Adventures In Potty Training: One Step Forward

Travis was at a dinner meeting so tonight I did evening routines on my own.  And I was doing just fine.  Until the kids had to walk from the bathroom to their rooms after bath time.  They had their hooded towels on, and Addison headed off for her room right on cue.  But Caden wasn't ready for his bath to end, definitely wasn't ready for a towel and realllllly didn't want to head to his room.  So it took us about a minute to catch up to Addison.  Who was waiting by the gate.  Hooded towel still on.  Looking down at her toes.  And I knew.  But I was unfazed.  After a quick wipe up, I ushered the kids through the gate with a nonchalant comment about how Addison had an accident and that it just happens sometimes.

Feeling proud of myself, I proceeded to get a diaper out and turn around to put it on Addison when I see Caden standing in the middle of the rug.  With his towel dropped behind him.  Looking at the floor in anticipation.  "Noooooooo", shouted by brain.  But before the words could form in my mouth I saw the stream.  It was just a quick spurt, so again, I didn't get upset.  I just moved to mop up and decided he would be the first to get a diaper.  And as I congratulated myself on my still-calm demeanor, he laughed.  Loudly.  And totally at me.  Not at what he had done.  But I pressed on.

Unfortunately, so did he.  He started up again as I laid him on the changing pad and before I could get the diaper under him.  But I was fast, so there was only a small hit on the pad.  Then he laughed louder than before.  Oh yes, not only was he enjoying it, he was orchestrating it.  I then foiled him once with my deft use of a wipe and the chuckles resounded.  Then again with the same wipe, because I couldn't pull another one fast enough.  And the guffaws started up.  And finally, I grabbed his towel off the floor and told him just to get it over with.  Which he did.  Gleefully and with much belly-laughing.  Then, and only then, did I dare put the diaper on.  Because darn it, I'm already splattered.  I'm already going to have to do an unexpected load of hot-water wash.  And I'm already being laughed at.  I am NOT going to throw a sixteen cent diaper in the trash on top of it all.

So after I closed the door to their room for the night, I cleaned up.  Started the washer.  And had a big laugh to myself about the whole scene.  I guess in the great scheme of things, we've made a step forward. Caden did, in fact, demonstrate some bladder control tonight.  Now, to make the potty seem as rewarding as using his mom for target practice.