The Horrible Potty Training Epic, Day 4 Summary. OR, Laughter, the Best Medicine

It's 8:15 pm; the girls are bathed and I am nursing Cosette before putting her to sleep. From where I am sitting in Cosette's room, I can hear Greg trying to convince Juliette to sit on the potty. She is resisting, running around half naked- I can't see her but I know it is true. We are getting to the point where if I ask her if she has to go on the potty she shouts "No!", runs away, and cries if I try to carry into her in bathroom. Sometimes I know she really does have to go- for example, first thing in the morning after waking up dry- but convincing her is another matter.

Things are different at daycare, however. Sometimes, peer pressure is a good thing. Today, she didn't soil a single pair of pants. She even went poopy on the potty- a huge breakthrough. Those daycare teachers don't get paid enough, though; apparently Juliette had just gotten dressed in all the snow gear to go out and play (while we were preocuppied with underwear and toilets and laundry this weekend, there was a blizzard outside dumping a foot of snow on us)when she started crying "I have to go poops! It's coming out right now!" Her teacher quickly stripped her naked and sat her on the potty, but apparently there was no need to rush. Juliette was a little bit constipated- no doubt in part due to all the pressure. Her teacher hugged her, rubbed her back, and offered encouragement, all while Juliette was trying to- um, how to put this politely- have a "BM". This is the term they use at school. Isn't it civilized and sterile?

So we were planning a celebration as we drove home with my big tote bag empty of dirty underwear. Juliette asked for a treat-meaning a piece of chocolate- and I agreed. So when we get home, she runs in, announces to Daddy what a great day she had, gets a piece of chocolate, walks over to the TV to watch DragonTales. And promptly pees in her pants.

Later, I am getting Cosette ready for the bath, when I hear Juliette crying "I have to go poops!" I hastily grab a half undressed Cosette off the changing table and run into Juliette's room where I see her naked butt hobbling towards the bathroom. Behind her is a trail- her pants, then her underwear- with a steaming pile of poop in it. She is holding in one last piece of poop, squeezed tight between her buttcheeks, and when she finally makes it to the potty she sits down and it falls in with a hard "thump." Juliette proudly announces "I did it! I went poopies on the potty!"

Then I have to explain to her why that doesn't really count.

So now, a little while later after the mess is cleaned, the girls are bathed, and Greg is dealing with it for a little while, I am happy to just sit in the dark with Cosette for a few minutes. She is in a good mood- she is smiling at me with one of those grins that lights up her whole face. I'm not sure why she is so happy, but her grin is infectious and I start to smile back. Then, through her smile, I hear a loud "Bwwwaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrp." The burp rocks her back a little, but she doesn't stop smiling. I can't help myself- I start laughing. Cosette looks at me with that big smile, and as I continue to laugh she starts to laugh too. And we sit there in the dark for a full 10 minutes, laughing together.

By the time I pull myself together, my stomach hurts and my eyes are running, but I feel good. I put Cosette in her crib- she is still smiling- and walk out to where Greg is picking up all the scattered toys in the playroom. He asks "What was so funny in there?"

What can I say? Cosette burped? Juliette pooped? How juvenile it sounds! But sometimes you have to laugh or you're going to cry, and laughter sure is a lot more fun.