Potty Training

My life is now measured in half hour increments. That's about the time in between Janelle's potty breaks. One week in and she seems to be getting the hang of it and is actually pretty pleased with herself. Honestly, we were a bit concerned in the beginning when we found her coloring at the kitchen table, disturbingly indifferent to the fact that she was sitting in a puddle of . . . well, you know. We've made much progress since then and have even had several accident-free days.

When I first found out I was going to be a mother, my mind briefly mulled over the diaper changes, sleepless nights, temper tantrums, etc. that were the "darker side" of motherhood. I was, however, blissfully ignorant of how intimately knowledgeable I would become of my childrens' every bodily fluid. And I'd also like to add that I think that we fully independent adults who've been mostly potty trained for at least a couple decades, take for granted how logistically complicated and taxing this whole pottying thing really is. Just think of the fine motor skills involved in wiping alone! How in the world do you teach a preschooler to wipe in a sufficient and sanitary manner?! I can think of many more amusing thoughts and revelations but, for Janelle's sake, I should probably call an end to this particular blog. This will be the one she reads when she's a teenager, rolls her eyes, and says "Mo-om!"

(Oh, and to all those misguided souls who think you save tons of money on diapers once your child is potty trained, I say, "HA!" It all goes to our sky-rocketing water bill to cover all the extra flushing and hand-washing.)