Short, Dark and Handsome

Our little Benjo is normally quite a cautious little fellow who easily toes the line and prefers to follow directions and do what is expected of him. No, not boring; just easy and nice to be with. However, as he heads toward the age of three, a little more of his personality is beginning to rear its head.
We had the pleasure of sharing a meal last night with some good friends of ours who have four beautiful, blond daughters under the age of seven. (Thank you to the E family.) Who knew that Ben would so enjoy their company. He thrived on their giggles and did all he could to capture their attention at table. I was a little surprised as Ben's forays into the world of class-clown were, until last night, reserved for immediate family.
He was obviously comfortable in the presence of these fine ladies as he also performed one of his newest and slightly annoying tricks while playing in their driveway: he peed in front of them, much to the chagrin of his father. Dave, I was told later, would have rushed the little lad inside to the toilet when he began to pull down his pants over the rose bed. Nevertheless, it was the slightly incompetent maternal unit that, assessing the situation, allowed him to water the flowers as she just didn't think that he could make it indoors. His gracious hosts stared with wide eyes and one declared, "I never saw anyone do that before."
This new affinity for peeing outdoors started on one of our endless trips home from the big city when he declared loudly that he needed to use the facilities. We informed our young man that the closest facilities were located on the shoulder of the road. I really thought that he would balk at the suggestion. However, the proposition produced a glint in his eye and he grasped at this new opportunity. We have created a monster. Now, when Ben needs to pee, he goes to the front door and loudly pronounces that he has to pee on the road. When playing in the driveway, he frequently pulls down his pants and pees onto whatever happens to be located directly below. His aunt tried out a new technique of holding him at a 45 degree angle to the ground so that at least his pants could be spared the onslaught of liquid. I guess I just didn't expect this from the little man.
'Tis the season for playing outdoors and getting Ben dressed is now accompanied by strict warnings that the indoor washroom must be used when he needs to pee. The little lad cocks his head and answers, "I pee on the road, Mommy. Heh, heh."