My fearless daughter has all of a sudden become very afraid of bugs, automatic flushing toilets and does not like to be dirty.  It is strange how these things just happen.

Ali has always been a cleaner, almost compulsive, but now she does not like to get her hands dirty and does not like walking bare foot.  If she sees a spec of dirt  or a blade of grass on a slide, we must wipe it off before she will go down.  She did help me dig in the dirt this past weekend, but needed her hands wiped off instantly.  I can hear my family laughing already...that is how I was as a kid.  At my first birthday we have pictures of me holding up my hands to be wiped after I dug into the cake.  And I kept doing that over and over.  I like to be clean.  I love working in the yard and getting dirty, but I enjoy cleaning up at the end of the day..who doesn't?

The bug phobia is our fault.  If you recall, we took Ali into a 3D animated movie at Animal Kingdom last December.  She loved it at first, but when the bees attacked and came at us (3D), she freaked out.  We were walking last night and gnats started to fly around her head...she was judging left and right and swatting at them.  She was not happy.  It is odd..she is fascinated by bugs and will point them out, but when you try to get her to look closer at them, or touch them, she wants nothing to do with them.  When I was digging in the yard Sunday, she kept asking me to find bugs and worms.  As the day went on, she became a little more comfortable and even touched a worm, but she would not hold it in her hand.  She laughed as it crawled on me, but no way was she going to let me put it on her.  I kept reminding her that she is a lot bigger than the bug and they are afraid of her.  She would then squat next to me and look in the dirt and point out the bugs.  There was one set back.  A bee flew by her and must have buzzed in her ear.  She jumped and started to cry and told me she does not like bees.  Not many people do, but I think the 3D Bugs Life animated movie sealed the deal.

Finally, Ali has been potty trained for almost a month, but has  been going pee-pee on the potty for much longer than that.  She has always been great  at telling us when she has to go, especially when we are out in malls and restaurants.  Ali will say she has to go and when we take her into the bathroom, she must see what kind of toilet it is.  If it has the auto flush sensor on it, she says I don't have to go now.  I don't like those toilets...they flush on me.  A few months back one flushed while she was sitting on it.  I thought she was going to hit the ceiling she jumped so high.  We even try covering the sensor so it won't flush...no deal.  She does not like the loud toilets.  She will ask to go again a little later and then she investigates the next restroom.  It can make for a long shopping experience.  When she finally finds one with a handle, Jackpot...literally.  She is scarred for life and will soon never be able to go potty in public as they all become auto flush.  Wait until she tries the toilet on the airplane or better yet, on a cruise ship...that will scare the crap right out of her.  Problem solved!