Open Door Policy

I do it,
my sisters do it,
my mom does it,
I'm pretty sure a couple of my brothers do it,
my father has learned to accept it,
and Nate absolutely can't stand it...

What is "it"?
Peeing with the door open.
It's a trait I've inherited (most likely from my mothers side).

Growing up with 4 sisters it was completely normal to leave the door open when you pee. People would come in and out, carry on everyday normal conversation, but we would of course break eye contact whenever the pee-er needed to wipe (we do have some respect for privacy).

::True story::

When Nate and I were first married we lived in my parents basement. Nate and I were showering together (purely for water conservation and time saving purposes), when all of a sudden the door swings open and in bursts my mother on a frantic mission to use the bathroom. She rushes in, sits down, and with a BIG sigh of relief says, "Oh my, I had to go to the bathroom so bad!" Nate, by instinct, covers up his special parts with one hand while the other hand makes the universal sign for "shhh-ing" which is also code for, "If you tell your mom I'm in here I swear I will kill you". I was trying my hardest not to laugh. I wasn't sure which was funnier; the fact that my mom was carrying on a full conversation with me while she was going to the bathroom or that Nate was standing just a few feet away from my mom butt naked with just a thin shower curtain separating the two of them.

As soon as my Mom finished taking care of business Nate jumped out to lock the door and it wasn't a minute too soon because seconds later we hear the door knob twist and shake followed by a pounding and my sisters voice on the other side yelling, "Ginnie, hurry and open up! I need to go to the bathroom!!". That's when Nate spoke up and said, "Ummm, I'm in here." Shocked and a little bit embarrassed my sister responds, "Oh, ooops! (insert nervous laughter) I didn't know you were in there."

When Nate and I finally got out of the shower and finished getting ready we walked out into the family room to be greeted by my sister and my mom, who was completely mortified. We (meaning me, my mom, & my sister) all thought it was pretty funny...

Nate on the other hand? Not so much.

. . . .

I'm trying to convince Nate that peeing with the door open is completely normal- lots of women do it. I'm normal. Totally normal.

You want strange? I'll give you strange. I once sneezed in a public restroom while going to the bathroom and the lady in the stall next to me said, "God bless you!". I may pee with the door open, but at least I don't talk to strangers when I'm going to the bathroom.

Open Door Policy side note

Now that I'm a mom I pee with the door open for a couple reasons:
1. because I can (I'm a rebel like that)
but mostly,
2. because when the door is shut the kids think it's an open invitation to come join me. For some reason the kids get the uncontrollable urge to congregate in the bathroom and have a heart to heart with me. It's something I don't quite understand and probably never will. Truth is, it doesn't matter if the door is open or shut the.Kids.Are.Always.There. ALWAYS.

If I were to have a bathroom catch phrase it would have to be, "Can I please pee in peace?!"

Just sayin'...