Tales from Potty Training

WARNING, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH OR ARE EATING.



I don't know why I thought Finn would be easier to potty train than my other boys. He is more aware, but still not any more compliant than the others. Although he pooped on the potty once in the last week, the rest of his BMs have been in inappropriate places. (Kitchen floor, diaper, carpet, underwear x 4, etc)

Tonight was the worst though. Finn has been running around naked the last few weeks for potty training purposes. Anyway, tonight he started yelling from my room about poop. So I ran at the speed of light to see where he had dropped his deuce and found him sitting in our bathroom sink! Sure enough, as I pick him up he starts to cough and gag (remember this is the kid who vomits when he smells his own poop) and lest we have a bigger mess on my JUST CLEANED PORCELAIN VANITY I plop him on the potty and go to recruit Mark to clean up the mess. In the meantime, Finn ignores my request to sit still on the potty and comes marching out with you-know-what hanging from his bum. When asked "Where does your poop go, Finn?" he replies, "In the potty" with the mischievous little smile of a child who knows better.

The ironic part is when Mark figures out what's going on, he starts laughing hysterically and the other kids can't figure out what's so funny.

The bathroom sink?

Seriously?

Where's the strangest place you or your kid has ever pooped?

Finn: AKA "The Pill"

*Warning, this post involves a poop story. Read at your own risk.

We don't really call him The Pill, but I do refer to him as my birth control. In the last few weeks, Finn has become the most destructive force in our home.
1. He broke our TV (yes, it cost more than I care to admit, but we thought it would last for a year).
2. He toasted metal measuring spoons and broke the toaster. *(I know a 2 year old should not be near a toaster, it was actually the 4 year old who was toasting and Finn jumped in to help).
3. Today, while trying to be helpful with his potty training, he attempted to empty his poop from the potty bowl into the toilet, but his gag reflex is very sensitive, so he ended up barfing all over the bathroom floor. Thank heavens Mark cleaned it all up. By the way, no one was in the bathroom to see this, we just deduced it from the clues. Finn was just walking around (not wiped yet) the house cool as a cucumber. No big deal.

Mark has started calling Finn a raptor (think Jurassic Park) because he constantly adapts to get into things. He was standing on the counter trying to get candy on the fridge the other day. I can't remember all of the other things on my list but actually as I'm reading what I've written, it occurs to me that Finn isn't the problem, it's his parental supervision that is the problem. :(

I guess that's birth control enough.

Motherhood Summed up in a Morning

*Warning. Potentially Disturbing Images Below.*
This morning was a bit of a rollercoaster, the exact kind that motherhood is every day, week, and month.

The kids were cuter than usual, snuggling in my bed and sharing toys (gasp!).

Mark cuddled with Finley, breathing in his soft hair and drinking in his sweet babyness. While holding Finn, Mark says, "This is like recharing a battery, my battery."
Indeed. Baby love is the best recharger I know.

Then, I changed Finn's diaper to discover a terrible diaper rash. After rinsing him in the tub, I let him play naked for a while, so it could air-out.

I did the boys' infusions, then started to get Jaxon ready for school when I walked by the train table and saw . . .
Finley standing in his own POOP!

Seriously, so disturbing. I went into poop emergency 911 mode. I stuck him in the shower, then the bath again, the dressed him and put him in his crib so I could clean up the mess.

In the midst of this, I let Jaxon head to school without knowing if he had shoes on or had even brushed his teeth. I'm sure his hair was not styled. Asher, meanwhile kept screaming for me to put a movie on, so I pushed play with my knuckle in between scrubbing the carpet.

Anyway, it was totally disgusting. I haven't had to do this in quite a while, and it seems rather ironic that I shampooed the carpet 2 weeks ago.

Oh well. This is the life of motherhood. Cuteness, love, and poop.
And it all happened before 8:15 AM.