The Buckleys: A little jig we call the potty dance!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

A little jig we call the potty dance!

RIGHT LEG-CROSS, LEFT LEG-CROSS, STOMP, STOMP, TOES, KNEES, CELEBRATE!!! Hey, you wouldn't smile either if someone was taking a photo of you on the pot...and she just woke up from a nap.

Okay, so I borrowed that from a Huggies Pull-Ups commercial, but it IS a great way to celebrate that my Eleanore is officially going pee-pee and ploppy in the P-O-T-T-Y!!!

We (read I) am SOOO excited. I was inspired to try the potty thing again after my sister broke out a little potty chair for her daughter, El's cousin, Milly, who is one month younger than El. Milly had her mama doing the potty dance like a pro in only a couple of days so I thought we'd give the nasty little potty a try...and it WORKED!!! YAHOO!!! Thanks for the support Mims, I wouldn't be the happy Mommy I am today if it weren't for you!

We are one week accident free (with only a couple of nights of waking up with wet "bedtime undies" AKA Pull-Ups). And now, Eleanore simply agrees that it is "disgusting" to plop in the little potty, so she proudly sits on the porcelain throne to do her business as she reads books "just like Daddy." HAHA!!! Watch out what they'll catch on to and then your spouse will blog about. ;) We're still relying on the little potty chair (which plays a royal tune for her each time she pees) for the less nasty business, and that is okay with me...we're moving in the right direction!

For motivation I let her put a coin in her piggy bank each time she went, which worked better than treats (since I am sad to admit she eats way too many treats without any reason each day). Eleanore has no concept of money (esp. the coin/cash kind...she may kind of understand what a credit card is for), but she has a story book called Happy Birthday Moon in which a bear has a piggy bank, and she was all about replicating that.

The biggest problem I've run into yet is at church. Eleanore totally FREAKED OUT (no exaggeration at all, tears were flowing, screams were heard, she was sweating...we walked out of the bathroom looking very fishy) that the toilet "smushes" (flushes) automatically. She won't sit on it. She held it through the entire three-hour block last week, but I don't know what to do; sooner or later she's really gonna need to go and I'm not sure how to make her comfortable. I offered to hold my hand over the sensor but she didn't buy that popsicle...any suggestions? I also offered for her to put on a diaper for nursery and she said "No way, that is for babies." While I didn't know what to do, I was thrilled to hear that statement!

Gosh, I should go find some hot pink sweats and Bon Bons, I sound like a serious stereotypical housewife talking so comfortably about my daughter's bathroom behavior. Admit it, you were just as comfortable reading it. Thanks for your honesty...now that we're on the same page you are welcome to come to my house unannounced. I expect that you (and your house) may look the same way I do in the morning (or at 2 p.m.)....

9 comments:

Kim said...: WAHOO! It's so wonderful when they are potty trained!
As for the wonderful self flushing toilets... we had the same problem with Jadyn, but ours was on a 16 hour drive to Utah :) It took about 2 years for her to be okay with those darn toilets.
I'm sure Eleanore will be okay through church if she can go at home before you leave for church (but if you Sunday scramble is as bad as ours you'll rush out the door and forget all about until you sit down and she has to go)
Does your church have a nursery bathroom with a small toilet?
OR, I've heard of people bringing the portable potty in the car and letting their little one's go out in the car, they just put a liner (grocery sack, etc.) inside the potty. I don't have any other solutions b/c Jadyn would just hold it, kid has a bladder of steel.
Give El a big hug and tell her we are soooo proud of her!; April 29, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Ashley said...: Whew it's such a huge milestone. Seriously. I never gave it much thought until we were going through the process and it's so nice when they get it. We are still making progress. Like finally Thomas doesn't want me in there, and goes and pulls his pants down and up by himself and calls me when he wants wiped. He tells me I'll be right back mom, I'm dry. It's so nice, it's cut my bathroom trips down to just going for myself. Haha.; April 29, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Catherine said...: Yeah! I am proud of little/big Eleanore. What a wonderful accomplishment! I wish Tyler was ready to potty train. Eating solids makes for nasty diapers!; April 29, 2010 at 8:16 PM
Miriam said...: YAYA!!! We are so happy for you, especially since she is going on the big potty too!! thats great! and as far as church goes...oh who knows, I sure don't. Kids fears are hard to figure out! I'm sure she'll come around, once forgets entirely about diapers.
give her a big high fiver from us!!; May 1, 2010 at 9:23 AM
Andrea Grover said...: If you drape a piece of toilet paper over the sensor on the auto-flushies, they won't flush until you take it off. That way, you have your hands free to help the little one, and she doesn't get freaked out.

Congrats and continued good luck!; May 1, 2010 at 11:54 AM
Bob n Robyn said...: Way to go Eleanore, try putting masking tape over the sensor before she goes in and let her see it doesn't flush.; May 2, 2010 at 12:58 PM
* Nancy * said...: Yay for the steps taken towards potty training by Eleanore! We love that potty dance song.
Love the idea of putting coins in a piggy instead of a treat.
Way to help Eleanore - mom and daddy Buckley! :); May 4, 2010 at 12:49 PM
Celeste said...: HIP, HIP, HOORAY!!!! That is such a great feeling!! Congrats. One less child in diapers. That's also nice it didn't take too long. And yes, I did feel quite comfortable reading about it.

By the way, I like the "Summer Girls" song on here.:) Brings back memories...; May 5, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Sarah said...: YAY El! Now that we're back from Cali... I'm all over this- Macy is totally ready. So happy it worked out for you!!!!; May 10, 2010 at 11:29 AM

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I want to remember it like this...

October 2010:

Both Ivy and Maya say "Dada." Maya says in her growly voice a very clear, "DAD!" They are growing up too fast.

Eleanore likes to look in the mirror next to our table while we are eating dinner and she'll often talk to her reflection. She'll say things like "Who are you?" Yesterday she said, "Bananas smell good. Dirty socks don't smell good."

Eleanore dressed up like a fairy and announced "I am a Fairy Gospel."

In preperation for Halloween, Eleanore has been talking about all the things she could be and pretending to be many different Halloween-like characters including a nice witch and a mean witch. The nice witch laughs like this "HaHaHa" (high pitched and smiling. The mean witch laughs like this "HeHeHe" (low voice and scowl).

September 2010:

A friend of my mine stopped by to visit and she had her friend's son, Adam, with her. Throughout our hour-long visit Eleanore kept repeating "Adam was a prophet, first one that we know..." over and over. I kind of felt bad for the boy (who incidently is not a member of our church and doesn't know that Primary song), but it was pretty funny.

Eleanore has picked up on a few phrases that I use...that I think I picked up from my pops. "I'm exasperated." and "Oh Fiddlesticks." The latter really makes me think of my Dad.

After Bryan brushed Eleanore's hair she turned and said, "Thanks, Sweetie!"

August 2010:

Out of the blue (during a converstation lull...the girl doesn't like silence) Eleanore will often suggest, "Let's chat!"

Eleanore announces. "I know Portuguese." We ask, "Really, what?" "Portuguese!"

My new name: "Momster." Sometimes, even "Momsterarooski."

Eleanore loves to give giant hugs (just what they sound like), big smackarooskis (big kisses), and little mouse hugs (whe touches my shoulder with both hands and then busts up laughing).

July 2010:

Walking outside, Eleanore began narrating: "It was a beautiful summer day..."

A few months ago a man in our ward fell of the roof. We were talking about it because we were going to bring them dinner, and haven't really talked about it since. Today when El woke up from her nap she whispered, "Mom, someone fell off the roof." I asked who, totally not knowing what she was talking about. "Brother Dumm." She announced. It was actually a man named Brother Barrett, but Brother Dumm was sick at the same time and Bryan went to visit him the same day. What a memory she has.

June 2010:

I often tell Eleanore that if we watch too much TV our brains will get mushy. The other day I told her it was time to turn off the TV and she said, "Yes, my hair is mushy."

I told Eleanore that the babies didn't feel good. She said, "Mom, when I'm a grown up I can be a doctor and take care of them."

Eleanore asked what "No problem" means. I told her it meant you'd be glad to do it. Since then, I asked her if she would like to finger paint, she replied, "I'd be glad to do it." I got the same response when I asked if she wanted a piece of candy.

May 2010:

"[Ivy] is a precious girl. I feel that in my heart," Eleanore after kissing Ivy.

"My hair is not a toy Mom," Eleanore to Mom after sitting through three attempts at French braids.

"It's hard being a big sister," Eleanore.

"I love you, I love you, I really, really love you," Eleanore singing very seriously and loudly.

Eleanore asked to watch a t.v. show called Max and Ruby, I told her, "No, I don't like that show. " She responded, " Then you go away and I'll watch it. I like it."

January 2010:

"Babies poop a lot," Eleanore to Mom as I changed yet another diaper. "Babies cry a lot," Eleanore to Mom about five minutes later.