AWOL

Apologies for my absence: I've been potty training.  These past few weeks have tested my parenting mettle like none other: how to encourage without pressuring yet subtly conveying to The Boy that he HAD to use the potty if he wanted to keep going to school (and he really likes school).

Mostly, he's been successful (I wonder if I can find balloons to mark this milestone).  He's been in underwear during the day for two weeks and though he usually has at least one accident everyday, he saves those accidents for home. 

It has been draining for us both.

*****

We have an offer on the apartment.  It is both a relief (every conversation with our lawyer seems to conclude with him saying, "Do you know how bad the market is?) and a disappointment, as this makes our exodus complete.  We're trying desperately to get to contract.  We'll see.

*****

Now 16 months, The Girl is at a hilarious and frustrating stage where she is trying so hard to communicate and yet falls just short of making herself understood much of the time.  My favorite of her behaviors:

• She stands in front of the CD player and points at it, shaking her hips from side to side to let us know that it is time to dance
• She loves to jump and though she has yet to succeed in getting both feet off the floor at once, after each earth-bound attempt, she congratulates herself by clapping and yelling, "Yay!"

My least favorite behavior: 

• She is routinely up at 5:30 a.m., loudly demanding a bottle.

***** 

I have yet to really find my groove here.  One by one, the days are not so bad, but I still often feel like I'm in survival mode.  If this deal with the apartment does go through, we will have to make some more permanent decisions about where we end up.  It more than likely won't be here and wondering where it will be makes me tired.

How are you?

Comments

[Sarah]

Thanks for checkign in. A big change like this, mixed with all the others, can feel like a continual washing machine cycle. Take care.

[caramama]

Potty training does not sound fun. I hope he gets it completely soon. "(I wonder if I can find balloons to mark this milestone)" Bwahahahah!

Love the cute stories of The Girl!

And congrats and I'm sorry about the apartment.

You do have a lot going on, don't you?

[May]

Wow. I'm exhausted just reading that.

When we moved to Hell And Gone Out Here, it took 9 months to sell the old condo. I felt MUCH better about everything afterwards. May you find the same relief soon.

[Toni]

I can't even begin to understand the pain you are going through - I was blessed with a bad memory (which includes past potty training). Highly suggest figuring out a way to get a bad memory :)

Glad that you checked in! I missed you. Good luck on the future decisions. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the place sells.

[Megan]

Good to hear from you! Glad to hear about the Boy's potty successes, and that the Girl's endearing behaviors outnumber the non. Hang in there with the sale, and the figuring out what's next. It's so, so hard. We're expecting #3 any day now, and hoping that we can somehow survive in our apt here. Did you see the NYT article a week or so ago about families of 4 squeezing into 1 bedroom apts...? Maybe it would either make you feel better about your move, or re-inspire you to consider the land of few balloons! Take good care.

[Christine]

http://balloons-sacramento.com/images/jpeg/toilet%20web.jpg

Too much?

[Jennifer]

Good to see you posting again!

If you ever find the energy to pass along some tips on how that potty training actually worked I'd love to hear....I've often thought your boy and my boy sounded similar in a lot of ways and although my boy has been clean for most of 2008 he will not attempt underwear and staying dry. Sigh.

We too are suddenly faced with the decision of staying here in our urban neighborhood I love or moving to the burbs where the amount of money we would save annually - because the house we would move to is already owned by my husband's family - is truly staggering. Like truly staggering. I don't know how to make those decisions either.

[Heather]

Good luck with the potty training. Not sure if you're already doing this, but make sure that going to the potty is scheduled when you're home, as it probably is at school. We used to make sure our daughter went to the potty every two hours whether she had to go or not. It was never a question. If you give them it as a question, the answer will be that no they don't have to go, which is really "No, I don't feel like stopping what I'm doing." LOL.

Good luck about selling the apartment. My fingers will be crossed for you that this goes to contract successfully.

[Sara]

Just finished potty-training and then I decided this week to throw the big girl bed at her. Might as well get all the stress out at once, right? Glad to hear the apartment might be sold, although I am sure the news is bittersweet.

[midlife mommy]

Missed you!

Glad to hear that you have an offer. Yes, the market is bad, but people still buy, and they still get loans, though I understand there are more hoops (like you actually have to have a job, a good credit rating, and the ability to pay the loan back -- what a concept!). I've heard advertisements in my state that urged people not to assume that they can't get credit if they can demonstrate these things, because the fear is partly making things worse.

Glad to hear that potty training is going well.

Take a look at the "Baby Signing Time" DVDs and see if they might be for you. They teach a few basic signs, and they're fun to watch. It helped us get through that very frustrating time.

[liz]

Sending lots of hugs.

[lulu]

1. I feel for you with the potty training. No one warned me what a PAIN in the butt it would be--we are in the middle of that right now.
2. Signing time DVDs rock. Try the library or ithink PBS braodcasts episodes sunday morning.
Glad to see your post.

[Stella]

Man O man am I dreading this potty training BS. On one hand I am sick to death of diapers but on the other I'm really not wanting to deal with crap-filled underwear in the middle of Target, you know? Hoping you will give me some tips!