Boot Camp

I wish that the title of this post was a hint at some amazing fitness program I was starting.

But it's not. I still consider my work-out the walk to daycare, lifting my 32 pound child and an occasional run I manage to sneak in.

No, this weekend was a whole different kind of boot camp. Potty Boot Camp.

Let me set the stage for you. It's Friday Night. Nate and I are discussing whether or not this was going to be the weekend or not. We realize that this is the last weekend until like September that we have NO plans. ZERO. 

We begin to look for reasons to not do this potty training craziness.

We couldn't come up with any of substance.

And so we plunged in. We did zero research, so we probably messed some stuff up. 

Ok, lots of stuff up.

And I'm going to be honest, at the end of the first day, we ALL looked like this.

But, even though it was a TON of work. Way more than we anticipated, we had success in the first day. And the second day we had even more success, probably because we were more in tune with what Matilda wanted/needed.

For example: Day one, we were reading, playing, etc trying to get her to not think about it and just sit on the potty and go. But what she REALLY wanted was to be pseudo left alone. The girl doesn't want an audience. I can't really blame her.

 And I think she was as sick of hearing "Matilda, do you have to go potty?", as we were saying it. At the end of each day, Nate and I could barely even muster up enough energy to sit and watch a TV show. Not that it was so physically exhausting, but you literally had to be dialed in and focused on this child 100% of the time (and did I mention our typically amazing napper woke up after an hour BOTH days crying and wouldn't go back down).

Tired, crabby, potty training. Not the best combo.

PLUS, the weather in Minneapolis was sublime this weekend. And we were 100% homebound. Indoor homebound.

We tried going outside the first day and it was a huge mistake. So we stayed inside and opined about the weather.

And then last night, after a string of successes, we went out side. And it was glorious.

Matilda high-tailed her nudey butt out and took off to mow the lawn.

I think Nate and I learned that we may be a little to blame for Matilda's inability to stay at home without becoming bored, because we were DYING being at home all day. What can I say? We are a family that likes to get out. 

Which should prove interesting as we now will be keeping tabs on every public restroom possible.

After we put Tillie down last night, I did have a pang of "I"m not ready for this"....and while I articulated it as the work of always making sure she has gone potty before we go somewhere, etc, I think in reality I am not ready to admit that Matilda is getting bigger, older, more independent again. 

Another sign that she isn't a baby anymore, doesn't need us quite as much, and is going to be flying the nest all too soon.