Ages & Stages (a TMI post)

No pics for this post... ;)
We have started a tentative potty training program w/ K. He keeps his diaper dry through the night, so I've started putting him on the potty before his bath. He protested the first time. Then I started letting him play with bath toys while on the potty. M was so easy. She was trained by 22mo. Shortly after J was born. She loved to read & sing. So, we spent lots of time in the bathroom. J was another story. He didn't have time to sit. So, he was potty trained by 3. We learned a few things, the obvious (not the physical) boys & girls are different & each child is different. We're not pushing anything, by any means, with K...we're subtly encouraging, but not pushing. I am a firm believer of "it will happen when it happens". I don't have the energy to push it anyhow. So, tonight, K was showing signs of going potty & I asked him if he wanted to go potty on the toilet. Typically, any sentence with the word "go" in it has him racing to the gate. I was sure that's where he would head. Nope! He ran to the bathroom & started tugging at his diaper! I was ecstatic & E was looking at me like I was nuts! (I am so ready to be done with diapers!). I put him on the potty & he started to protest...stopped & went potty! We throw HUGE parties in our house during potty training, (we have a song & a dance). Yes, they are "potty parties". So, E came in...high fived K. We got him off of the toilet & the big kids were high fiving him. Yes, this is the novelty part of potty training, (for both of us). It hasn't hit the frustrating part...I am dreading that & the, "we have to go potty in every public restroom" stage. (I ended up making M like me, germaphobe, during that stage...I'm ok w/ that). K ended up running to the bathroom by himself later in the evening. It took me a minute to figure out why he would be standing in the hallway. I opened the door & put him on...gave him a few toys & he went again! We had a HUGE potty party! J was running around screaming, "K went potty He (sissy)! I love that the kids celebrate each others successes. I am praying that K wants to be a big boy & will potty train early. I'm not holding my breath, but wouldn't that be so nice! So, I had to journal this, so that I can look back, when I am frustrated (& beyond) & remember how excited I was. Ha! K really is getting so big. No longer a baby.... I don't give him enough credit. I'll tell him to go find something & he'll bring it back to me. He likes to pick up paper napkins that the big kids have dropped & put them into the garbage. I don't realize how much he picks up on just by watching. He knows how to turn the TV off & on & knows how to work the Wii. I was on the phone the other day. I was doing laundry & he was "helping". I was half paying attention while he was picking up socks. Then, I realized that he was heading toward the bathroom...he got in there & tossed something into the toilet before I could catch him. I look in & realize that he threw M's sock in. I start cracking up, (I have 3 kids...it doesn't really make me happy, but what else can you do?). It's also ironic cuz M is the child that is always missing socks. E didn't think that it was as funny as I did. J went through a stage of throwing EVERYTHING in the bathroom into the toilet. Nothing could be left on the counter, or in the bathtub, or it would end up in the toilet. I don't know how many matchbox cars I fished out of there. I don't want to go back to that stage! Did I mention that I am a germaphobe? Okey doke...I'm headed to play M's DS in bed! I might have to pry it away from E!