Potty Training...

Potty Training.

I have always had to work at it, so it is not an event I look forward to.
Don't get me wrong... I like potty "TRAINED", just not the "training" part!

I totally believe in people who potty train their infant - I just think they are nuts! I have never been tickled to stop shopping in the middle of a ginormous grocery store with a cart heavy laden with groceries AND a baby who can't walk yet, only to troop four children into a public restroom, and snap repeatedly "Don't. Touch. ANYTHING!" Figure out what to do with the baby while setting the pottying child up on the seat, then figuring out how to help wipe, and then the fiasco of washing hands without them taking a full-on bath, because by this time EVERYONE needs to wash, and the counter is always wet just at armpit level...

You get the picture, and I'm with Morgan. If it isn't groceries in the cart, public opinion means very little to me and I guiltlessly wheel the whole thing into the bathroom. In fact, I've almost forgotten that bathrooms also have "normal people" stalls, since I always beeline for the biggest thing they have at the back! Some of you even know the looks of astonishment that comes from the waiting women when you open that door, and child after child after child files out. You know it's uncanny how similar it is to like circus clowns stuffed into a VW Bug. In fact, it is rather a circus of sorts!

Anyway, I digress...

Olivia has been ready for a long time, but I haven't.
I could number the excuses, but I'll spare you. It has been my M.O. to wait until my children are older because it's less of a battle to train, and I like that they are usually able to hold their bladder a bit longer - hence avoiding the scenario mentioned above.

So...

This was the week! It took her two days to figure out how to turn her plumbing on, and for those two days, I spent some relaxing time in the bathroom discussing big girl panties, and peanut M&M's.
(note to self: even if I never needed it before, some good reading material in the bathroom might be nice next time)
Once she figured it out though, we were home free! Just a night-time incident here or there, and the real trial comes tonight, because...

We went shopping today, and the highlight of our outing was Olivia picking out underwear.
She has really been a champ this week, and I had promised her (yes - totally different from a bribe) we could buy big girl underwear.

Purple. That's what the girl wanted, so I vowed to help her find it if it existed!

What she actually chose was the princess 7 pack. I am not a fan of Disney's princesses or any other popular icon placed on clothing (perhaps especially underwear!), but I am a fan of Olivia, so that's what we bought, and without batting an eye!
I did not exactly see any purple in the package, but the princesses were mesmerizing, and I should have known.

The first pair Olivia strategically pulled out of that package were... you guessed it - Purple. (and is that princess Jasmine srtiking a rather seductive pose? We won't talk about that:-})
She was a very happy camper, and of course as was predictable, she didn't relish the thought of returning to the old fare even for sleeping.
So tonight we see just what the capacity of this girl's bladder really is. That or I may be wakened several times in the night, which may be a superior option to the alternative!

Either way, I am extremely proud of my girl! (and proud of her momma :-))
And I'd be reallyreallyreallyreally thankful if I never had to set foot (or more like twelve feet) in a grocery store bathroom EVER AGAIN!!!

(yeah right!)