I Have the Power: An Experiment!

Today something wonderful happened. Luke pooped. In the potty. Without screaming or crying.

What a wonderful day!

He has shown quite a lot of interest in the potty training thing. Some mornings he'll wake up and want to wear underwear and he usually does pretty well. He'll happily urinate in the toilet until the dreaded pooping comes. For some reason he did not want to poop in the potty. Usually he would start to cry and scream, sometimes he would simply just hold it in an act of sweet rebellion. I don't know if he didn't like the sensation of sitting on a plastic seat while doing his business in contrast to his usual squatting or laying down or what. Today while we were eating gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce, I noticed him squirming in his chair.

"Be, do you have to make poo-poo?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to go on the potty? I bought a special present for you that I'd really like you to have."

"No. No please make poo-poo on potty. Make poo-poo in diaper."

"But you aren't wearing a diaper right now. You don't want that stuff on your underwear, do you?"

"Nooooooooo."

"Okay then, come on."

Off we went. He was reluctant at first, but I knew he was close. Jay had just left and I really didn't want to change another poopy diaper while trying to mind the baby. We just had tacos last night, too. I plopped him on the potty and offered him something to read. I brought him his manners book and his wrapped present. He immediately demanded that I give the present to EJ (his 3 year old friend), but I said no way, that's for you! He sat, but said he wanted to poop in a diaper.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't have one for you right now." Then I walked away. I'm kind of mean, aren't I? I figured that he might need a little privacy. I knew he really had to go and I was just dying to see if one pleasant pooping experience could rid him of the necessity of being able to sit in it afterwards.

Two seconds after I walked away I heard him shout, "Hey mom! Look! Look!" (For a second there I felt like I was reading "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.")

"Yes?!"

"I did it! I made POOP. POOP IN POTTY!!!!" The smile on his face was so adorable.

"YOU DID?!? THAT'S WONDERFUL!!!"

I helped him stand up, all while holding Aidan in my other arm. Then we wiped. And looked.

"WHOA! That was a big one! I'm so glad you don't have that big thing in your pants. Do you want THAT in your pants?"

He looks at me, then in the toilet. "NO WAY! I DID IT! I HELP ERFT! I HAVE POTTY POWER!"

Did it hurt, Luke?

"Noooooo....diapers hurt, not the potty!"

He's worn underwear all day with just one wet accident. I hope it sticks, but we'll just have to see how this goes. All I know is that he'll eventually come around. Until then all I can do is give him all the encouragement he needs to take yet another step in growing up.

While I couldn't find a youtube clip of our potty training video, I did come across this Japanese gem. Man, they just do everything better, don't they?

I'm the Hippo. Here's the culprit.

On the day before my 29th birthday, I received a text from one of my besties,  Samuel.  "I'm coming down." It said.  "Lemme know what kind of cupcake you want!"  

I was excited beyond belief.  While watching that trashy The Girls Next Door show (which I love, btw), Bridget Marquardt had confessed on camera that she frequently indulged in the overpriced Sprinkles cupcakes, despite having extraordinary pastry chefs at her fingertips while living in the Playboy Mansion.  I was instantly intrigued and after doing a quick google search, I was looking at their cupcake menu and drooling profusely.  Doesn't it look pretty?  It's even color-coded!  Fattening, sugary, and OCD!  It just couldn't get any better!  See?

http://sprinklescupcakes.com/flavors.html

Back to the birthday celebration.  I must admit I did something shameful.  What Sam asked me was what kind of cupcake I wanted.  Did you notice that "cupcake" was singular?  That's right.  ONE.  I ignored that and instead, I asked for every flavor available.  I have no shame.  That's right, I asked for twelve.  TWELVE!!!  Sam, the good friend that he is, did not judge.  What a keeper.  We sat around the Sprinkles box and tasted each cupcake together simultaneously, right after I had equally divided the cupcakes into fourths.  I think all of us were topped off at around the fifth or sixth one, but it was an enjoyable way to end my 28th year of life.

I've never tried drugs or anything of the sort, but trying all those cupcakes that afternoon, sitting across from my husband, Sam, and my three-year old son, surely qualified as substance abuse.

I wish the story ended there.

The next day, my actual birthday, my mom called.  She was planning on driving down that morning with the rest of my semi-local family.

"Anything special I can bring you for your birthday?"

"Um...yeeeahhhh...Well, no, I really shouldn't...but I really want it, but I'm supposed to be doing my whole vegan thing right now, but...oh screw it, it's my birthday.  Would you mind getting me some cupcakes?"

She drove an hour out of her way to Sprinkles, bless her heart. My grandma, who spoils me frequently, bought me TWO DOZEN.  Can you believe that?!?  Sam could not believe what a pig I was when I messaged him later that afternoon.  Goodness me.

I did share six cupcakes with the kids.  Aren't I nice?  

And...Believe it or not, I've lost ten pounds since that day!