She's a big kid now.

Today we started potty training in the "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" way. The way in which there is no turning back. The way in which we repeat the same four lines over and over and over and over and over and over again. You might have to have been raised Southern Baptist (it's a hymn I sang once a month growing up)...but it's a pretty good description of what our day has been like here in the Bost house.

I have never in my life been so excited about putting a 75-cent pull-up on my child (only to be thrown away a few mere hours later) as I was this afternoon at 2pm. She had done much better than I'd ever expected, but potty training is a T-E-D-I-O-U-S task, and my strengths definitely do not lie in disciplined activities over a long period of time.

So here was my plan:
- 'Clean and Dry' checks to her bottom/play area every 15 mins to see if she was holding it; one chocolate chip rewarded for being 'clean and dry'
- Bubbles ONLY when E sat at the potty and attempted (one time she sat there for 45 mins just blowing bubbles and catching them with me....actually some really precious time with my sweet girl)
- An additional piece of candy for successfully tee-teeing in the potty (3 pieces for pooping)
- Sticker chart for successful pottying
- Naked from the waist down (E)
- No "forcing" her to sit on the potty - just letting natural consequences take effect when she had an accident (cleaning up after herself, cleaning the floor, etc.) and making potty time really fun so she would want to stay and try for a long enough time


Here's how it worked today:
3 - accidents (in the morning - she stayed dry all afternoon!)
1 - 'watch me, mom' episode that thankfully I was able to end abruptly and scoot her off to finish in the potty
1 - completely and totally independent, successful tee-tee in the potty
9 - stickers for making it to the potty in time!! (she got 3 at once for pooping)
1 - 'clean and dry' check for mom (E walked up behind me, swiped my bottom, and asked "Mom, are you clean and dry?" Once she confirmed that I was, she offered me a piece of 'play' chocolate from her kitchenette :)
4,000 - 'clean and dry' checks for E (1 check every 15 mins for the whole day - I'm too tired to do the math, but 4000 feels about right)
3,500 - chocolate chips awarded to E for being 'clean and dry'
9 - pieces of candy for making it to the potty (yes....in ADDITION to the chocolate chips.....)
1 - bowl of ice cream for her first success (Thanks, G!!)
4 - cups of coffee for me so that I could keep up with the 2-yr-old on the sugar high

All in all, actually a really successful "first" day of potty training. The best memory I think will be the continuous chocolate mustache she wore, evidence of her success at not having an accident. Day 1 down...4 more to go!