Our dirty little secret...

We have a little secret here at casa de phillips...

Evelyn is not potty trained.

Correction...Evelyn was not potty trained until New Year's Day.

In four months, Miss E. will be three years old (it pains me to type that). Before she turned two, she was wearing underwear on a regular basis. Just like when Isaac was a toddler, I noticed that E. diaper was always dry while she was awake. Thinking she was ready for potty training, I picked up some princess undergarments at the local retail store and plopped her down on the potty.

Nothing happened.

This scenario (or lack of) repeated itself for the next eight months.

E. would wear underwear all the time (except when sleeping). E. would hardly ever have accidents (I can think of four total in the eight month span). E. would sit on the potty when asked. E. understood the mechanics of using the bathroom (one of the blessings of having children close in age). E. understood what it felt like to need to use the bathroom. Yet E. would never "produce" anything on her potty.

The child has a bladder of steel...and a stubborn streak the size of Texas.

Knowing my child and her tendency to do the complete opposite of what is asked of her, we did not force the issue. She continued to wear underwear, she continued to not have accidents and she continued to wait until she had a diaper on at naptime or bedtime to accomplish her business.

Until New Year's Day.

The family had just gone and had our first family movie theater experience. We were on our way home from this lovely experience when a little voice piped up from the backseat, "Mommy, do I have on a pull-up?" (When out for long periods of time, we put her in a pull-up just in case...but it is always dry). I quickly asked her if she had to use the bathroom. Knowing we were mere minutes from home, I pulled one of the best tricks a parent can pull out of their hat.

Bribery.

"E., wait to use the bathroom at home and I will buy you a princess toy."

Amazingly, the child did what her mother asked and waited (princess toys are a big currency to her). The husband wheeled the car into the driveway, I pulled E. out of her car seat and rushed her into the house all the while my parents are wondering why we had suddenly become a tad insane (they were behind us in their car). I plopped Miss E down on the potty....and it happened.

The child used the potty.

Much cheering, clapping, and dancing followed.

Everyone had to examine the "results". Everyone had to make a comment about it. Everyone had to give E. a hug.

Then this mama had to make a mad dash to Target in search of a princess toy (Thank you, clearance section, for meeting my needs).

Since then, Miss E. is a potty trained pro. She goes when she needs to. We all still stand around and cheer. Then we continue on with our day.

Isaac has gotten in on the action as well, encouraging his sister in her new-found skills in ways that only a brother can...by having races to see whose "results" can happen the fastest and in the most quantity. I have overheard the two discussing said contest (it has a name, which I refuse to type in fear of the google hits it may generate) in detail on more than one occasion.

Parenting is such fun some days, isn't it?

What is your family's "dirty" little secret? You know you wanna share...