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Saturday, June 18, 2016

The Great Potty Training Saga, Part: I don't even know anymore

So, it seems like we've been at this for ages, but the truth is, I haven't really started potty training. Not really. We were doing great with it, and then, I don't know, life and laziness got in the way, Mr. Wolfman and I were inconsistent, the monster mostly lost interest (although he did ask to go in the middle of going to sleep and then emptied his entire bladder - and then some - into the potty chair). And then all my attempts to start over and go hardcore have fallen flat.

So, since I tend to flake out most of the way through one day, I bought Oh Crap! Potty Training for motivation. I read the first half of it in a day, expecting to start this week. I was all geared up, full of resolve - and I was explaining, once more, to Mr. Wolfman that the monster and I won't be able to leave the house at first and then only tiny outings for a bit, he says, "Does that mean we're not going to [fun family event that would normally be prohibitively expensive but is free for one day only this summer]?" So now we're starting this week.

Yesterday, we bought our last pack of diapers. We'll use them until P Day and then for overnights until we run out, and then, that's it. I actually cried when we put them in the shopping cart. I tried to argue that we needed ones with fun characters, because they're the last diapers he'll ever wear. I'm so not ready for him to stop being a baby.

But, the thing is, he is ready. He is done being a baby, and is well on his way to being a rambunctious little gentleman. Today, while he was on the toilet and I was in the other room, he had the opportunity to live out the cliche of the toddler who spreads his poop all over the walls when the Mum (somewhat naively) leaves him alone with no diaper. Instead, I heard a somewhat distressed call of "Wipe, wipe," and went in to find him with poop on his fingers, looking utterly disgusted and holding the offending hand as far away from himself (and everything else) as possible.

So, once again, I'm beginning the countdown. Tuesday, the diapers go away. For good.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Genius Toddler, Part 1: Drawing Things, Counting & Knowing Stuff

So, I was going to do another Genius Baby post, but it occurs to me that my little monster isn't really a baby anymore. He's growing up so damned fast. Maybe a little too fast. Slow down, kid.

It was actually a few months ago that he drew his first thing. Which was the sun. Which I know only because he told me. Since then, he's been content just to scribble. Until yesterday, when he drew a plane. To be clear, this plane is also a big scribble. But one which, to him, represents a plane. I have no idea when kids are "supposed" to be able to draw actual things, He may be right on track, hell, he might even be behind. But, biased as I am, I'm still super impressed.

Also, he can recite numbers up to 6, read numbers up to 7 and count actual objects up to 3. I read that the actual understanding of what numbers represent comes between age two and three, so I guess he's a little ahead of the game there.

With letters, he can read a bunch phonetically, although to be fair, he does get P and B mixed up, especially when they're lowercase. F is by far the easiest to recognize, but 9 times out of 10, he gets U, O, R, C, M & N right, too.  A few weeks ago, he read a sign that says "fox" out loud, but I'm pretty certain he recognized the shape of the word, rather than reading it; it was in a similar font to one of his books. Mr. Wolfman has asked me why I'm teaching him this stuff so young, but honestly, it's because he wants to learn. The monster points out every letter he sees and when we sit to colour, he asks me to draw letters (sometimes specific ones, sometimes he points to the paper and says "Lett-er!") over and over.

Probably my favourite accomplishment of his in the past little while: he now uses the word "Me". Like when he wants something "Me! Me!" I know that one is right on par for his age, but for him to have such a clear understanding of himself and how he's separate from others is so super cool.

It's astounding to me how fast he's learning and growing.




Saturday, June 4, 2016

Conversations with my Monster, Part 8.

LM: What the hell? What the heh-ell?Whatthehell? Heh-ell. What the heh-ell?

Me: Monster, don't say that. That's a silly thing to say.

LM: Fuck!


Yep, mother of the year, me.