Potty-ers In Training

So - you know that joke about psychiatrists and how they think everything is related to potty-training mishaps?

Just keep that in mind...

Today Abby went to school for the first time since we began potty-training. I began talking to her about it on Monday, hoping to have it in her psyche by Wednesday. I have told her a million times "When you're at school, if you have to go potty, you tell Miss Laura and she'll take you to the potty, okay?" And surprisingly, she seemed very enthusiastic about this idea, probably because she adores Miss Laura. :)

So today we packed up her school bag and her potty-chair-seat and headed to school. We left early so we could use the school potty (so it wouldn't be a new experience to her). While we were pottying, I reminded her that if she needed to go potty, she just had to tell Miss Laura and she would help her.

Every time I tell Abby we're going to go sit on the potty, she looks at me wide-eyed and says, "I fall in!" And every time I remind her, "You're not going to fall in, the potty chair holds you up, and I'm right here."

So when I turned her over to Miss Laura, along with her potty chair, I explained the situation, adding that Abby always expressed fear at falling in, but I just reassured her, etc. Miss Laura laughed and assured me that she could handle it.

When I went back to pick her up, Laura met me at the door with a guilty look.

"I may have done a bad thing..." she began.

Turns out she took Abby to the potty, reassured her that she would not fall in, and unfolded the potty chair. However, not understanding how it worked (??? Still can't figure out why not, it's not that complicated, lol) she put it on the potty upside down, and as soon as she set Abby on it, Abby FELL RIGHT IN!

I was trying so hard not to laugh as she explained quickly that she immediately rescued Abby, then cleaned her and the potty chair off, righted it, and Abby sat on it again and went. I figured she couldn't be too traumatised if she'd gone on it again.

Abby noticed I was here and came running over. I picked her up, and she looked at me reproachfully.

"I FALL IN," she told me gravely. "MISS LAURA fall me in!"

To My Little Color-Bringer

It's been so gray, drizzly, and dreary lately. The sky has been clouded over with sad stubborn clouds that strive to block the sun even as they refuse to drip drops of life-bringing water. I looked outside and sighed to myself that it makes me feel like I'm living in a black-and-white movie. But today you wore your deep pink top with orange sleeves and polka dots, and your little fuschia coat to match. At my house, you found your old giraffe, the yellow one with orange and red spots, and carried it around in a big hug, chanting softly, "g'raffe, g'raffe, g'raffe." There is no black and white in your presence. It's all color.

Some day you might read this, and I want you to know that you're the color-bringer in my world. The world might be a blank coloring book sometimes, but you're the one who fills up the lines and brings depth and dimension to life. My biggest wish is that I get to be around for the rest of your life, because I know that all the moments of your life are going to be amazing!