Potty Training: Day 4...?

You'll probably remember that last May right when I should have been sitting on my but doing nothing, I took on the challenge to get Quinny potty trained. I used a 3-day method that was really wonderful. We had two major set backs, though. Quinn is not one to wake up dry, one, and she she got real pissed after McKenna was born ans stopped using the potty for pee-pee all together, two. A few months later she stopped using it for poop. A few months after that we switched from Pull-ups all the way back to diapers.

Well, I have the swine flu right now. I feel like crap, and so does McKenna. I thought we were better yesterday, but I woke up feeling as bad as ever. I was not sure how I could get through the day. Next thing I knew Quinn was cuddled up next to me, and together we were watching NBC's series "Trauma."

Um, after the third severed limb, I had to admit this is not an appropriate show for my 2 year old to be watching. I had to think of something that was all about Quinn so I could be motivated to not be the world's worst mom. I just needed something small. But here comes my sister and my favorite line, "Why under do what you can over do?"

Just then Quinn got a wedgie with her diaper and her dance clothes, so I turned to her and said, "Diapers are yucky. Let's throw them away and wear panties."

Quinn said "Ok," and off we went. After about 3 minutes, she flipped out and wanted diapers. She started screaming at me. But the whole thing was working out well because I had just enough energy to be excited for her if she succeeded but not enough energy to care if she failed. Then she started hitting me. She really hit hard, but I was too tired to care.

And then I decided to just roll with it and bribe her with a sucker. She loves suckers. She knows how to pee, so this was just a motivation thing to get the routine down again. And again, I was too tired to care that I might be screwing her up with gifts of sugar.

The day went great. She had some accidents, but that sucker was a magical motivator. Tonight she has run the bathroom and gone without my help at all like 4 times. She gets on the big potty, does her business, wipes, and moves on with the day. Most of the time she forgets about the sucker which she is allowed to hold and lick for 3 minutes every time she goes pee.

Anyway, sometimes when under-doing something is not an option, it is sometimes fun to over do it.

I'm so proud of my little angel. And it is just like I felt when I was ready to pop out McKenna the first time we potty trained; I love the closeness and bonding it takes to watch her and teach her. We baked all day. We read. We played. We laughed. We got along.

The pee-pee saved this horrible day.

And it really is surprising how many loads of wash a sick mom can get done in one day when she has to.