Potty Update

You're dying to know, about Kathryn, aren't you?? Today was the day. I woke up and decided we can't wait till we get home. I walked in her room and said "Kathryn, today--no more diapers." Kathryn in all her drama, upon the announcement, replied “Oh, mommy, that makes me really sad.” But I must grant her that diapers have been with her for her entire life, so it might be some kind of traumatic event to part with them. But she is more than ready. This has been a long time in coming. Then she asked me if she could help me throw them away. So, that’s what we did. (I later recovered them of course.) We saved one for nap time and bedtime, but as far as she knows, no more diapers her size exist in the world.

At breakfast (7:30) she drank all her apple juice, an orange juice box, and some sprite. So it HAS to come out, right? So I keep waiting. 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10… still claiming she doesn’t need to go. Another 30 minutes, and she says her tummy hurts. I bet it did, holding all that in! At 10:45, she sat down and started going tee-tee. I’m not joking—she went for the next 30 minutes, a tablespoon at a time. She got a big kick out of emptying the potty each time. All of this tells me that she has extremely good bladder control, because she could hold it, and could also go a small bit at a time. So this morning went well!

So, between all the juice and sprite, reward treats, and the half a jar of jelly she ate while I was washing the dishes at lunch time, how many grams of sugar do you think she has consumed today?? Tee-tee in the potty makes it all worthwhile.

This Child is Ready to Use the Potty

All right, that does it, no more diapers for Kathryn…as soon as we get home! This is the kind of entry that she would die of embarrassment when she’s 13, but I doubt this blog thing will really stay around for that long.

If any of you have been around us much lately, you know that potty training has been a major ordeal with Kathryn. This otherwise brilliant child has been completely resistant to any suggestion of giving up her beloved diapers, at least until kindergarten. Just after she turned 3, (since she knew that big 3 year old girls used the potty), she told me, “Mommy, I am a big girl, but not a really big girl. So maybe I’ll use the potty when I’m 5 years old.”

Truth be told, the first time Kathryn used the potty, (a fluke though it may have been) was at 18 months. Shortly before Ellie was born, she showed an interest, we bought a potty, and wallah!, we had tee-tee. But everyone said “Don’t try to potty-train when you have a new baby.” “Don’t try potty training when you’re moving.” “Don’t try potty training when there is any major change in your home.” So facing all of the above, we put the potty away. A big mistake, I’m afraid!

Now, I've realized that if I wait for a time in our lives where there is no travel, no change or "newness", then she truly will be 5 before she is diaper-free. But this dialogue has caused mommy to draw a line in the sand.

“Kathryn, do you need to go poo-poo?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, great! Let’s go sit on the potty!”

“No thanks. I want to go in my diaper.”

(A minute passes.)

“Kathryn, are you done going potty?”

“No, there’s more coming. Don’t worry mommy, I’ll tell you when I’m done.”

(Another minute)

“Kathryn, are you done now?”

“Not yet…See, mommy, first comes the poo-poo, and then comes the tee-tee that makes it all wet…See, here it comes!... Ok, mommy, all done! You can change my diaper now!”

I know you'll want an update, so don't worry, I'll keep you posted.

Food for Thought

"The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing. What you desire ardently, as yet you do not see." -Augustine

"Hope, in its properly Christian sense, means a sure and confident expectation that what has been promised to us will finally blossom in all its wonderful glory." -Alister McGrath

"We are starved for the glory of God, not self. No one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase self-esteem. Why do we go? Because there is a greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self." -John Piper

"In the gospel, we see and savor the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And this kind of 'seeing' is the healing of our disordered lives." -John Piper

These Things I Love About China...

*This morning, after dropping Kathryn off with a friend, I came home and broke the key off in our door. After a brief moment of panic I went to the gate guard, and he called a locksmith. "It'll be 4 mintues." I braced myself for a long wait. Really it was only about 10. Within 30 minutes, and a mere $10 later, I was back inside. Can't beat that!

*Being a Texan, I have to mention this. Right outside our back gate in this city, there is a wonderful yet unusual sight-- "Peter's Tex-Mex Grill." I'm not kidding. And you know, it's not that bad. The best part is, the most expensive thing on the menu, fajitas, is $6. No, I take that back. The best part is the chocolate-peanut butter milkshakes. No, truly, the best part is free delivery!

*Although this desire for Mexican food will always be with me no matter where I live, I can say since we’ve returned that even Singapore is a poor (albeit expensive!) substitute for real Chinese food. As I was talking about hopes for connecting Kathryn to the culture, a wise friend suggested that I try to do this through food. Why didn’t I think of that?? So winding my way through the Chinese grocery store, I decided to go for the Chinese snacks rather than your typical crackers. Now, she loves red bean paste buns. Better than that, she keeps asking for more yummy Chinese treats. Thanks, Ann, it’s working!

More to come…