Anyone who knows me, knows that kids are not part of my life plan. Friends used to doubt me, admonishing, "You'll change your mind! Just wait..." as I shook my head with certainty.

In recent years, however, they've started hold back those comments. I would blame their shift on my nearing approach to 40, but I actually think it probably has more to do with Alan practically handing out business cards for the doctor who performed his vasectomy.

Whatever the case, I'm glad people no longer try to talk me into a baby. They're just not my thing. (I know. This probably means I have no soul. But I do have grown-up meals, a clean house, a travel budget and the ability to soak in the bathtub with a good book whenever I want. I'll take the trade-off.)

That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy other people's kids - at least in small doses. Take last weekend...

In Atlanta, I got some quality bonding time with Liz's son Jackson, who is two. He was friendly and snuggly and adorable. And also generally half-naked, wearing only a shirt, in a style known (for obvious reasons) as Porky Piggin'.

The naked bit is because he's potty training and Liz is having to get creative about learning his signals. Apparently when he wears a diaper, he doesn't think about what he's doing and just fills it. But if he doesn't have pants on, he has just enough awareness to shout "Go pee pee!" before running at full tilt toward the bathroom.

So I was sprawled on Liz's couch Sunday morning, drinking my coffee, when all of a sudden we heard Jackson come tear-assing down the hallway toward us from the bathroom, clapping wildly and yelling, "Yay Jackson! Jackson go potty!"

Liz, eager to reward him for using the toilet, quickly grabbed a sticker for his chart and said, "Good job! Show me!" and started to follow him back down the hall. From the couch I heard her excitement quickly morph into horror.

"Oh no! Jackson! What happened?!" she implored. Then, "Alison! Do not come out here!"

Of course those are just the words to make me scramble to my feet with curiosity, so I trotted through the kitchen in a flash. And found myself staring down a long hallway dotted with turds.

Apparently Jackson had been so excited to have used the toilet that as soon as he finished peeing, he jumped up and ran to tell us about it - forgetting that he had more business to attend to - and took a running dump the entire length of the 20' long hallway.

Liz looked at me and shook her head, starting to laugh. "I don't even know where to begin!"

When we had the situation under control, I sent Alan a text. "Never a dull moment. My Sunday morning started by helping Liz clean up poop in the the hallway. How's YOUR day going?"

His response?  "My day is great - I almost never poop in the hallway!" Amen.