First, Taylor is 99% potty-trained. Woo-hoo. 'You go, girl'! Just yesterday and today, Taylor began telling me when she needed to go potty. I feel that was the final piece of our potty-training puzzle to come together for her. She'd been consistent using the potty for a few weeks now, but it was only within the last two days that she started actually letting me know. So, Taylor, here's your shout-out: 'you go, girl'!
I still keep Taylor in a diaper at naps and overnight, but otherwise she is in her "big girl" panties all day. 'You go, girl'!
Second, Paige is potty-proofed. Yes, I said potty-proofed. Bet you never heard that term before? Well, let me explain...it's actually a term that my mom affectionately coined for Paige after spending the last 3 weeks with us. Potty-proofed refers to a style that is uniquely Paige's.
And, now for a little further explanation. Paige wears "big girl" panties all day and NEVER has accidents but she also NEVER uses her "big girl" potty either, no matter how much liquid or food she takes in throughout the day. There have been days where all Paige has done is drink milk, water and juices and still she manages to achieve bladder control that rivals most adults I know. Seriously. She can hold it, and hold it, and hold it, and hold it. I will ask her multiple times, "Paige, do you need to go pee-pee on the potty?" as I see her periodically hold herself and yet, the reply is always the same, "No."
And, then of course, there are the times when she will sit on the "big girl" potty. In these instances, each and every time, she sits on the "big girl" potty, she seems to enjoy the process and all the talk of being a "big girl" like Taylor and mommy, but still absolutely refuses to actually use the potty. I will praise her and say things like, "Great job, Paige for sitting on the potty, and now it's your turn to go pee-pee...all big girls go pee-pee in the potty." etc. etc. Even so, the replies from Paige remain the same, "No thank you" or "I'll try again next time" or "All done".
No bribes, no reasoning, no explanations from me of "all big girls use the big girl potty", and no tricks, stickers or candy offerings seem to convince her either...it's really quite remarkable. Like I said, I have seen few adults with the same stamina and endurance to hold their bladder/bowel like little Paige can. Not even her "Momo" (my mom) could get Paige to use the "big girl" potty. Observation of her big sister using the "big girl" potty also doesn't seem to sway Paige or interest her in using the "big girl" potty.
And so it is against this backdrop, hence the term potty-proofed has emerged in our house to describe Paige. Yep, she doesn't have accidents in her "big girl" panties which is great, but she's also not taking fully to using the potty yet. So, what does she do, you ask? Well, if you ask me, basically, I think Paige is gaming this whole potty-training system we've got going on. That's right. I suspect that Paige, sharp as she is, has figured out that she can outlast her bladder/bowel urges during the mornings until the time comes at naptime for a diaper to be put on. Then, I suspect that Paige games the potty-training system again following naptime by once again outlasting her bladder/bowel urges until that time of day rolls around when it's time to get into diapers again before going to bed for the night. Incredible, isn't she?! So, for now, we're going with potty-proofed to describe Paige...eventually, we will call her potty-trained but 'til then, potty-proofed really sums it up for her! And, for now, potty-proofed earns Paige a 'you go, girl' too because after all, that IS better than going on our couch, our pillows, and all the other various locations for which Paige has previously relieved herself.
Finally, there's a 'you go, girl' for me. Okay, so I know that sounds like a shamless plug to give myself a shout-out, but nonetheless I earned a 'you go, girl' too. I have continued in my commitment to staying fit and healthy (one of my New Year's resolutions) and am happy to share that I ran 6-1/2 miles this week as well as managed to squeeze in some time to lift weights at the gym earning me my very own 'you go, girl'. And, last but certainly not least, Mike is heading to a 3-day golf tournament where I'm sure he'll be one of the best players on the greens so he definitely gets a well-deserved 'you go, boy'!
Okay, well, that's it for the shout-outs for this week from our house. Have yourselves a great weekend everybody and be sure to give yourselves a 'you go, girl' or a 'you go, boy' for your own milestones and/or achievements whatever they may be!
