Baby Bear calls it "wee-wee" and "woo-woo".
I just call it effing AWE.SOME.
It's an amazing blessing that my children are not only entirely cuter than me - but they are smarter and wiser than me as well..... The Girl found the "Elmo Goes Potty Movie" and has been Ob.SESSED with watching it the last few nights.....
One night she say's, "I gots to go potty, Mommy."
Off and went.... and she hasn't had an accident since.
Huh?
What happened to the weeks of begging? Wasn't I supposed to buy some kind of great, fantastic toy as a bribe? Aren't I supposed to be feeding her M&MS every time she tinkles?
Of course, there's are plenty more opportunities for her to hang a piss allll over her car seat, a friends lap - or the usual, completely normal (although thoroughly embrassing locations) for your newly trained darling to have that expected "accident".... but - a girl can hope, right?
Am I to escape, unsoiled, the chaos of potty training at the stealth writting of catchy tunes by Sesame Street coupled with the expert singing of a collection of hand puppets?
Well Thank You Jim Henson and company - because it seems that way.......
In fact, I owe a SERIOUS debt of gratitude to both The Wonder Pets for teaching The Boy the value of "weem work" (otherwise known as "team work") at the tender age of 18 months, and I owe Dj Lance, Foofa, Toodie, Muno, Plex and Brobie big ups for teaching both of my kids to send new foods to the "party in their tummy", that we don't "bite or hit" our friends and....
My personal favorite is the - "don't give up... never give up.... don't stop - no, don't stop... you'll get it right... you'll get it right....." - which, is totally the RIGHT sentiment, however, when the The Boy SINGS these sing-song lyrics at the *top* of this lungs while climbing out of the 9 foot bowl at the skate park in front of MUCH older kids.... well....
Let's just say that *while* Yo Gabba Gabba is credited with teaching my children *how* to be good friend to others.... it *does not* supply them with any kind of tangible 'street-cred' at the skate park.
But now..... I can add Elmo's fuzzy face as the reason The Girl is potty trained.
It's insane to think that instead of reading all those parenting books while I was pregnant, that I could have just watched hours and hours of Nickelodeon and PBS and been done right then and there!
Then I have to wonder where's the effing episode about Muno's family (this would be the sequel to the *awesome* Roots episode) - where Muno's Dad leaves the security of DJ Lance's paper mache' world and sets out in all his one-eyed glory with a new girl friend....? Where's the episode for how to deal with your parent(s) poor decision making in a *positive* manner?
Sadly.... those episodes just don't exist.
While I'm totally excited that The Girl is potty trained - it's a little bittersweet... I know - I know who the hell is sad over piss... right? Like - hello Elle, let's not get a little melodramatic here.....
However, it's not the pee in the toilet that has me a bit weepy - it's the fact that this is the first of *many* childhood milestones that El Capitan will not be apart of. Sure, he didn't have to worry about getting pee'd on - but he also didn't get to clap with her and jump up and down with shared joy over finding a nice long, brown log in the bottom of the bowl.
He missed seeing her sweet smile and hearing her proud squeals over her new mad potty skillz. He didn't get to be a part of this growth - it's something he found out after the fact. Perhaps El Capitan is more interested in g
Sometimes if feels like no matter how many emails I send about the children's days, or phone calls I make when they get a bad goose-egg or a scrape - El Capitan will be a lot more than a spectator than coach.
I actually found myself feeling sorry for him - that he's missed out on this - missed out on the joy of her newfound independance and.... mostly, I felt a bit sorry that there was one less person clapping for her.
It made me realize that now - more than every - I'm doing the work of two parents - but that also means I'm doing the clapping and support of two parents..... which, it's good news for my kids that I'm as loud and mouthy as I am - because that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Pee on friends..... pee on.
Oh.... and Mr. XXXXX - I will be repsonding to your very kind and person