Potty Training

Be forewarned: this subject necessarily includes scatological content and humor. Prepare for some potty-talk.

For the past couple of weeks Annie and I (OK, mainly her) have been trying to potty train the twins. It has been a joyous time, complete with poopy panties, pee on the floor, and extremely inconvenient "I need to go potty"s. But, on the whole, we have been very impressed by our girls' ability to adapt to a diaper-less life. It is amazing how much two M&Ms and the privilege of flushing to toilet can motivate a child. I guess our thunderous applause and high-fives also provide good encouragement.

Genna has been the best at alerting us of her impending toilet activities. Kate, however, lets us know by going still for several seconds, getting a glassed-over look in her eye, and then proceeding with playing with Tinkerbell. Needless to say, the window to take action is short for her and we have had to be proactive in our approach. She has gotten much better, though. Very few mishaps of late from either of them.

Yesterday during church Genna began to chant "I need to go potty" in her low voice, which stood in stark contrast to the words our bishop was offering from the pulpit. I took her to the men's room and sat her on the toilet. It's a big seat, so I had to kneel next to her with my arms around her back to keep her from falling in. After several moments of silent anticipation Genna leaned over to me and whispered, "Shhh. Listen. Watch. Can you hear it?" - indicating that at anytime I could expect to hear the tinkle or plop of a successful toilet trip. Is that cute or what? I began to laugh and she did, too. Who would have thought that I could have such a fun bonding moment with my daughter while kneeling on the men's room floor? Ah, the wonders of potty parenthood.

As a follow up to my PartyLite post, I must admit to the further emasculating of Justin. Kate and Genna have been wearing Disney Princess pull-up diapers for their training. Their favorite diaper depicts Ariel, of The Little Mermaid fame, on the front. They have not yet seen the movie. So, tonight as a treat during Family Home Evening we are going to watch it with them for the first time. And, I am looking forward to it. Not simply because I get to hang out with my ladies around a bowl of popcorn, but because I am actually looking forward to the movie itself. Help me, please.