My last straw was last Saturday night about 10pm. We heard him stumbling around upstairs so I jumped up because I had that bad feeling in my gut! I got to the top of the stairs and there he was, peeing on the bathroom wall! If he was literally turned around the opposite direction and took two steps, he'd be in the toilet, no problem! I know I have no room to complain because this is literally one of the few incidents we've ever had with him in the year he's been potty training, but we all know that internal groan that emerges from deep within us - and I was done for the week with this new trend! Time to nip it in the butt!
In this instance, he just wasn't quite awake and it make me realize it was part of a real phase he was going through. But still, he's pretty responsive when given the right incentive and this phase is really not like him - especially during the day.
In the past two weeks we were having 1-2 accidents per day or during the night which isn't like him. He never hid it and was always very matter of fact and apologetic. I've never made a big deal of it with him because it was real random before and he's so sensitive that I didn't want him to regress out of stress. But we had to enforce a consequence at some point for my sanity! On Monday as we were changing underwear, I told Easton that if it happened two more times we'd have to put him in a diaper. BINGO! Tears errupted! I'd already tried pep talks and time outs but that didn't help it sink in.
The diaper went on last night with many tears. Easton thought he was out of clean underwear so that worked real well on my behalf. He has to go an entire day and night without any accidents to earn his undewear back. I have to laugh at my ingenuity in desperation! You never know what simple consequence will do the trick! And it was all in his reaction. I posed the consequence in my own desperation as we cleaned him up after an accident. I just didn't know what else to do! I don't know if Ryan's on board with this experiment, but at least he's letting me give it a try.
Another sign that the experiment is working was Easton's constant reminders that I tiptoe into his bedroom last night to get his underwear to wash. I don't know why he thought they were in his room to begin with, but his insistence over and over cracks me up. He again checked with me this morning to see if I'd done my job. (He really likes to remind me how I should do things from where to place his cup at the table during a meal to how to turn on my alarm clock.) I wonder if I did this to my mom - is it an oldest kid trait or do most kids do it in their early years?
A PT FLASHBACK: A year ago, Ryan had a month at home with Easton before his new job started and he decided to potty train Easton. I must admit I was not thrilled with this new adventure because I was still working and couldn't oversee the whole thing. Why didn't I celebrate the fact that Ryan wanted to head up this effort?! Ahh, there are so many things I need to give up my control-freak/oldest child personality trait for!
Youtube Potty TrainingI don't know if you've seen this, but this is how Ryan potty-trained Easton! Totally makes me laugh every time I think of it because it is so Ryan and sooo Easton! It's a Japanese anime youtube clip on potty training. A bit disturbing, I admit, but if it works, I don't care! I don't know how to put the clip on the blog here, so you'll have to click on the link.
Now on to tackling the other master of disaster - McKay. His current phase is to dump out anything he can, especially cereal and chip bags or my favorite, his yogurt and cereal bowls.
McKay has figured out to open most doors too. Yeah me. He can now get into the fridge , open his favorite yogurt, carry it somewhere in the house (always on carpet), and do the "dump and dance." If ya think about it, who wouldn't love to do the yogurt dump and dance?! Must feel real cool on the toeses! But a mom can only throw up her hands and say AAAAACK!!!
The other not-so-fun aspect of the door opening ability is the toilet "will this float or sink" game and enjoying the great outdoors unaccompanied. I now have to lock our door during the day so McKay won't get out. He scared a bunch of us yesterday when I was at Janelle's and the door had been unlocked when people dropped by. A little later, the doorbell rang and a strange man was at her door. Since she's on office chair/scooter patrol with the big cast on her foot, I beat her to the door. Here was some strange lady carrying my baby, McKay, up the long driveway! AAAACK! I haven't had a horrible speechless freakout moment in a long time, but boy did this scare me bad! McKay had taken one of the fun kid cars out for a spin down the driveway, across the street and was headed toward busy Rt 15 when these two realtors noticed he was unaccompanied. THANK YOU whoever they were!!! It truly does take a village to ensure kids survive! Not only for my sanity, but for their personal safety!
