1 potty seat
12 pairs of panties
1 lb bag of M&M’s
1 booklet of Motivational Stickers
Lots of cleaning, protesting, praising and you’ve got yourself some potty training going on.
Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life
by Amy 3 Comments
Yes, an unlikely combination but that’s what today looks like for me. The dentist part is easy. Emma has her checkup today. But the potty training…
If I have failed at anything (let’s not reduce me to just one failure but let’s just say) as a mother so far it has been potty training. Emma is going to be 5 next week and she has had #1 mastered for quite some time. I think she might have been 2 when she was trained. But she still is having issues with going #2. If you have read for awhile, you may remember that Emma has had medical issues with her #2. But let’s skip that yuckiness and just say she has to take a laxative every day. But the bottom line is Emma usually ends up going #2 in her pull up. She does go sometimes in the potty is quite proud of herself and for awhile I was doing a potty chart but although I was consistent on giving her stickers, she really didn’t care much and continued to go in her pull-ups after a week or two. But now she is turning FIVE next week and I HAVE to do something drastic.
As for Lexi, she was 3 last week and we have not even attempted serious training. A few times I have put her on the potty but she sits down, gets back up and says Yay, I went potty! She has never actually gone here although MIL tells me she did go once at her house. I think Lexi has seen all the potty drama from Emma and has written the whole thing off. Any time you mention going potty..I don’t wanna go potty! Even mentioning wearing a pull up…I don’t wanna pull up, I wanna diaper! Just this weekend after a bath, she peed in the floor and didn’t tell me. I happened to find it and she said without much emotion she had peed on the floor.
People, this is bad and I have to do something drastic.
So today has been named Potty Training Day. I am off work and the girls have a cough and I can’t take them to school. So I’m taking them to Target, buying panties of their choice, buying a potty training chair for Lexi and maybe even some M&M’s or stickers for positive reinforcement. As for negative reinforcement, Emma will have something taken away from her if she goes #2 in her pull up. Either no school or no computer time. And for Lexi, I think I’m sticking with the positive reinforcement only since she’s just starting. I’m not sure yet.
They will be walking around here with panties and no pants and we’ll be headed to the potty every hour to try. There will also be lots of water drinking. And probably lots of carpet cleaning.
If anyone has ANY suggestions, I’ll be GLAD to take them. Even if you think I’m doing it all wrong because apparently I am.
Wish us luck today.
Today’s the day. We spend way too much money for way too much sugar, bad pizza and corny entertainment all for the sake of the love of our children. The last count was 20 kids with Emma and Lexi and then all the parents. Scott finally overheard the number of how much we were paying for it last night and about had a cow. I can’t really blame him but but there’s not a whole lot of negotiating they allow at Chuck E. Cheese.
All kidding aside though, I’m actually really excited. We pick up their cakes from the store today at noon. Emma has High School Musical and Lexi has Shrek. I’m still confused on why they picked those but to each his own–at least on birthday cake decorations. The girls are super excited and I can’t wait to meet all their friends from school, especially their "boyfriends", and to see how they interact with them. I’m still standing by my rule for this one though, "There’ll be no kissing at this party!"
I’m a little concerned that we have so many worlds colliding today…family, church, school…and how it will all mesh together. Not so much for the children because hey, they’re going to be running around screaming in a constant circle for an hour and a half, but really for the adults. Of course, everyone is probably just going to have their eyes glued to their children, trying not to lose them amongst the crowd that no one will even have much time to make it a social event. Yes, somehow I’m making this event about me and my lack of social skills.
Pictures and update surely to come later today…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Well, not exactly lullabies but I decided to record myself singing the hymns/praise songs I sing to the girls at night. I’m hoping they might like that in the future or maybe I’ll even make a DVD of it for them now. Both girls usually settle down and almost instantly fall asleep when I take the time to sing them through. No editing and first shot at it so don’t be cruel on the quality of my voice if you comment, I don’t take criticism well ;).
Emma’s favorite by far…Agnus Dei
One of my favorite praise songs ever… Sanctuary
And a classic… Amazing Grace
So now Emma’s "boyfriend" is coming to the party as well as a few more from their classes. Right now, there are 14 kids going to be there plus all the adults. Oh my, I think I need to go ahead and start praying for patience.
After Lexi fell asleep around 6pm last night, she ended up waking up for about 10 minutes around 1:30am and then didn’t wake up for good until 6:30 this morning. Sleepyhead! Needless to say, she was in a good mood this morning.
This time change thing has us all messed up. Sunday morning we woke up a little early but feeling great. I had the girls in bed early the past two nights and that was nice. But yesterday I woke up tired because I stayed up until my normal bedtime Sunday night but that was an hour past my normal bed time and then the girls woke up early Monday morning. So I went to bed early last night but then the girls got up extra, extra early this morning at 6:30!!
I’m feeling ok just because I went to bed so early last night but look who fell asleep right after dinner? She literally finished her dinner, rolled over onto the ottoman and fell asleep within about 10 seconds.
Now I don’t know whether this is a nap or she’ll be out the whole night and get up extra, extra early tomorrow or if she’ll get up soon and then stay up extra late and then be tired in the morning. Which means I’ll be tired in the morning.
OK, I’m sure you’re confused after all that because like I said, this time change thing has us all messed up!
So the girls and I are on the way home tonight from church. I usually try to give them a run down of what we’re doing when we get home especially if it’s near bed time. I was telling them they could play for just a few minutes and then we’d have to get ready for bed. Since the time changed, I’m going to try to set their bedtime at 8 now instead of 9. Emma asks about chocolate milk. I say that’s fine. She asks if she can play her computer games. I say for a little while.
Emma: Why do you say no a lot?
Me: I just told you you could play your games.
Emma: You say no a lot.
Me: Yes, I do say no sometimes.
Emma: You need to say yes all the time. I want to do what I want to do.
Me (just to humor her): Well, if I said you could what you wanted to do, what would you do?
Emma: Everything I wanted to.
Me: Well, what is everything you want to do?
Emma: Everything I want to do. (Yes, I know this is painful)
Me: Well, what IS everything you want to do?
Emma: OK. I would go home, get my chocolate milk, play my games for a little bit and then go to bed.
Me: Great, because that’s what I just said we’re going to do.
At least her "everything she wants to do" is still the same as what I want her to do. This conversation does not bode well for the teenage years though.