Bums and Butts

It is crazy to think that I have gone through the potty training process with 3 little boys already (my 2 oldest and Logan).  If I didn't have any more kids, I would be halfway done.  However, I am sure we will have at least one more.

When Josh was potty training, we got these super cute sesame street underwear for him.  One pair had a giant Elmo on the backside and so Josh called it his "Elmo Butt."  It slowly digressed in Josh's language as all underwear being "butts."  I'm not sure why it stuck, but I seriously have to remind myself often that is not what everyone calls them.  It is funny too, because I don't even like the word "butt," I am cringing writing it.  I always tell the boys to say "bum" instead, but in underwear terms, it just stuck and never really bothered me.  Don't know why.

Matthew decided last week he didn't want to wear diapers, he wanted to wear "bums."  I guess he doesn't like the word "butt" either.  Lol.  I really didn't want to potty train him, it is an exhausting process and I have a hard enough time dealing with all the boys and the chores that go along with being a mom in the first place.  Not to mention, I (and of course Logan's parents) just potty trained Logan this past Fall.  And it really hadn't been long enough for me to forget all the work involved.

But Matthew was insistent and when he makes up his mind, it is done, and he is not an easy one to be convinced otherwise.  I caved, as I almost always do with that child.  We began the potty training process full force on Monday officially.  But of course, since I jumped on board, he decided he was no longer interested.  But no way was I going to back down.  I had committed and we were going to do this.  I have learned, if you say something is going to happen and then you let it slide, the next time you really want it to happen, it will be a million times harder (that was my potty training process with Josh).  I knew no matter how hard the fighting would be, it would only last a few days, and then it would be done for the most part and I would never have to fight the potty training process (with that child) again.

I stuck to my guns and for the past three days I have been cleaning up accident after accident.  I would set him on the potty and he would just sit there with nothing happening.  "Me all done." 
"Um, no you are not, keep trying."
"Nope, me all done."  And he would hop off.

Within five minutes there was a puddle somewhere.  Luckily the weather has been nice, so most of those little puddles were outside and I am fine with that.

Let that be a caution to anyone visiting.  The puddles in the yard or sidewalk...probably not from the rain.  :)  Kidding, kind of.

This morning, at last, there has been a ray of hope.  I put Matthew on the toilet, totally set for frustration, and just left the bathroom.  Matthew came walking out all smiles within 30 seconds.  He is a very conniving child, so the all smiles can mean ANYTHING.  I quickly turned him around and walked him and his naked little behind back to the bathroom. 

me: "Buddy, you need to be on the potty."
Matthew: "Me did."
me: "Uh-huh, sure you did.  Get back on there."
Matthew: "No, me did.  Me pee out."  He points to a little dribble on the toilet seat and on the floor.
me: (after proper inspecting.  If you are a mom, you understand that you become like a detective.  You know how to check if they actually peed or if they really brushed their teeth and other such things.  It is an important skill in motherhood.)  "Oh my gosh!  You did!!!  Way to go!  You peed on the potty!"

Yup.  Never in your wildest dreams did you ever think you would be cheering about urine on the bathroom floor, until you are a mother of a little guy.  And yes, I understand that in a week I will be getting frustrated with him for "peeing out" of the toilet because I will expect him to have better aim by then.  But for now, I am SUPER happy.  I feel like I should put a sign on the door like they do at factories or trucking yards: "Days without accident: .25"  What do you think?