Back To School

Farewell Summer Vacation 2010

Red

Yes, B. chooses or attempts to choose her clothes most days now. Today she won out, from head to toe. There was a hat as well to start the day, but (thankfully) it didn't last long. This "straight line" posture is her favorite in the bucket swing lately. She thinks it is hysterical and it freaks me out when Anthony pushes her really high this way. Also, she's gotten pretty good at the traditional swing. Finally, I still don't understand why she looks so big and so mature in photographs. It's like I have an "age progression" setting on my Nikon. She's still a very petite young thing, as evidenced in the last photo when she's in a 5"x10" basket. She yelled out "I sit down laundry basket" just before I snapped this one. Our summer together ends this week, as I return to work on Thursday. No words could express how much joy it has been to spend these 9 weeks with B. I don't think she's gained an ounce, but she's exploded into toddlerhood during the time. She is now 2 1/4 and, while there are some exhausting moments, I could never describe this phase as "terrible." She is intense, dramatic, creative, sharp, fun, determined, funny, caring, inquisitive, energetic, loving, independent, sometimes shy, more often embarrassingly loud, helpful, and melt-my-heart empathetic. Anthony's been very busy with work since we returned from France, and he's now getting ready to take over the reins once again (3 days a week, and she will stay with a friend and her 3-year old daughter 2 days a week). I told him to prepare himself. He asked "Why, she's tough?" What I meant is that she is such a vibrant person and individual now and that he should prepare himself to fall in love with her even more deeply. He said that wasn't possible. I didn't think so either, but every day I am proven wrong.

Blindfolded

Wonder

Can you spot 3 new things in the picture?

a. Hello Kitty panties

b. $1.99 plastic potty from Mekong Market

c. kazoo

Who knew how much fun using the potty fun really could be? B. has had terrific success , and I am still in disbelief about how easy this seems to be for her. We've been venturing out with pull-ups on her and they are dry when we return home, so today she's trying panties. Here are a few more photos from our housebound days, and some from my Dad's 85th birthday celebration last night.

Here she is shopping and feeding "ice cream cone" (aka crumpled wipes) to Jeannie-Jeanne and Bobby

Staying in was getting surreal, but her creativity was hysterical. She found this 1/2 used bulletin board Tet decoration in the kitchen closet and decided it was her pocketbook. And she skated on the "ice" known as shower curtain.

Pepere and his youngest 3 grandkids

It's My Potty and I'll Cry if I Want To....

B. started showing "readiness" signs some time in May, but I didn't want to make a serious attempt at potty training (or rather "learning" as the books call it) because I selfishly wanted the convenience of diapers while we were in France. So my plan for weeks has been to dedicate August, while it's still hot and before I head back to work at the end of the month, to a hard-core potty-training effort. I must say it's one of the most bizarre things I've ever done. I think perhaps it would be better done by a 9-year old than me who analyzes and overthinks, but for some reason she's moving along. I'm trying the boot-camp approach, (with tips from Nancy and others) which means partial to complete nakedness, staying pretty much in the house, and focusing entirely on the "task". Here's are the high and low points from the past 3 days :

Monday:

-spot carpet cleaner ready!

-5 potty-themed library books (read at least 30 times each)

-encouragement to sit on the potty, which never happened once per my suggestion, only when she wanted to, and she sat for an average of about 1.8 seconds each time

-one accidental success, which I made happen, but we whooped it up with congrats and rewards.

-we talked ALL DAY about the potty and what it's for and she talked it up too.

-all talk, no action. Not one ounce of liquid got into that dang pot all day.

- I went to bed discouraged, thinking maybe I was wrong and she's just not ready.

Tuesday:

-B. woke up giving me the "death glare" that I haven't seen in a while.

-First real success in the morning (bring on bite of chocolate)

-Within a couple more hours, MANY successes and I can see her face filled with unexpected glee as she looked down and felt her body doing something! Hope springs eternal!

-MANY misses....on me, on the floor, in the chair, in the driveway and often within 1 foot of the potty, so I was slightly encouraged but getting really tired of the house-and me- smelling like a nursing home.

-The wheels start turning...she's getting the concept, but can't get the timing just right. Even when she is successful, she jumps up with excitement before she's completely done, so I still end up on all fours scrubbing while speaking positive, loving, patient (lie) words.

- Out comes a plastic shower curtain to put in the main room we're in, in goes a load of laundry of dirty rags and clothes.

-Anthony came over and kissed me and thanked me for doing this because he said if it were up to him, her kindergarten teacher would have to deal with this.

Wednesday:

-She woke up concerned that her diaper was wet, but I reassured her and she got naked again. -ALL successes and NO accidents or even drips today!!!!!!

-Shower curtain gets thrown into the laundry. Carpet cleaner is optimistically placed back in the closet.

-We ventured out of the house at night for about 45 minutes and she went al fresco (under a skirt) and no problem.

It's going too well. It can't be this easy. I'm preparing myself for the big slide backward, but I'm obviously hugely encouraged and hopeful. I think we've at least set the wheels in good motion, but we'll see....

Red Beret

and one of those adorable French headscarves for girls which, at this point, B. refuses to keep on her head for more than 3 minutes...