My Daughter

My daughter's 7th birthday was yesterday, and I am willing to bet that she is the only child in Michigan who received a chamber pot as a birthday gift. Yes, a chamber pot.
You see, this past summer, while at Greenfield Village, we were in the Sarah Jordan Boarding House when she noticed the ceramic pots under the beds. She asked me what they were and I explained that most folks during the 19th century and before did not have bathrooms (or "necessaries" as they were known then) in their homes, so they either had to go outside in the dark, wooden structure that eventually became known as an outhouse, or they did their duty in the chamber pot under their bed. Well she loved the idea of not having to walk the ten feet from her bed to the bathroom in our house so, naturally, she really wanted to get one for herself. I explained that it was the youngest family member's job to empty and wash out the chamber pot every morning - she didn't care. She wanted one, and that was all she spoke of for weeks.
Well, off to the eBay site I went and found an authentic 19th century pot at a remarkably low price. I went after it and won. This was in August - we've been hiding it ever since. So, last night, when she opened her birthday gifts (which included a quilt, an easel, and a Hannah Montana doll), she literally screamed for joy upon seeing she also received a chamber pot.
Only my daughter!