I think this is just the worst thing ever… I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.. or am I doing anything right? 

The girls have been doing so well in their potty training.. and today I just want to cry… They haven’t used the potty once.. They’ve both gone in their underwear all day. I’ve stopped them and asked them to try using the toilet… They won’t go… then 5 mins later, they’ll have peed or pooped in their underwear… I’m seriously tired today!!! 

I finally put them in pull ups because I just got so tired of following after them with the steam cleaner… Well, I’m out of solution too.. I need to buy more.. I just don’t get it… 

Yesterday, they did so well.. Even at the gym… I went through a 1 hour water aerobics class, and then 2 miles on the treadmill and heard nothing from the day care. When I went to pick them up, I found out that they both used the toilet all morning. I was so happy! Today, however, they’ve been just the opposite.. and we’ve been home all day! 

I’ve tried it all.. Sticker charts, bribing w/ Jelly Belly’s, positive praise, you name it.. I’ve tried it… I’m getting so flustered… What did you do?? Help!

Poopie comes out.”

Yes.. My daughter said that.

Let’s go back to this morning. We were on our way to the gym, and Monkey See asks me if she can go to the potty at daycare. “Of course sweetie! You just need to let your teacher know that you have to go!”. “Oh, Okay Mommy. I can do that.” with a huge smile on her face. 

Since the whole potty training began, I have lost count of how many times the potty is flushed downstairs. Luckily, I’ve only had to do one load of laundry to wash the extra panties. They’ve only had one accident each per day still.  I’m seriously amazed! They’re doing really well with keeping up on the potty. 

Once we got home from the gym and Sam’s club, they went down for a nap. I was really hoping for a nice long nap like usual, but no. Monkey See woke up after about 30 minutes crying. I ran upstairs to check on her, and she said she had to go potty. Up she goes out of her bed, and running to the potty. Sure enough.. she had a lot to let out… We got her dressed back up and back in bed. She was asleep in a few minutes. Monkey Do woke up about 20 minutes later. She needed to go potty… Ok.. Potty… Let’s go.. She did a little. I tried to put her back in bed, but she fought me a little more. I finally talked her into trying to go back to sleep. It didn’t work. She was quiet for a little bit, but then out of nowhere I hear “TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR… ” I jumped up and ran upstairs… “Shh honey. Sister’s asleep! You should be sleeping too.” “No mommy, I’m all done.”  ”Ok, Ok, let’s go to mommy’s room and lay down. Maybe you can fall asleep in Mommy’s bed.” In my dreams… She got my iPhone and watched video after video. I now know the entire Dora’s Fairy Tale Adventure by heart. But, no more sleep. Monkey Do refused to sleep. The cutest thing though. While I lay down in bed next to her just relaxing, she held my hand while she watched her Wonder Pets and snuggled with her Pooh Bear… I don’t know why, but it was the sweetest thing. 

Daddy got home early and surprised us. Monkey Do was happy to see him. She cheerfully announced that she was laying in his spot.. Monkey See was still peacefully sleeping in her room. We all talked about going out to a couple of stores, and then going out for dinner. Once we figured everything out, we woke up Monkey See and she was so happy! She needed that sleep!

We were out and about tonight, returning some clothes that I bought on a whim… All of which were just too tight. I swear XL now isn’t what it used to be… UGH. I just don’t get it. Why must everything be so small now? Don’t the people who make clothing know that a woman who carried a baby or two isn’t made in the form of Barbie anymore? Especially since we don’t have the money for the supreme personal trainers of the stars… I can’t stand shopping for clothes anymore. Things that used to fit me don’t anymore. Ah.. but such is the life of a mommy… That extra belly skin just covered in those zebra stripes is my badge of honor… Just not planning on showing it off to anyone except my hubby.. and well.. even that’s hard to do anymore. 

Anyway.. back to the original topic… So we were out on the town, and we decided to stop at our favorite local Teriyaki restaurant, Teriyaki Time. Of course, the second we get in the door, Monkey See starts off with “Mommy! I need to go potty!”… I take her to the potty, and sure enough, Monkey Do follows. Right now I should be really excited that they’re telling me they need to potty… No, I’m tired, exhausted, and really just annoyed at all the Mommy, I need to go potty’s that end up with nothing. I hurry them up and get them to try to potty, wash hands, and then meet daddy out at a table. Luckily he knew exactly what I wanted to eat, so everything was ordered and cooking when we got out. No sooner had the food been served than the girls decided again that they had to potty yet again. This time, they did. Thank goodness… Finally we could all sit down to eat… for about 5 minutes. Monkey See thought she’d have to go again. Monkey Do jumped up to follow. This happened a couple of times through dinner, turning a 20-30 minute dinner into nearly an hour. Daddy and I took turns taking the girls to the potty throughout dinner… 

One of the last times they had to go, Daddy comes out of the restroom just laughing… He tells me that Monkey See told him our phrase of the day… I just had to laugh. People in the restaurant just looked at me laughing my tail off… They wouldn’t understand. Well, maybe they would… Ahhh.. the joys of being a parent.. No, Really… I get the best laughs when I’m with my girls… Who wouldn’t!?!?!

Well, we’re on Potty Training Day 2… and we’re not doing too badly. It’s been crazy in the mornings. I went to yoga this morning, and they were in a pull up… as soon as we got home, i changed them, and we ate lunch.. Then it was nap time… As much as I would love to, I still had them in a pull up while they slept… 

When they woke up, it was panty time! We did it the same as yesterday.. I figured if we could get it down in the afternoons, I could move up from there. Tomorrow will be a day at home as far as I know… so we’ll be using the panties all day (except for nap)… 

I started off by giving them a Jelly Belly every time they used the potty… but it got crazy.. They’d run into the bathroom every 2 minutes and say they had to pee… Poor Monkey See wouldn’t get off the potty because she wanted a Jelly Bean so badly. She saw sister had one… and she was bound and determined to get one too. I really saw major disappointment in her face when she didn’t get one. I felt so bad. I couldn’t just give her one, as that would just ruin the whole reasoning behind getting one in the first place. I’ve since changed the whole system. I made up some calender charts for them, and found some really cute stickers at WalMart on Monday. Now, they get a sticker every time they use the potty, and after dinner, we count up all of the stickers, and that’s how many Jelly Bellies they get. Now, they each get their reward, and at the same time… No one can feel left out of not getting anything.. but they also get to SEE their progress on that sticker chart… 

Monkey Do has had only one accident each day, and Monkey See has had only one accident at all.. They’ve been diaper free from about 430pm till they take a bath around 730-8pm… so not too bad… 

Thank you for all the suggestions on my first post about commencing this whole crazy task… I’m still open to more!!! 

I’ve decided that at 1month, 15 days, that we should begin the dreaded Potty Training. I’m bound and determined to get the girls potty trained before they turn 3. We want to switch them to big girl beds by then too.. I’m not sure exactly how I should pursue this whole ordeal, but here’s what I have tried… If you have any suggestions, I’m ready to hear them! 

We had started with having them go potty before getting in their bath at night, and then added on trying again after… They’ve done very well with this… 

We started using pull-ups and telling them to let us know when they felt like they had to go potty… ehhh didn’t work so well. 

We went back to diapers, and I just tried telling them to go potty several times a day. ehhh.. still not working too well. 

I’ve gone to making sticker charts, and giving them a jelly belly bean every time they do something on the potty. It works and it doesn’t. They want to go several times in a short amount of time and try to stock up on jelly beans… not to mention waste a ton of diapers/pull-ups in a short amount of time. 

I think next, I’m going to stick with the sticker charts, but give them a few jelly belly beans after they get so many stickers, and use regular panties, and just pray they don’t wet themselves, or worse while wearing them… I’m just not sure where to go with it… 

GAAH! Everyone says when they’re ready, it’ll happen.. well I’m ready to not spend $40 every two weeks for a case of diapers! It’s ridiculous… Should I stay home for a whole week to get it done? or can I do this with still going to yoga, and the stores, and doing whatever else I want to do? 

I guess only time will tell…