Potty Training.....arghhh

 I have decided that the key to a successful potty training is a two part process....a potty watch

and mini turtles some turtles....

When it comes to highlights in my life I have many.  The day Jim asked me to marry him, my wedding day, when I found out I was pregnant with Connor, and right up there is when my kids POOP IN THE TOILET ON THEIR OWN!!!  I don't know if the ward you attend has "good news minutes" in relieft society, but if I wasn't in Primary and was able to attend Relief Society, you can rest assured that I'd proudly stand, maybe wipe a tear or two while announcing that Lilly has FINALLY pooped in the toilet!  If you have ever potty trained a child you will find out very fast that it is a very traumatic experience that can only be motivated by the incentive of getting them OUT of diapers.  Nothing short of that would be worth it.  Even that is not worth it some days.  Its like Melissa Wright said, " Its almost like they're tragically losing a part of themselves" by pooping in the toilet.  My kids have always peed in the toilet just fine.  They can do it great, pooping....very scary.  With Connor I got a covetted toy and put it on the counter for him to plainly see and told him that if he pooped in the toilet he could have it, this was of course after painful hours of singing nursery rhymes to him as I tried to coax him the good ole fashion way of sitting on the toilet on the off chance it would occur.  Weeks of that was torture, after he saw the toy...he pooped that next morning.  Done and done.  Lauren, similar situation...had a poop jar of yummy poop treats.  (Both of these children required the added help of Miralax by the way). 

Then, there was my Lilly.  Granted, I'm a titch hasty with her seeing as I have a chance to have a small, yet welcomed break of NO CHILDREN IN DIAPERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 5 YEARS.  I have changed mulitple nastiness for 5 years and I could potentially have a window of a break.  She has been peeing in the toilet for months, but has refused to poop in the toilet.  I've tried both tactics with her, neither were appealing enough.  Then I realized her main weakness in life....animals.  So....I told her that I would buy her a turtle if she pooped in the toilet.  She pooped that morning.  So, being a woman of my word I went out and got Tiny Tim and Marley the mini turtles. 

Then I told her that every time she poops she can take them out and hold them.  Now we've got her siblings cheering her on since I won't let anyone take em out unless she poops.  Its been going much better.  So I attribute the success to the potty watch and some turtles, I like how the a lady at the store informed me that the potty watch that I wear, since she refuses to, is in fact shaped like a toilet....I had never noticed that before which makes this process EXTRA AWESOME!  (Hopefully no one is offended that I am saying "poop" instead of "going #2."  The # sign is too hard to find that many times.  So sorry for anyone that I've offended.  Its a grose word, but lets be honest...its a grose process)