Oh Hap-PEE Day

Our son, did not have any desire to use the potty.  He did not care if he was wet, or dirty.  He didn't want to take the time to stop what he was doing, to go to the bathroom.  The whole year he was 2, I tried on different ocassions to start potty training, without ever having much success.

I would stop, and wait a few weeks--and start again, thinking he might be ready this time.  I would get suggestions from friends and family-- and sometimes, even a gasp.  "He's almost 3, and still not potty trained!"  I did NOT let others bring me down, or feel bad about my pullup wearing child.  It wasn't their business, and it wasn't their problem.  Afterall, I was the one buying and changing the pullups.  I will, however, smile knowingly one day, when they look at me after having children, and their potty training attempts fail. 

I would always reiterate, that he just wasn't ready yet.  Some kids, (ofen boys), just aren't ready as soon as girls.  I didn't push him so hard, that I was actually potty training myself- by timing his pottying so that I didn't miss any movements, so to speak.  It just didn't make sense to put us both thru that. 

Then Jaxen turned 3, and we started another potty training attempt.  To our utter amazement, this attempt worked almost immediately.  We didn't do much, just offered an incentive.  We started off by allowing him to earn stars for going potty on his own.  If he earned 10 stars, the first week--he got a toy at the end of the week. He hit his goal.  The second week, if he earned 20 stars, he got a toy.  This week, he has to have 5 completely dry days- to get his toy. 

But, here is the thing--it isn't about the stars or the toys to him.  Sure he likes the toys, but when he has to go potty he goes-- w/o ever asking for a star.  I stand by my original statement, that he just wasn't ready before.  Now, he is.  It is clear, that with all the other useless attempts- this one has been quick and simple. 

Do I dare say, he is POTTY TRAINED, officially, yet?  Nope-- not gonna jinx myself after a year of parental failures in that arena.  He knows we are beyond proud of him, and we will keep the toy thing up until we are positive we are potty trained. 

With this experience, we have chuckled often.  I chuckle when I see him stumble to the potty in the morning, and stand to pee.  Normally, he sits, but in the mornings he likes to stand..  I chuckle when he comes to me and says, he "played with his squirt gun."  I chuckle when he thinks he needs to change his underwear after every time that he sits on the potty, even if they are clean and dry. 

But, I smile proudly when I realize I haven't changed an oopsy pullup in weeks.  And, I smile proudly when I see that toilet seat up in the morning.  I smile proudly, when I hear his footsteps running down the hall, and him calling, "I have to go potty!" 

I can't believe both of our children are thru this important stage-- and becoming such big kids!  It is a very bittersweet moment for me.  However, I will take the memories of their baby years over more diapers any day!

On another note, which I just can't bare to leave out.  My son, saw Transformers 1 with his dad, and loves the parts with Bumblebee.  He vividly remember the part of the movie where Bumblebee unscrews his "oil cap," and is told to quit lubricating the man. 

Bumblee in Tranformers Click to watch


During our 2nd week of successful potty training, Jaxen stood above his dad, who was laying down, unscrewed his oil cap, (located on his bellybutton), made the psssssssssss sound, and said, "I lubricate you."

His dad and I both laughed....a lot!  We couldn't help it!  Then I realized that in this important time of potty training, that I was so glad that he didn't realize what the movie was implying- or we could have had a whole other mess on our hands!

23 more days!

23 more days, marks the end of my time with someone else's baby.  I will be so happy to spend my days with Alexis and Jaxen- without the distraction or responsibility of another mother's bundle of joy.  Although, babies can be fun--it is time for me to concentrate on just my babies-before, they are no longer babies.

Alexis starts Kindergarten in the fall, and Jaxen is not far behind her.  I feel them slipping into busy school kids, who don't snuggle with their mom in the morning or don't need to be tucked in-- and I am clinging onto the last days with desperation.  But, I refuse to let my desperation, stand in the way of allowing myself to enjoy these days with them...

We will skip, jump in puddles, eat ice cream before lunch, build castles in the sand....and most importantly I will never once, not even for a moment--regret, my decision to spend this precious time with my babies.  I will look back and cherish every, "small,"  moment-- It is like the quote by Robert Brault, "“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

It is the little moments spent with your babies, that teach them how to love, and how to be loved.  The little moments show them they are important and worthy of your undivided attention.  These moments shape them into the adults they will one day become- and they will forever become a part of me, that I will cling to, with the same desperation in my last days on this earth.

So, I will be selfish for me, and I will be selfish for my kids--because I don't want anything to stand in the way of these moments-- I also know that our kids need more than me, they need their dad too.  So, I am grateful that Kyle has a job that allows him to be home with them more than he ever has been able to in the past.  The kids have loved having him around, and spending time with their daddy.  He has worked hard to get where he is at, and we have been blessed to be put in a position, where we are able to make this decision, without worry.