Potty Training: Day 1

This season of my life is simply hilarious. I often find my mind wandering back to my honeymoon days...on the beach...truly careless without any tiny lives that I was responsible for. I was well-rested, clean, and had plenty of time for...ANYthing!
Did I mention I was clean?

When I was about 13, I distinctly remember one of my parents asking me what my favorite age had been so far. I answered that I liked something about every age. Although I was looking forward to lots of upcoming birthdays, I knew that I would not be in the current moment for long. So, I committed myself to enjoying every life stage as much as I possibly could. I try to do the same with my kids' ages as well. There is SO much to enjoy...

...including potty training?? Okay, maybe I'm using the word "enjoy" a little lightly.

Last Thursday, I declared it "Potty Day". After months of Caleb showing me sign after sign of readiness, I finally got MYself ready. I read some tips online (I liked the "Potty Training Boot Camp" site: ). Then I hung up a big picture from a coloring book so that he could put his sticker reward up and see it every time he sat on the potty. I had the soap and towel ready and footstool in place.

He woke up that morning, and we put on his "big boy unna-wear pants" (as he calls them). That day his outfit consisted of "unnawear pants" and a little wifebeater tank top. Besides him looking unbearably cute, this would be nice and potty-friendly.

The first two times were flawless! It was so exciting.

By the third time, he was over it.
I guess if someone was making me sit on the potty every 45 minutes, I'd be over it too.

By mid-day, I was doing things I never expected. The sticker reward was now secondary to the "candy" (fruitsnack) reward that I finally forfeited to. I was giving shoulder rides, horsey rides, crawling, and racing to the potty.

"Potty Boot Camp" said to make it fun and not negative. So I smiled.
And I smiled.
And I gritted my teeth and smiled.
My eyebrows frowned, my eyes glared, my fists clenched...
but I smiled.

By the end of the day, I had actually come up with a song and dance (picture a conga line kind of dance) "Ah-Tinkle-in-the-Pott-ay! Ah-Tinkle-in-the-Pott-ay!". If that didn't work, he would at least jump on the "Tinkle Train". "Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle..Choo Choo!!" He couldn't resist that.

I wasn't thinking of Potty Trains on my honeymoon...