Wet?

So, two days ago, my nearly 3-yr-old asked to used his "little potty" which we had put away for a "break". After successfully using it, he expressed his desire to wear underwear! Well, my husband and I hadn't had our official potty-training-planning-meeting, but I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass me by! We're wingin' it. And, you know, I don't really even mind the extra wet laundry. I'm just so thrilled at the notion that my son WANTS to work on this and is enthused about it. I'm not sure what set this all in motion. Maybe it was telling him that he needed to wear underwear in order to go to preschool. Whatever it was, I'm so thankful! He used the potty today 4 times with dry pants! He used it many other times, but only after a bit of an accident--if you know what I mean. The "surprise" gifts are a huge motivator. One obstacle I see is his not wanting to be interrupted to use the potty during certain very desirable play activities. Hmmm...

Still wingin' it! It's an adventure!

On Peeing in the Potty

Please excuse my loss of blogging momentum. We are in potty-training mode. We hope that soon all the pee is in the potty and not in the pants. Thank goodness for washing machines!

My Boys: J. & G. 

Yee Haw!

J. was a little snoozy after his nap and was waking up at a leisurely pace while nestled on my lap in the rocker-recliner. A rare and sweet moment these days. Among other things, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. After some quiet reflection, he replied simply, "Cowboy." I asked him if I could ride his horse. He nodded.

That's so cute (Not at all biased, am I?). I didn't know he knew what a cowboy was. Maybe he doesn't. Well, I guess it remains to be seen whether or not I get to ride. :)

Come Again?

This morning, I was sitting at the dining room table with my back to the kitchen. I wasn't feeling too well and was zoning while peeling an orange. My almost 3-yr-old son, J., was hunting for something in the kitchen, and I was hoping not to hear a sudden thump or crash. As he materialized in my left periphery vision while exiting the kitchen, he said knowingly with a measure of excitement in his voice. "I hearing elephants, Mommy!" With great perplexity, I spun around toward him and then burst out laughing. There stood my toddler, holding one large orange up to each each of his ears, repeating his claim matter-of-factly, "I hearing elephants."

Elephants??? I've "heard" the ocean in sea shells. But Elephants in oranges??? Go figure! I can't say that I've ever tried it. That was a J. original. I have NO idea where that came from. When moments like that happen, I am often inclined to wonder what he will be like as a teen-ager. Hmmmm... Life will most certainly not be dull around here!

Wuh? On Toddlers and Magic

So, not long ago, I was catching up a bit on my e-mail while my infant son was sleeping and my almost 3-yr-old was playing with play-doh at the dining room table behind me. It is one of those sets with all sorts of food-making paraphenilia. I had augmented it with a few cookie cutter shapes and a small wooden rolling pin. I was engrossed in writing a message when some words began to register in the periphery of my concious mind as they drifted from my play-doh chef: "red ball...stick...move, ball, move...magic..." This continued and as I became more aware I heard: "I move the ball with the stick. It's magic!" I finally snapped out of e-mail mode and looked around behind me to behold my son sitting on his knees, turned away from the dining room table, pointing the rolling pin toward a red rubber ball on the floor commanding it to move! He was so focused, I almost believed he meant it! I smiled and even laughed a little and quickly realized where the idea for this had come from. Yes, of course, he'd watched a Clifford DVD--a Christmas gift from Grandma--a number of times and was reinacting one of the scenes. I'm not sure if he really thought it would work or not. But, for me, it was one of those humorous and sweet moments that reminded me that he's growing up and taking in all kinds of stuff from the world around him. It also reminds me to be vigilant about what I let him see!