PT

"Life is busy," said every mom everywhere. Well, it is. In addition to three soccer players, we also have three kids in tumbling. Which means that I often have to think of creative ways to have dinner ready (or packed to take with us) two or three times a week. 

Besides soccer and tumbling, we have been doing other things as well. Damon is still doing piano (and will until he gets into high school if I have any say in the matter. I wholeheartedly ascribe to the theory that music lessons aren't optional. They are a part of your education. I am under no illusion that my children will be concert musicians, but I am determined that they are at least able to read music). He hardly ever complains about it, but he has one serious flaw. He would rather play by ear than actually read the music. And so, often, he tells me he doesn't know the notes, especially if he has to change position in the song. But he's progressing. And that's really all that matters to me. I loved when I found Carter listening in one night.

The main thing that has been happening around here is potty-training (I mentioned that a while back). If you ask me, which no one did, I would tell you that potty-training is probably my least favorite thing about being a mom. It is stressful, and brings out the worst in both the potty trainee and the potty trainer. I would recommend avoiding it for as long as possible. 

Still, though, you come to my blog for tips on raising children, so I will give you my potty training tips. 

1. Wait until the child is ready to do it by them self.

That's pretty much it. Even then, it's still a lengthy process that you would rather not participate in, but you have no choice. Kindergartners need to be able to wear underwear, not diapers, to school. So we're forced into it. 

Damon was easy to potty train (we waited until he was three to even try, as he had a fear of....well, everything. But toilets were high on the list). Allie was probably the hardest to potty train. And it wasn't that I tried to potty train her too soon (I don't think), because she was going on her own, but she just had the tiniest bladder (still does) and little bladder control. So, needless to say, she had a lot of accidents. Kyla wasn't too bad. Easier than Allie, but harder than Damon. But no one matches Carter.

I fully expected to wait until Carter turned three to even attempt anything. But this little independent soul had other plans.

He had been "practicing" going on the potty for a couple of months. Basically, I would ask if he wanted to sit on the toilet, he'd say yes, sit there for a couple seconds without doing anything, and then claim he was done. Then I'd put a diaper back on him. Really, I felt like it was just good exposure to the toilet (good potty experiences) and didn't push anything. 

After a while, he started initiating it. He would take his diaper off and go sit on the potty (straddle style, the way I showed him) and started actually going. Of course we had big celebrations (he got to blow out a candle--by far the most motivating thing I have found in potty-training), and it snowballed from there. He started going again and again, all on his own.

After three days of staying dry all day, and taking off his diaper to do his peeps and poops on the potty, I broke down and bought him undies. And it has been (mostly) smooth sailing ever since. Unfortunately for all of us, he got diarrhea a couple days into his underwear, and had a rough couple of days. But after we got through that, he has had VERY few accidents in his undies. He even stays dry most nights (although he likes to wear a Mickey Mouse diaper to bed under his undies, and since I'd rather not have to deal with wet sheets in the middle of the night--even though that's only happened twice--I let him). Seriously, it's been the best potty training experience I could imagine.

That's not to say we haven't had to clean up plenty of poop. There were times the poop made it on the toilet seat, but not quite in the bowl. Or when the poop made it on the floor next to the toilet. And a couple of times the poop made it on the carpet. Delightful. But never again in his undies. Don't you just love little bums in underwear? I do. His buns look even cuter in the boxer briefs, but of course he doesn't ever choose those. 

Independent little boy that he is, he wants to wear his swimsuit every day. EVERY. DAY. And he has gotten particular about cutting out the tags in all his clothes. He even went so far as to insist that McKay wear his swimsuit and that I cut the tags out. I politely declined, as McKay doesn't mind leaving the tags in.

He also loves Thomas the train (see his hand). He asked me, "Can I take a bath with Thomas?" I laughed, told him yes, and then told myself, "I hope that I never hear him ask me that when he's a teenager."