The Haines Family: May--potty training, strawberries, flower pics

The first week of May, I cleared my calendar and STAYED HOME (no errands, no playdates, no park) to focus on potty training with my 2nd born child! I thought it might be a little easier since I potty trained W just a year and a half ago. What was thinking? I must have forgotten that tiny, but oh so important fact that L is a strong-willed, stubborn (is that the same thing?), "I do it by myself" kind-of-child!
L turned 3 in April. He talks and comprehends like a 5 yr old (and I'm not even over-exaggerating or biased...it's crazy the stuff he verbalizes). But his actions and understanding of right and wrong are age appropriate for a "terrible two stage" who just recently turned 3 yrs old. So, that combined w/ his personality...I very quickly realized on Day 1 of potty training, that it was not going to be easy. After potty training one child already, I totally understand that there WILL be messes. Lots of messes! I get that. I will be cleaning pee and poop off of the floor, out of underwear, out of bedding, etc, etc. That's one of the hard parts of potty training. Also, there's the challenge of getting them to understand the whole process, and physically controlling it. I knew that would be hard too. I never thought that I'd also be fighting to get him to just sit there. I had special drinks, special snacks, prizes and rewards, special movies, etc, etc. I thought we'd just spend lots of time sitting on the potty chair, potty ring, big potty...whatever! I was ready...or so I thought. I didn't think he would cry about sitting there. I mean I was giving him "the world"...allowing him to watch movies all AM, eat candy, etc. Let's just sit here! Oh no! Tears, angry grunts of protest, "I-don't-want-to-sit"....over and over! well, to shorten the story, after many days of trying many different angles, promising him a bike, and a bunk bed...nothing worked to peak an interest in him towards being a big boy like W and Daddy. He would occasionally have a success on the potty (not w/o a fight to get him on it), but then he would poop in his underwear and not even tell me. He didn't even mind sitting in it. YUCK!!
Then one day, I heard him get out of his bed during his nap time. I went upstairs to see what he was doing, and I was met in the hallway w/ the noise of a flushing toilet and w/ him hoisting a stool over his head carrying it back to his room and a big smile on his face. "Mommy, I went pee-pee in your potty all by myself!"
Now of course, the toilet had been flushed, so I had no proof if it actually happened. I asked him if he went standing up to sitting (we had been working on both, but he's not quite tall enough yet). He said he stood on his stool. I asked him if any drips got on the potty or the floor. (still wondering if this actually happened). He said, "Yes, but I wiped it w/ my shirt"....oh Levi!!! :-)
And THAT was the day that Levi decided that he would go potty all by himself! We have had less than 5 accidents since that day a month ago! Even overnight, he wears underwear and wakes up dry! Praise the Lord!

Tears

Silent protest

Also, in May, we enjoyed strawberries from our own garden!! The previous owner had planted a strawberry patch either last year or perhaps the year before, and we got to enjoy them this spring!