August 9, 2008

"Just Like Daddy!"

Well, I didn't get off to a very good start with my new blog. But, it's not entirely my fault! First, I work full time so evenings consist of dinner, bath time, playtime, bedtime. Second, I have the most unreliable computer on the planet. I never know when it's going to work and it didn't want to work all last week. My husband says it needs a system restore but our son thought it would be fun to break the restore discs in half...so he did! So there you have it!

Things around here have been more than a little crazy but the one thing that has kept us the busiest is potty training. Sooooooo not my favorite part of parenting so far. But, what do you do!? We have been working with Cam for about 3 months now and it gets a little better every day. He's pretty good at #1 even though there is the occasional accident if he gets too busy playing or if his blood sugar is a little high. #2 is a completely different story but I think we figured out the trick...Matchbox cars, Chucky Cheese and big boy underwear. Let me explain:

The car thing worked wonderfully when we were teaching #1- he now owns a bunch of Matchbox cars, that's how fast he caught on. So, when it was time to tackle #2 we tried the same trick. This time we placed 5 Matchbox cars on the top shelf in the bathroom where he could see them every day and we told him for every #2 he did in the potty he could have a car. Didn't go over so well. He was not interested at...all. So we promised Chucky Cheese.

There comes a point in every toddlers life when he decides he loves Chucky Cheese. For those of you who are not familiar, Chucky Cheese is a mini arcade for small kids. When I was growing up it was Showbiz Pizza. They have funny little games that spit out tickets at record speed so your little one can claim a prize at the end of the evening. They serve pizza and pop and even the occasional "adult" drink. My girlfriend Kelli and I say those drinks are for the daddies that are forced to tag along! Ha! They host birthday parties and all kinds of fun stuff. But, I digress...

Cam has been to several birthday parties at CC's and has decided he wants to go there everyday. So, I told him- do #2 and we'll take you to CC. Um, nope. That didn't work either. If memory serves me, when I told him that, his response was "Oh, man! Bummer!".

At my wits end and on the verge of complete mental breakdown Kelli told me to try big boy underwear. Not big boy Pull-Ups, actual underwear. You know, the kind that no kid wants to feel #2 in. Sounds horrible, I know, that's what I thought at first. To be honest, I didn't buy them! I felt awful at the thought that Cam would have to experience that. However...we got nowhere. Mental breakdown quickly approaching, I did it- I bought the big boy underwear. (Insert beautiful sun rays and heavenly angels singing down on us)...

It worked! Holy moly, it worked! She was right! So, now Cam owns 4 out of the 5 Matchbox cars and he has a wonderful assortment of big boy underwear. We haven't had an accident in 4 days! Can you believe it?

Now, the latest event and the meaning of my post title.

Cam comes to me this morning and tells me he has to go potty. We go to the bathroom, get his little potty ready and I help him with his undies. I turn around for .25 seconds and he is STANDING there trying to pee in his potty. But, he is peeing all over my floor and all over my wall. I am so dumbfounded that I literally stand there...what do I do!? I can't tell him to stop for heavens sake...when you gotta go, you gotta go. He managed to get a little in the potty and, when he was finished, looked up at me with the biggest smile and said "Just like Daddy!". OK, seriously, melted my heart.

So, I think we are headed down the home stretch of potty training. He still wants his trip to CC, and he will get it, once he goes #2 two more times. He deserves it...it's a lot of work to potty train so I can only imagine how he must feel. Ha ha!