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I think one of the best parts of this whole event has been the time and attention we’ve set aside to give to both of the boys… I sure am setting myself up for some attention hungry boys after David goes back to work, but we’re certainly not going to take back all of the fun we’re having.

Today we also enjoyed No Accidents!

We’re in shock really… hoping this honeymoon period does not end, though most likely it will… Keep up the great work, Buddy!

Helping cut out green things from magazines... yes we need child safe scissors, but until then I just watch him like a hawk!

Isaac's not doing school, but he watches with intensity!

Scoot over, Jameson!

That's much better...

Jameson insists on having Isaac IN the tent... this is as far as I let him go...

Okay, this is for all you parents of two-yr-olds… What are some of your secret weapons for keeping your toddler at the dinner table, reasonably quiet and occupied? We learned tonight that edemame is perfect for the job! I over cooked these an extra minute or two so that they were easily accessible and Jameson did the rest! AND since I’m no longer changing his diapers he can have as many as he wants!

Such concentration!

Look at those fine motor skills at work!

Success!

Ta-Dah!

Yummy!

We continued regular “check-ups” but we spaced them out a bit, more like 30min in between. He went a couple of the times we took him, but I’d say he equally told us just as many times that he had to go. David and I both had strange mild, maybe sinus congestion, headaches all day so we decided that we need to get out of the house and smell some fresh air! A friend suggested that a splash park would be the perfect first outing. I completely agreed! If he did in fact have an accident, 1) No one would notice in already wet shorts. 2) We’d have a change of clothes anyways!

David was most concerned that he would go in the five minutes it took to get to the park, so we first opted to go the park 1min away. Welp, the water was not turned on there and David and I both had a new urgency to get to another splash park quick-style… for all we knew we had a ticking time bomb in the backseat!

The park was packed! Jameson was set in his trunks and we were at ease. Then it started pouring rain! It is not unlikely here in KY that it be sun shiny and 85 one minute, and then pouring rain and 70 the next… but scattered thunderstorms are often quick so we waited it out. Alas, the sun came out again and we came out from under our shelter of a tree and headed to the water! Well, instead of 85 it was now 70, and the spraying water was much too cold to get drenched, so other than splash his feet in some puddles and play football with another lil boy amongst the mist, Jameson did not get wet. We were there an entire hour and a half, in and out of pouring rain multiple times, in and out of the water area and definitely chilled by some quick cold winds.

And Jameson’s trunks stayed dry!

David thought for sure that J would relinquish all that he had in the car for sure now. Needless to say, we took the fastest route home…

As soon as we got in the door we went straight to the potty. Jameson relinquished his goods. And enjoyed his raisins for prize.

Tomorrow, after we get those first few piddles out (hopefully in the potty) we’re going to remind only and follow J’s lead on when he has to go…. will it be a repeat of afternoon #1? We will see!

But he wasn’t done. He finished in the undies… unders… the verdict is still out on what we’re calling them…

SO, we cleaned ‘em out. Actually, David cleaned them out, bless his heart.

And it happened again once more, though in reverse order. He started in the unders… undies… but was able to stop and finish on the potty. This specific accident was also the only puddle made on the floor today!

“This is going remarkably wonderful today,” I thought to myself… “But when will he start to actually associate what he’s feeling with what he’s doing, all in enough time to stop himself and let us know that he has to go?”

Just then, (Well, not literally, but practically.) he looked at me, let out a concerned whimper combined with a anxious facial expression. I said, “Do you have to go potty?” in the most carefree, unobtrusive and loving voice I have….

He nodded in the affirmative.

This was a “hallelujah chorus playing in the background” type moment folks.

AND he woke up from his  nap in a dry pull-up.

We’re not holding our breath… but we are breathing a bit easier that maybe, just maybe, this boy will continue to use the potty continuously…

Preface:

Jameson “started” potty training around 19mos. He was at the age where it was very important to him to please us and do anything we thought was fun. I took advantage of this, knowing that the word NO was quickly going to be his favorite. All of his signs for BM’s were very evident and at fairly regular times in the day. So I made it a bit of a game, which included prizes, and before I knew it Jameson was almost completely going poo in the potty! At the end of December we traveled to California for Christmas and in the first few days, his great new habit carried over. But, alas, it did not survive the different houses, the fun to be had, the new friends to play with and, most likely, my unwillingness to be diligent to take him to go on the potty. When we returned home I was even more tired, being 8mos prego, and Jameson was even more strong willed about not going, so we gave up.

1st Afternoon:

David and I decided that the time had come to train Jameson. His poopy diapers were disgusting and far too much to handle. We were beginning to resent diaper changes and Jameson for that matter… for approximately 2min after each change He was also starting to fight us more about being changed, a battle that we didn’t think we should continue to fight and build up hardness in his heart. We chose Memorial Day weekend because David would be able to be home Saturday- Tuesday… I am a complete wuss and was not going to try and do this alone, with Ike on my hip as well!

After gleaning as much information as I could from experienced friends, without actually reading any books… lazy… David and I came up with a game plan. Jameson and I would start Friday after his nap. When he woke up we watched some potty cartoon youtube videos, started drinking lots of juice and got very excited about wearing underwear… we opted to just use the ones handed down to us, we didn’t buy any special ones, though there are some Thomas the Train in the stash which are his favorites… And we “started” which is code for: prepare to clean up messes because the kid has no idea what is going on. In the first hour we had poopy underwear and six puddles around the house! I was completely taken back by how much he had gone! I couldn’t believe that we were going to make it another hour… I was DONE cleaning up pee and sprinkling baking soda over the wet spots. I was done changing undies, and I was also noticing that we may even run out of undies if he kept up that pace! I had decided to take him every 15min… the kid would seriously go in the 14th minute… twice! So, I decided to go every 10min… when the 9th min rolled around he went again! I was so discouraged! But I remembered the encouragement of many friends and tried to stay optimistic. Finally, David got home. He surveyed the scene. 6 white spots around the living room floor. 1 large pile of wet underwear and clean up towels. He took a deep breath and dove right in, asking what the routine was and how he could help… Thank You, Lord for such a servant husband!

Let me stop the story and say that potty training was not met with smiles and well wishes from Jameson. He fought me completely. He did not want to sit on the potty at all. When I said it was time to go try, he would cry and swing at me. But I was firm and made him sit there. His reluctance was not fear, but instead obstinacy. Battles of obstinance must be won by the parents because the child is not in charge and does not know what is best for him.

Lo and Behold, we had some success! Finally, some tangible encouragement. Twice Jameson started to go, I noticed and shouted “Stop!” He stopped and was able to finish on the potty! And then, as an exclamation point to end the day, David took Jameson to go on schedule and he went! Just sat down, peed, and then said “All Done!” We were so proud! And Jameson was also excited to get some raisins! We praised him greatly for his accomplishment. For nighttime we put him in a pull-up… and we thoroughly enjoyed our break from the chaos!

Our good neighbor friends, the Conns, joined in our evening of fun.

Jin and Ethan really enjoyed Ethan’s dance moves… J calls all asian people “E-tan”

Here Benjamin is showing us how much he enjoyed his ketchup… and burger…

The following pictures encapsulate how two-yr-olds play corn hole. Corn Hole is a very popular yard game here in the midwest. You are supposed to throw the bags full of corn into the hole of the board about 20ft away from you. You get points for different things yada yada… But this is how a handful of toddlers play!

And of course, we had to get some park time in… B is probably J’s best lil friend these days. Mostly because they live right across the hall from one another… and B’s parents are pretty cool too, we get along so well…

Then we spent a little bit of time at the splash zone part of the park… I know, this park is pretty great. It was a little chilly for J to really get wet, but we let him run around in his skivvies just enough to help him realize it was too chilly to get really wet… he was satisfied!

We had a nightcap over at our friend Aaron M.’s house, and Koshack (sp?) knew how to treat his smallest guests. This is J with his other lil buddy Isaiah enjoying their OWN ice peem comes!