What Has Possessed Me?

I don't have much to post today. I've gotten behind on the picture-taking as we prepare for our trip to the furthest northwest. Yep, Alaska; where Avery's going to get her 1st 'real' taste of snow and bitter cold. For starters, we're just hopeful that we get there. Given how inclimate weather has wrecked havoc on all travel to the Seattle/Portland area, which, you kinda have to fly through to get where we're going, our fingers are crossed. That aside...

Today was our most successful day of non-potty training, potty usage. We haven't pushed the matter, but when Avery brings it up and asks to go "p.p. on da paaawwty" we'll oblige her. Most days, she just sits there, observing everything around her, occasionally persuing the Pottery Barn Kids catalog or shredding toilet paper into miniscule pieces. But, this morning, when she woke up dry, I asked her if she needed to go potty and she said she, "yes, Mommy. Let's go". Within moments of sitting down, she relieved herself the way most people do 1st thing in the morning, that long satisfying emptying of the bladder. And in her case, she even broke wind which made her chuckle..."i tooted mommy."

And then tonight, upon returning home from running errands and dressing down for 'jammy time', just as daddy was about to pull the tabs of her diaper on, she says, "daddy, I need to go p.p. on da paaawwty." "You sure", daddy said uncertainly. "Yes" and she leapt up. Of course, she needs an audience, so she found me and made this a family affair. We were pleasantly surprised when she just went. The usual dawdling aside. So, I think she's closer to being ready than we are.

I'm traumatized by the idea of a toddler using a public bathroom. You can't tell a toddler-in-training to "just go in your diaper" because mommy and/or daddy don't want to deal. Oh, how I'll miss the reliability of the diaper. Sure, they're expensive and just like daycare, a lingering expense that we parents can't wait to evolve away from. Potty training - another transitional sign of a child's coming of age, right up there with walking, sleeping through the night and solid foods. But knowing we'll need to carry MORE wipes and several changes of clothes and panties for the accidents that are sure to happen, overwhelms me.

Maybe she'll surprise me. She usually does. Maybe this will be another experience she just breezes right through. Either way, it should be somewhat entertaining.