When Pop met Soda: Potty Update and then some

If you don't like reading or talking about Poo or Pee, please skip down to wear the *********** start. It's nothing graphic, just mom talk.

So after letting Verona wear "big girl" panties (Gerber potty training pants), with the plastic cover on them she was dry for nap and then some. She has had a few accidents,but I am doing a small, tiny routine with her. Every morning when she gets up, (6:16, kill me now) I used to try and convince her to snuggle in my bed, now I just say screw it, and get up. I take her to the potty. She get's a sticker for going. When we get back from the gym around 11:40, she goes potty, puts on big girl panties. Before nap, potty. After nap, potty. I pray for no accidents the rest of the afternoon. It takes a lot to get her to go potty in the afternoon because we are usually doing art, playing, reading, something more fun then potty. Before bed, potty. We are waiting for her to get over the hurdle and just go #2 on the potty, but that's not happening any time at all. So I read some advice on the on baby center. Ask the kid why? What a novel idea, so I did. V, why don't you want to go poo? "It scary" oh. Hmm. So after some more reading I wrote a contract and her sign in. It's not to early for negotiating tactics is it? The contracts stipulates that once she goes poo 3 times on the potty, I will take her to the dollar store and she may pick 1 toy. I signed it, then she "signed it" her signature these days is her face that she draws, which has REALLY REALLY big eyes. I then took her to Michael;s and let her pick out some poo poo stickers. She only get's to use these stickers when she goes poo. She picked flowers, starts, beach wear, and Russian nesting dolls. The stickers for pee are working awesome. I change them out, and print out different charts for her, and she LOVES putting them on. Sometimes she is so excited to go pee, she doesn't remember to ask for a sticker.

Andy thought he should introduce Trent to the potty. Oh man. Hilarious. He stood there, like "Now what?" He is down with flushing the toilet, so at least that isn't scary to either of the kids. I meanwhile sit Trent on the potty, try and convince him to go pee, he looks at me, smiles, and says, Ta da! He now says I go pee pee, but he wants in on the sticker fun, so I printed up a sticker chart for him, and told him when he goes pee he can put his own stickers on his own chart. We will see. He has now started being sneaky with his poo. When we can tell he is obviously going in his diaper, we ask him "Trent, you going poo?" he looks at us, smiles, says No, then wanders off to a more private part of the house. Silly. He cheers Verona on, gives her high 5's and fist bumps, claps, all the happy and supportive things, so I am glad he understands how great potty training is.

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We have been super busy. We did swim lessons for August, twice a week for 4 weeks. The kids went from not wanting to put their face in the water, not able to climb out of the pool using the ledge, not closing mouth AND eyes at the same time for when they went under to being able to all of it. Well, Trent struggles to pull himself out of the pool, and they both hate being on their backs. We are continuing lessons, once a week, for the next 7 weeks.

The kiddo's have also been doing a weekly art class through Parks and Rec. It has been really fun. Painting with potato mashers, plastic animals, and other not normal items. Plus the paint is all non-toxic, and washable, so I am more than happy to let them get dirty. So much, that I bought some paint for them to play with at home.!

Andy's middle brother, Matt, moved back to Chico. It's been nice to see him more often and spend time with him. The kid's love having Uncle Matt around, and he even baby sat for us one night last week so Andy and I could go do our Fantasy Football Draft.

The weather cooled down for a week, and it was amazing,but alas, we are back to mid- upper 90's. I know I *shouldn't* complain, that there are people in Western Oregon and Washington that don't get a summer, but damn it, I want some low 80's!!

Here are some pics of them from the past few weeks.