Set- Back

Ever since we got to Alaska Kenzie has been having a little set-back in her toilet training abilities. I was well prepared for a set-back when we left San Francisco, however, I built up some sort of false secutiry over the past six weeks of accident free Kenzie.

I thought that the set-back would come when all our stuff started disappearing into boxes in San Francisco, when all the family came to visit therefore throwing our day-to-day routine out of whack, when we drove to Utah, and when we spent close to three weeks there. She didn't have ONE accident during these changes, leaving me to think that a set-back was not actually going to occur.

WRONG!

Not until we pulled in to Anhorage did her bladder decided to become uncooperative.

So, I must now sign off to go and fetch her another set of clothes. Poor kid, I know this is all so new, but I must admit that I'm getting a little bit tired of the laundry in the basket and little puddles on the floor.

Hooray for Mommy!

As you may know, Kenzie is in the process of potty training. Things are going quite well. She has pretty much got it down when we are at home, which is all I am really looking for at this point. I need to pick up a few more things before I attempt potty training outside of the house. (Being at the park without a toilet in sight is currently at the top of my list for reasons to panic.)

My favorite bits of the potty training business would be the following:

1. Sorry Hillary, you said not to blog about this one, but I just can't help myself . . . Last night Kenzie's friend Sarah was over, and Kenzie was showing those definite signs of needing to do her serious business in the bathroom. I caught her just in time to have her whisked away to the bathroom and placed on the pot. No one is allowed in the bathroom while Kenzie is doing her thing, so she quickly instructed Garrett to leave and let her be. So, Garrett returned to our company in the living room and told her to let us know when she was ready to wipe and wash her hands. (Which usually consists of her screaming out that she is ready to wipe at the top of her lungs - I'd be quite surprised if our whole apartment building isn't aware of our current potty training adventures) Well, we all got a little caught up in some adult conversation before we realized that the house was a little bit too quite for two year olds. We went into the bathroom to find Sarah with a fist FULL of toilet paper ready to help her little pal out . . . now THAT is friendship. :)

2. Kenzie feels that her sister should be potty trained as well. Anytime I change a poopy diaper of Jordyn's, Kenzie tells sister that she is "icky" and should put her poo-poo in the potty. Kenzie often insists that sister go and sit on the potty when Jordyn is showing the obvious signs of making a mess in her diaper. I am just hoping that I don't find Kenzie trying to put Jordyn in the toilet one of these days . . .

1. Finally, Kenzie feels the need to celebrate mommy's potty training abilities. Anytime I am getting ready to head to the bathroom Kenzie inquires about whether or not I need to poo-poo or pee-pee in the potty. As soon as she hears the toilet flush and I make my appearance out of the bathroom, she is there to congratulate me with one or all of the following: a hug, a high five, or a "Hooray for Mommy" while she jumps up and down. She knows going potty is truly something to celebrate . . . even when you are a twenty-three year old mother of two.

We've Hit a Wall . . .

Um, what do you do when your two year old is asking to sit on the potty about every thirty minutes just because she wants a treat? We won't give her a treat unless something is actually deposited in the toilet, but we never know if she actually has to go to the bathroom, or if she is just in search for a "teet" (treat). Yesterday I got frustrated with the whole process of stopping whatever I was doing every thirty minutes to sit with her in the bathroom. So, after the twentieth request to sit on the toilet I told her, "You don't have to go potty, you just want a treat". Well, a few minutes later she had a dirty diaper and I was frustrated that I hadn't let her use the potty when she asked!? I guess this is just another test of patience . . .

Potty Training Tip: Just let the kid run around in their diaper and t-shirt all day. This makes getting onto the pot SO much easier. You don't have to unbutton the pants, take off the shoes, take off the socks, and then undo the diaper. (Unless your child is okay with letting their pants sitting around their ankles, my child is NOT okay with this scenario.) As soon as we walk in the door from an outing I just take off her pants, shoes, and socks so that I am immediately ready for the familiar cry of "ensie wet in potty" (Kenzie go wet in the potty)

Poop

That's right . . . we have begun potty training. Once again, I am entering terrain that I have never entered before. I am wondering what to buy to help this new process along? Which toilet or toilet seat do I buy? Should I buy books or videos about potty training to speed the process along? How do I help my child to realize that our freakish toilet that flushes so loudly that it sounds like a bomb went off is actually something that she wants to sit on? How long should I try to coax her into sitting on the pot? How often should I ask her to use the bathroom? How long will I be giving treats to her as a mode of bribery? What the HECK am I going to do when she has GOT TO GO and we are stuck in traffic? And I'm a little worried about how embarrassing it will be when she feels need to celebrate my potty going abilities in a public bathroom. (I can only imagine, "yay mommy, big poo-poo in the potty! Push it out!") I don't even have a clue as to how long this whole process is going to take . . . For now I will do what I did when I had questions about how to nurse a baby, how to get a baby to sleep through the night, how to travel with kids, or which stroller/carseat/crib to buy - I will read a ton of different opinions on the internet and pick the brain of any mother I can only to find that there are more opinions on the matter than there are fish in the sea, and I will eventually find that there is really no ONE right answer, only a need for patience, prayers, creativity, and a good sense of humor . . .