Big Girl Panties in the House

Not that there was ever any question about this being a mom blog, but this post definitely solidifies my mom blog status. We're potty training. We've been encouraging the kids to us the toilet after baths each night for months. While they've both had a few positive hits, we've mostly had misses. And by misses I mean the kids peeing on the carpet, or the dog. Yes, poor Tyson got a spray down from Harrison before baths the other night.

A few weeks ago Brooke started wearing training pants after her interest in using the potty increased. She refused to #2 in her diaper anymore. So the "potty training" began. I put it in quotes because we really aren't training her at all. She is doing all of this on her own and we are just following her lead. I let her pick out big girl panties at Target, she decided on Elmo, and she's been wearing them around the house ever since. We have even started letting her wear them outside of the house.

Some days are better than others. On Mother's Day we went to the zoo and had an accident free morning. 3 hours of spaced out bathrooms and no issues waiting. Some days are worse. Yesterday we went to the park, walked past the bathroom and B told me she didn't need to go. 45 seconds later she stepped on the jungle gym and it looked like her water broke. After an outfit change and 20 more minutes of playing I asked her if she needed to pee. She said no, and two minutes later peed all over the ground. Thank goodness we were outside.

We still have quite a ways to go. When we're at home she pees every 30 minutes or less, so we haven't figured out holding it yet. There are a lot of times she says she needs to go when she doesn't. Our biggest challenge we still need to overcome is going #2 in public. So far she refuses to do it and will clench to try and keep herself from going. It's rather funny, until she has poop in her panties. I feel like it's a step backward, but we have reverted to training paints for outings until we get a little bit more reliable.

Harrison has no interest in going on the potty at all.  He tells us before he's going to go, and immediately after, but throws a fit if you try and sit him on the toilet. He does however want the candy rewards without actually going on the toilet. I think it's a blessing that one of them is potty training now and not the other. I can't imagine going through this with both of them at the same time.

Does anyone who's been through this already have any tricks? Any books I should be reading? Right now we are just following her lead, but I'm sure there are ways we could be expediting the process. Please share your wisdom.

On a separate note, Rob and I both had strep throat a couple weeks ago, and amazingly the kids didn't get it. I just took my last antibiotic yesterday, so I think we are all in the clear. We had to reschedule our family pictures thanks to the sickness, and I have been completely wiped. I'm so glad things are back to normal, because the kids turn two in 2 days!! Our family pictures are now Friday evening, and their Mickey birthday party is on Sunday. Lots to do, and I'm so excited!

Happy Hump Day!