We're in the thick of potty training, or "potty learning" which seems to be the new PC term. You see, you train a dog, but a child is learning about bodily functions and how to use the toilet. Sunshine is doing quite well. We had about 20 accidents the first weekend we tried underpants and one or two pees in the potty. That's progress, right?
I've been watching Sunshine like a hawk lately, looking for any signs that it may be potty time. This can get a bit tedious, however, so sometimes I get distracted. I was looking something up on the computer yesterday after waiting over two hours for her to sit on the potty. All of a sudden, she cried, "Look mommy! Look! Look!" and pointed at the potty. She was still wearing her underpants, but I looked and there was pee in the potty! So she had pulled her undies down, peed, and pulled them back up herself! I was so proud of her and she was proud of herself as well. Triumphantly, she took the potty out of the seat to bring it to the toilet to flush. She was very excited, and walked proudly towards the bathroom with the bowl clutched in her arms, all the while exclaiming, "I peed in the potty!" and grinning from ear to ear. But life is cruel sometimes, and when she made it to the doorway of the bathroom and stepped onto the tile, she tripped, fell on her back, and....you guessed it...spilled the entire contents of her potty all over herself. Poor kid. A quick rinse-off in the shower helped ease the humiliation, and then she got her special potty-prize gear: a princess dress and some Dora popcorn (SuperKid popcorn from Kernels in a Dora container).
I kind of regret using food as a reward, so I'm hoping to phase that out soon. The princess dress seems to be the real currency anyway. It's not really a princess dress - it's an ultra-gaudy skirt I found at my local consignment shop for $3. It's pink with tulle and fake satin, and some pretty beads. Anyone who knows me would scratch their head at the thought of me buying something so girly. What can I say? If potty success means dressing my daughter like a fairy princess, well--bring on the glitter and tiaras!
