Potty Training (beware of 'potty talk')

I tried to start potty training with Reister last month while Micah was traveling and it didn't go over very well. So I decided to stop and wait a couple weeks before trying again. We picked it back up again on Saturday and although it was a slow start, he's been doing really well the last couple days.

* Sticker Chart - we've been using a chart that came with a Sesame Street coloring book. It included a sheet of stickers and he gets one each time he goes on the potty. We're filling up the chart! Also we've been doing a small prize every 5 stickers. (But we'll probably stop that now that he's getting the hang of it) BTW, he did go some Sunday, we just were out a lot of it, so we didn't do stickers.

At first I had to ask him every so often if he needed to go (I paid attention to when he had had a lot to drink) and even make him sit on the potty for extended periods of time until he went. But now he is going to the potty himself when he needs to go.

He went to pre-school on Tuesday and went once there. But yesterday he had two accidents at school. They only have child sized urinals or a long "trough" for squatting over in the boys restroom. He's still not too comfortable standing up to pee so the teacher said he wanted to squat to go on Tuesday.

Tuesday afternoon we went to play with some friends outside at a playground. I know this is inappropriate in America, but it's extremely common here (with the split pants) - when I thought he had to go, I held him in front of some bushes and he went (#1).

The major accomplishment is no accidents-especially while we're out (except for at school yesterday) for the last 2 1/2 days!

#2 (this is why I put the potty talk warning - but those of you who have potty trained can get excited with me about this!) Last night I knew he needed to go #2 because he hadn't gone all day. We kept encouraging him to try and he wasn't going so we pr*yed with him and asked JC to help him go poo-poo. Less than 15 minutes later, he went (on his own!).

"Manna Poo" - I'm so sorry if this is TMI (too much information) but I thought it was hilarious. Just now, I put Reister down for his afternoon nap. knowing that he might need to go while he was in his room, I put his potty inside his room and told him if he needed to go, he could. He yelled at me once that he went pee and then I heard him yelling about going poo. He kept saying "I did a 'manna' poo!" I was really curious as to what he meant so I opened the door and sure enough he had gone #2. I think he was really impressed with himself (being one of the first times he's done it in a toilet) and he was telling me he did a "banana poop" (you can use your imagination on that one :) Ha ha ha!

Double-Tasking - why not make music while we potty!?

Micah and I are both so proud of him. I am amazed at how well he's learned and already feel like he's so much more grown up now that he can go to the potty himself! If it continues to go well, I know we should be really grateful it wasn't harder. I know it can be a real frustrating experience. Maybe Mason will be harder...