Skid Row

Field notes from potty training of twins:

January 23rd: Yuck.

January 24th: Ick.

January 25th: Blecch.

January 26th: Yay!

January 27th: Yuck.

And that's just Gavin.

We decided to use the method where you go cold-turkey and deal with the consequences. Supposed to work quickly.

Darcy has been mostly Yay! We've even been oot and aboot with just panties several times now, and no accidents. So, she's just about set, and I'll tell you what: apart from the milestone that it is for them (well, her), benefit 1a is fewer (none) diapers to change and less stink from the diaper bins. Just typing this made me realize that the nearly-5-year practice of diapering is damn near over. Smile.

Carrie even said the other day that we should get rid of the bins--one upstairs and one down--and throw anything that does come up in the regular garbage. That was like a bolt from the blue. Haven't calculated money saved from not needing diapers, but it will surely be made up on therapy costs for Gavin, who really has some issues.

He will go in the porta-potties, but only after he's been busted for peeing (or, yes, pooping) in some out of the way place, or even, right next to the potty. Just today, he ran out of a room in which I had placed a potty with great fanfare--Look At This Guys, I Have a Potty Here, For You, To Poopie and Peepee In.

I followed his path to the stairs, where sure enough, he had marked his territory, then ran and hid. The running and hiding is really a drag if he poops, as you can, and probably will, imagine.

It doesn't take a psych degree to know that young Gavin is flexing one of the only control muscles he has right now. Damnit, the other day, Maggie's first day at her new preschool, he peed his pants right in front of the new teacher as we were dropping off Maggie. Good thing he's 3, or we'd have loudly made fun of him.

I'll let him have his fun for another day or two. Then, you guessed it, I'll let him have a couple more days after that.

But after that, he'll only get a few more before I give him another couple. He'll know who's boss by then.