Independence Day

Guess what we're celebrating? Independence Day. I know the official holiday has come and gone. But we're celebrating in the Lindsey household because it was the first official day of potty-training, and we did it. I'm fine with adding the "we" in there, even though it is Eli who actually does the pottying. There's enough teaching, prayer, and patience on the parent side of it to make it an accomplishment for the whole family.
We kind of worked in lots of elements that Eli is interested in. He's very practical, so I told him when he woke up that we were out of diapers. "That's okay Mama, you can just go to Target and get some more." Okay, really practical. He was outside swimming in his little pool when I told him that I need him to water some plants with his potty. He did. Twice. That's when I knew he had a decent handle on his bodily functions. So, on the 4th, he was standing in front of the toilet, and I'm trying to get him to pee. "Eli, go potty just like you did when you watered the plants." "I can't Mama." I picked a leaf off of some plants on the window sill, dropped it in the toilet, and told him that the leaf needed some water. (I was hoping he wouldn't get too practical again and tell me it was already in water.) Presto! He peed. And he was off to a great start, collecting truck stickers, peeing and pooping his way toward golf clubs "like Tiger has" and a fishing pole, "like George does". As in Curious George.

So Eli is happily strutting around, declaring to friends and strangers alike "I am big now! I wear big boy underwear," swinging his new (plastic) golf clubs and catching (plastic) fish with his (plastic) fishing pole. We have plenty of birthdays to upgrade to the real thing if he's still interested. Diaper free birthdays.