Poopy Face and Eyes

We're getting pretty good at potty training but I won't lie.

It's been messy.

There are days when I feel like I'm covered in it. I'm cleaning it off the floor (you know, close but not close enough), off the toilet (because now he's so excited he's actually doing it that he jumps off the potty to show me before he's actually finished. I know. Lucky me.) Off myself. Off of him. Add that to a one-year-old who's not even close to potty training yet but enjoys his solid foods and sometimes a girl can feel as if the smell is permastuck in her nose forevermore.

Sure, my life is full of poo. (But really, whose isn't?)

But I have to say, I'm an optimist. You could say I'm a toilet's half-full type-a gal.

Sure there's poop and there's an accident here and there, but we've really shared some memories during this whole process. We've gone through hours of reading books on the potty, singing songs, running away from the potty because we've been scared of it, flushing a million times in a row, unraveling the toilet paper down to the roll, using chocolate and lollipops charts and stickers as bribery (I'm not above it...), cheers, fears, accomplishments, laughs, cries, potty victory dances... Oh yes, we've been through it all. It's better than "Cats".

And sure, every once in a while I'll still catch him running into his room, slamming the door and hiding in the corner to do his business until I burst in like I'm putting out a fire and, yell, "I gotcha!" and whisk him away to the toilet (because I know all his dirty secrets -- it is true as I always suspected, that moms have eyes behind their heads and can read minds...). But I am proud to say that as of this writing, we are on a good 80 percent of potty mastery. We are this close (my finger and thumb are positioned but an inch away from each other.)

The easiest part was pee. He's always been pretty good at that one. (Now to figure out when to teach him how to stand up and do it...)

But the poop's been tough. He's been scared of doing it for a while. Sitting there for a half hour, only to poo about a second after putting his underpants back on. But he's starting to come around and I might be just as excited as him and not even because of the prospect of less poo in my life. There is true happiness involved. And I mean total and utter, sheer two-year-old joy! Because the other day when we were at my parents' house, he did it all by himself (oh, the pride he had...) And we all knew it because we heard yelling from the bathroom (he likes his privacy by the way). He was yelling for my dad, "Papaaaaaaa!", to come into the bathroom.

Him: Yook it, Papa!! Yook it!! I did it!!
Him (louder): Yook it Papa! Poopy faces! Poopy eyes! Poopy faces!!

Of course, our interest was piqued. (What is this? Poopy faces?) We didn't quite understand what he was saying until we all, my mom, my dad and I, alongside of my proud son, crowded around the toilet and peered in.

Yep. Perfect little round droplets shaped in one big poopy face with big poopy eyes.

Yes, he's creative too.

He actually made a poop face. And yes, it even had poop eyes.

And he must've bonded with "Mr. Poopy Face and Eyes" too because he was upset when it was time to say goodbye and send him to the big toilet in the ground. He let out a big whine, "Noooo poopy face!!!!" And then Mr. Poopy was gone and there was silence. I was even sad for a second.

But then there were high fives all around and a lollipop and Mr. Poopy Face and Eyes became a distant memory. So here's to you, Mr. Poopyfaceandeyes.

We salute you.

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Ps. If you're in the Quest for Greatness, read below for this week's prize.

Poopy Face and Eyes

https://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2009/02/poopy-face-and-eyes.html