to screw the lid back on, put it back in the bottom of the pushchair and made the mental note to put it straight in the dishwasher. Whilst high fiving myself for dealing with all this so discreetly.

Until the Prince stood up on his seat and announced to the whole carriage: "I just did a MASSIVE wee in the cup everyone! Hooray!"

Gawd, I am sure I will look back on all this when they have grown up and laugh. Probably.

This week, I have discovered two lovely Ladybird books from the charity shop.

I bought this one for 50p from Scope and realised I had never seen it before. That's a first!

I have 9 of the 16 listed. Need more!!!!

The day after buying the above book, I got this little beauty in the post from one of my best friends. It is listed on the list above, how funny is that?! I felt it was good karma as I sent a Ladybird book to a blog friend this week and was thrilled to hear how delighted she was. So I was chuffed to get the below to add to my collection.

This bit is the cutest. Ah, I LOVE reading the messages people have written when they buy books.

Wonder where Good Old David is now.
(And I bet he wasn't that old, not if Auntie Jean was still buying him Ladybird books)

If only my husband was this dapper for breakfast
(I never even SEE him at this time as he works late shifts)

Other excitement is that the Princess and the Husband were lucky enough to win their bids for Olympics tickets.

They went to the tennis on Wednesday (and got in very close proximity to Federer). No photos of that moment as the Husband forgot the camera. But as he loses most things, it was probably a blessing.

This is the man who has left a suit on the train (don't ask). His mobile has been returned to him twice in recent months ( a miracle in itself) and he has lost numerous umbrellas.

I took this before they left on Wednesday morning.

The exciting bit was last night, when they were at the 100m final with the mighty Usain Bolt which was amazing for them. And he took the camera for that (and brought it home safely....result!)

I spy the flames!!!

The atmosphere was "awesome" apparently

The man himself. Fit and he knows it!

 The poor Prince was desperate to go and there were many tears when he discovered he wasn't going to the "limpics" on the train (thank god he wasn't, with his weeing in public history).

So the two of us had fun on the beach, met up with friends for picnics and then when the Princess came home, she dressed him up and they did one of their performances for me!

Off to bed soon. With my book. Nearly finished Before I Go To Sleep. Oh go and read it already. I am boycotting the Fifty Shades trilogy. Can't be doing with the hype when I've heard how badly written it is. Unless I hear from someone that it is genuinely very good, then I won't be bothering!