standing up to pee

for those of you with potty trained toddlers, you know what a "praise Jesus" moment it is when the child finally decides (and yes, it's their decision) to start pottying like a big boy (or girl, whatever). colby woke up one morning about 3 months ago and decided he was ready to potty in the toilet and we haven't looked back.
everytime he has to use the bathroom he announces it, and everytime my response is "well, pull your pants down and go!" he's perfectly capable of getting his clothes off and going by himself, and yes, he takes his underwear all the way off because he sits backwards on the toilet. trust me, it's easier. anyway, today we had just gotten home and he proceeded to run to the bathroom sans announcement. i thought we had taken a step towards independence until he comes waddling out of the bathroom with his underwear and shorts around his ankles, shoes still on, and says "i peed on my...(and he points down to his urine soaked shorts and inderwear)." ewww. so of course i went into the bathroom to assess the damage. i don't know how so much pee came out of his tiny little bladder. it was everywhere and my bathroom reeked of pee (think port-a potty in august). gross. "colby what did you do?" i don't care how cute the grin of your 3-year-old is, it loses it's charm when your standing in a puddle of pee. "i can stand up to pee, mommy. i'm a big boy." well, he can't stand up to pee. he's not tall enough. his "bathroom word", as he calls it (code name for penis) doesn't even come close to reaching over the top of the toilet seat. so i soaked the mess up with one of the towels hanging there in the guest bathroom (sorry guests), and sterilized the floor to the best of my ability. i was told one time that if you turn the lights off and shine a blacklight in the bathroom you can see where all the pee is that you think you wiped up. i may have to pull that sucker out a little earlier than i had planned. and after some further thought, i think i know what that puddle was i stepped in the other day when i went in there to make use of the facilities myself. hmm, neat.