When she had us take our own temperatures, Mother did not provide lubricant – probably reasoning that one would not inflict harm on oneself and that cleaning Vaseline off our bottoms was annoying. However, when she did the honours (as was still happening with my little brother), she used Vaseline. I gulped when I realised she intended to take my temperature the ‘little child way’ and, worse, in the position she used for spankings.
What could I do? I went across her lap. Mother prepared the thermometer, parted my buttocks, and told me to ‘push’. This was her signal that I was to bear down as if going potty, to ease the introduction of the thermometer into my anus. I was used to it, since Mother was still giving me suppositories herself (for some reason I was considered old enough to take my own temperature, but not to take suppositories), and immediately complied. The greasy rod entered me.