Potty training bites the big one. No truer phrase has ever been spoken or written for me. I have spoken in depth on this blog about this topic via my younger daughter, Lily. When I first starting blogging religiously a few months ago, Lily was still in diapers and hadn’t begun the potty journey.
Then, she exhibited all the classic signs that she was most likely ready to begin using the toilet and if you missed it you can read it here. Next, I even asked my readers for their opinion here. The majority ruled and agreed, she was ready.
By the time, I began blogging my older daughter, Emma was already 3 years old, was fully potty trained in underwear and not having very many accidents at all. She did have one quirk, which was that was the use of her princess potty seat insert and if you didn’t read about that, you can here. But finally with the help of her pre-school teachers, she gave up the potty seat insert and uses the toilet, as she puts it like “A big girl” and can read more about that here.
For those that do read my blog, you can also attest to the fact that my girls are my world, but do keep me on my toes quite often and pretty much daily (sometimes all day and night long).
So, this actually occurred a little over a week ago and just had to share even if it is a bit late in the game before the year actually ended. By the way, Christmas time was upon us at this point and Gingerbread the Elf was still reporting back daily to Santa Claus in the house, yet the little people or my beastly ladies still were finding it necessary to drive me stark raving mad.
Between the normal temper tantrums, lack of a nap for Lily while Emma was at pre-school and their overall crazy ways (hell they are kids, so this is nothing new), the day was shaping up to be truly insane.
This Sounds About Right…
When Emma got out of school, she fell asleep in the back seat of the car. I carried her in the house and she woke up pretty quickly. Lily told me she needed to go to potty at this point. So, I took her in the bathroom. She was sitting on the toilet, when Emma came in doing the potty dance and saying she had to go, too.
Next thing I knew she stood there and it was like a faucet was turned on full speed. She let loose all over the bathroom floor. Well, Emma was in shock and began to bawl, because I truly don’t remember the last time she had an accident and for her this was humiliating. I felt terrible for, please don’t get me wrong, but was frustrated to that she waited until the very last minute. Then, of course for good measure, Lily joined in and cried her eyes out for good measure. When asked why she was crying too she said, “Because Emma is crying.” Give the kid credit, she is a loyal sister.
But here is the thing, I now had two bawling kids, a lake on my bathroom floor and simply a fine mess on my hands. What did I do first? I calmed Emma down, while cleaning her up and changing her clothes. I, then, turned my attention to Lily who still sitting on the toilet. She had gone potty and needed to get down. So, I helped her. Then, I made sure that neither of the girls stepped in aforementioned lake. Got a towel and mopped up that lake, before mopping the floor with a mop.
This was all before dinner and baths for the girls. Seriously, by the time my dinner was over, I was ready for a nap, but no such luck, because still had tons to do. I finally was sitting for a few minutes around 7:30, when I Emma comes over to me and says, “Lily pooped in her pants and is taking them off.”
My first thought is you have to be kidding me (plus add in a four letter word that starts with ‘f’ and ends with a ‘g’ before kidding). But I calmly get up to check and sure enough Lily is hobbling my way with her pants and pull-up around her ankles and poop on her hand.
When asked what the hell she was doing (ok I didn’t actually say hell, but I sure was thinking it), Lily told me, “Cleaning myself”. She apparently knew that she wasn’t supposed to poop in her pants anymore and was trying to take care of the problem herself.
Needless to say, I had to now clean Lily up and change her, too. Seriously, one too many wardrobe changes in one day, messes and potty issues that I seriously wish I had never heard the term potty train. But here I am, indeed, in the middle of potty training hell with a two year old and a three year old who just holds it to the very last second, because that is how she rolls.
God help me, but I cannot wait for this milestone or phase to be behind us. I know everyone says one day I will laugh about this and sure hope so, because right now I feel more like screaming than laughing. By the way, Emma truly is so very good with this for her age and know I shouldn’t be complaining, but I guess when I have Lily added to this mix too (having them so close in age), I just can’t help myself. After all is said and done though that is why I feel potty training plain bites!
A side note, since this is being posted on New Year’s Eve, I just want to wish everyone yet again a very, Happy New Year and hope that 2013 brings only the best for you!! If you didn’t catch my year in review that I posted this past weekend, then click here or my 2013 goals for this blog, then click here. But I figured since 2012 isn’t officially over that I could share the story above about one of my recent days (oh the joys of parenting!!), because potty training was a huge part of 2012 and my blog. So hope you enjoyed (as crazy it may have been) and see you in 2013!!!
