my girl wants to potty all the time

i had a super fun cookie post all ready to share with you today, but it's gonna have to wait. there's something much more important to report - "operation potty bean" is under way!

i think i've mentioned that we've had a potty chair all set up in the bathroom for quite a few weeks now. the bean likes to come in with whoever's going in there to do some bidness, close the door (because we all need privacy, after all), and plunk her little butt down on the seat. she'd pull the lid up and sit down, although she still had a diaper on and we'd talk to her about what was supposed to go on with that thing.

she knows "the toilet song" from blue's clues, has several books about using the potty, etc. and she actually did go in there once before, but nothing regular. she hadn't really shown other signs of being ready for the transition yet, but she's slowly coming around to it. there's a bag of candy sitting on the counter in full view, and whenever she asks for some, we tell her she has to use the potty and she'll get some. yes, we've resorted to bribery. sue me.

so yesterday, i was sitting at work, bored off my ass and trying to look busy when i'm really not, when my phone rang. MIL rarely calls me when i'm at the office, so when i saw her name come up on the screen, i rushed to pick it up.

MIL: "hi! sorry to bother you, but - oh, wait. let me see if she'll tell you the news."
the bean: "mom! mom! emenemenemens!"

and then i knew exactly what had happened (as i'm sure you do) - she'd finally had some potty chair action and been rewarded with a handful of m&ms. as she chewed and talked, i laughed and clapped, totally excited and slightly bummed not to be there for the big event. okay, i was super duper sad that i wasn't present to give her lots of hugs and heaping praise. um, and take pictures.

this morning, when she woke up, after all of the "good morning" hugs and kisses, i took her into the bathroom, pulled off her diaper, and had her sit on the potty.

she pointed to the toilet. "mom! sit down," she commanded. i did as i was told, and then we sat together and chatted about fun stuff, like chocolate milk, mallow cereal (lucky charms, her favorite), monsters, inc. (her current favorite movie), and how molly had been a bad dog last night. i'd gotten up to find that the bitch had pushed the trash can just enough to give her access and then dug in there for buried treasure. ugh.

and just a minute or two later, i heard it - the magical sound of pee hitting plastic. whee!

she looked up at me and said "emenemenemens?"

and although it was bright and early, before breakfast, i knew i had to follow through with the prize. but first things first - we got her dressed and handled something else that's fun and fairly new: brushing her teeth with her "wah-melon too-paste."

once the morning rituals were done and over with, she eagerly sat in her high chair and happily accepted her potty present:

i gave her two little morsels, and she was one happy camper.

i hope the rest of the training process goes as well as this has. the teen was wonderfully easy to transition out of diapers, so hopefully it'll be just as easy with the bean. she seems to get a kick out of watching us empty the potty into the toilet and then bidding a fond farewell as we flush, waving and chirping "bye-bye!" well, and those m&ms don't hurt, either.

here's something else that cracks me up to no end. i'll probably go to hell for it, but whatever.

oh, man. too freaking funny.