Fascinating, and a rant

I watched Gracie this evening as she was playing. I was simply AMAZED at how I could see her learning right in front of me. She was opening the sliding door on our bookshelf (she's really not supposed to be in there, but it was the one I don't have a lock on yet that only has stuff in it that she can't destroy) and putting different toys in there, then shutting the door to see if it fit. She started with her big Tigger, and she had to rearrange him several times before she could shut the door. She then tried Wubby- no problem. Then the fluffy poodle- she shut his foot in the door a couple times and wasn't satisfied until she could shut the door completely. Then a football (don't ask)- she had to slide the door all the way back so it would fit into the deepest space. Then I could just see the wheels turning in her little head as she looked around the room for more. She found her spinning top toy, and she sure had to heave that thing up there (the shelf is above her head), but it fit after several tries. I ended up distracting her from the task because she was running out of reasonable things to try. I just kept saying to Randy "Look at this! This is education! She's learning!". Not that I didn't know kids learned best by experimentation (I'm a science teacher for crying out loud), but I'd never seen her concentrate so incredibly hard on one task and figure it out as she went along. It was such a weird task, too. I mean, what in the world inspired her to try stuffing items into the bookshelf?! Anyway, just a cool little activity I wanted to remember.
On another note, I had to take her for her first "sick" doctor visit today. I know, right? First sick visit in 19 months. It must be all the dirt we let her eat that has built up her immunity (kidding- kind of). She had a rash behind her ear that I couldn't figure out. Evidently she is having a reaction to something (one of 7000 things, the doc said). I'm thinking it might have been some ear-drying drops I put in her ears a couple days ago after playing in the fountains. They're mostly alcohol, but the only thing I could think of. She's on Benadryl which seems to be shrinking the rash already.
Speaking of doctors and germs- I usually don't post controversial stuff on here, mostly because I don't think I have many readers, so really what's the point? But, I do have to say that I am so SICK of the germophobia in this country, and am actually worried that all the antibacterial stuff is going to end up hurting us all as a society more than it helps. I mean, we didn't HAVE Purell and antibacterial cleaning EVERYTHING when I was a kid. Hell, I rarely washed my HANDS as a kid. I ate dirt. I probably licked shopping carts. I faithfully practiced the 10 second (or 15, or hey, just blow the dirt off it) rule. These days, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting somebody who is obsessed with the idea that their child shall NEVER encounter a germ. Bullhockey. The only reason our immune system works to fend off germs is by exposure to said germs. When you are constantly protected from minor germs, your body doesn't learn to defend itself, and when one FINALLY sneaks by, BAM, you're sick.
I mean, I work with snotty kids, so I really can't be germophobic. I know G isn't in daycare, but I'm sure I bring all kinds of stuff home to her. We keep her clean, and wipe hands, but I've only ever sanitized her hands once (by requirement). She eats stuff that falls on the floor (not in public) and pets the cats and surely eats catfur, among other germy sins that we commit in this house. I never boiled her bottles, she ate *GASP* formula. Yet somehow, she thrives.
What brought on this rant, you ask? Well, we've been working hard at the potty training, and I googled the other day about public bathrooms. Well, let me tell you, that moms across the country exist that have NO intention of ever letting their child PEE in a public bathroom. Or insist that their child "hover", or cover the toilet seat with 3 inches thick of TP. Really? REALLY?! Some people were saying that they hated even taking their child IN to a public bathroom. How do these people function in the real world?
OK, end of rant. BTW, we had a breakthrough this week in the potty world. She had been on strike with using public toilets. A couple months ago when we started, she would more readily pee on a public toilet than the potty. Then she wouldn't go at all. I kept trying, using the seat inserts and not, sitting behind her, balancing her on my knees... but nothing. She would sit there for a few seconds, then freak out. And it isn't the noise of the bathroom or the flush, and many internet moms suggest, because she LOVES to flush. But finally, on Monday, she went with me sitting behind her at a restaurant bathroom. Then again yesterday, and today at the doctor's office. So, whew. Back on track. Now, if I can just get her to use her ever increasing communication skills to TELL me before she has to go, we'll be doing great.
(boy this is a long post- this is what happens when I have time off work)
Speaking of communication, she was so cute last night. At about midnight, I heard her whimpering and rustling around in her bed, and I flipped on the monitor and realized she must be looking for her Wubby. She never started crying, but sat up in the corner of the bed, surveying the situation. I went upstairs to help her out, and when I walked in the room she quietly asked, "Where'd it go?". Squee! So sweet. I found Wubby, and she was so relieved, then she looked at her bed where she had destroyed her pillow and covers in her frantic search, looked at me and said, "Help." This communication thing is a miracle, I tell you! Except that she now knows how to ask for "Manny" (Handy Manny) and "George" (Curious George). She of course loves the TV shows, and I have the Handy Manny theme song on my phone, and let me tell you that there is for sure a threshold for how many times a parent can listen to that song before totally losing it... "More Manny! More Manny! More Manny!"