Like a Lamb to the Slaughter

Better said, it would be like a mom to the slaughter. If you know me well at all, you know that I am not a fan of potty training. I don't push the kid, I just wait until they want to do it. I go along with their interests so long as it lasts and when they pull back and it becomes more of a struggle I pull back and wait for their cue. Maia cued me on Monday. She had a perfect day. I was so cautiously thrilled. But I wasn't expecting a perfect day on Tuesday. She had 3 accidents, all 3 times she wet or messed herself while wearing clothes and underwear. So it was very minimal mess. No big deal, I was expecting this. She apologized, I said it was fine, encouraged her and cleaned up.

This morning, she gets dressed, she decides to go commando under her shorts which is fine by me--it is a favorite potty training method of mine anyway. She goes potty just great and then about 15 min later, I am finishing Olivia's hair and I see that Maia has changed shorts. I go into the living room. I see water all over the floor and the baby with wet hands and knees. I, unwittingly, asked Maia where she got the water from and why she poured it on the floor...and then something clicks. Remember that scene from Disney's Tarzan where the elephant looks at the watering hole and says, " Is this water sanitary? It looks questionable to me!" Bells began to ring in my head.

I ask Maia what that is, she confesses uses the hardwood floor as a lavatory. Oy. This where the frustration steps in. After losing my temper, cleaning up the baby and wasting a perfectly good, but useless, lecture on a 3 yr old, I calm down, apologize for losing my temper and have her help me mop it up. We have a little motivating talk and raise morale. Things settle down. It isn't even 9am yet. Oy vey. Heaven grant me wisdom, calm and a great potty cheerleading attitude today. Although, I am thoroughly convinced that Maia lead me into potty training under false pretenses, I think this is it. I think if I stick with her over the next week she will get it down and get used to the world without diapers. Again, I pray for a merciful, encouraging attitude and a cooperative, motivated child.

On a good note, as I was down here writing and clearing my system via writing the girls came down and said, we have something important to show you! I went upstairs, they escorted me into the kitchen and with a enthusiastic TA DA! they show me that they unloaded the dishwasher! Olivia's daily stewardship is unloading the utensils from the dishwasher and put them away. This time both girls took everything out of the dishwasher and stacked them neatly on the counter for me. They were so pleased and proud of themselves and rightly so, they did an awesome job. I now close this post with one other happy announcement--Maia just used the potty. Woo Hoo! Perhaps I am not being lead like a lamb to the slaughter after all--this mother can only hope.