Training Day

I had a dream yesterday about Julianna going to the bathroom. It was a wonderful dream and I must say it sparked something in me. I have been dreading potty training her for a long time now. I guess since the last time I potty trained Elijah. It is really the last thing I want to be thinking about or doing with my time because I know my personality. I am a bit of a drill Sargent when it comes to this. I time potty sessions by the hour and I watch them like a hawk. You know, signs of going in their pants, retreating off to the corner and all that chaos. It is so much easier to just let them do it themselves, but I have yet to see one of my children do it that way. I guess I just want to check off this task off my list.
So I bought this cute little toy kitchen two weeks ago at a garage sale. It was an amazing deal. Fifteen dollars for the kitchen and five dollars for two boxes of kitchen stuff filled to the brim of endless fun and entertainment for my domestic diva to enjoy. I was so excited for this opportunity to start using this as a bribing tool to potty train. So, I showed all the stuff to Julianna and let her know if she started to go potty in the toilet she can have this kitchen. I didn't really have the kinks ironed out of how many times she had to go or anything, but I thought I had time to think about it until she decided that she actually wanted to do. Well, it wasn't working. So, I just came to the conclusion that my mom would have to be the one to do the dirty deed. But today, after that wonderful dream, I felt like today was the day. I was ready for whatever. So, I started a half hour time regimen. Every thirty minutes I would put her on the potty with some toys that I got from her kitchen stash. A little side note I would like to mention is that getting her on the potty was really my battle with her. So the whole kitchen toy thing was my secret weapon. I was thrilled when sat there for fifteen minutes without getting up. Inside I felt this inner high knowing that I found something that actually worked. So, it went on like that all morning without a drop of urine hitting the seat. I knew that she would have to pee sometime. I was getting anxious. It was 10:30 and I knew that I had to get to the gym, but I knew if I left that she would most surely go in her pants, so I felt strongly that we had to wait until she went. It was eight minutes left on the timer until she had to go sit again, when she came to me and said she peed on the floor. Inside I just wanted to die. All morning, I patiently waited by her side to only hope that she would go. Then for eight minutes short of success. I told her no, you can't go on the floor, you are supposed to go on the potty. I tried not to seem upset but it was so hard. I started to clean up the floor when she called me to the bathroom. She told me that she peed in the potty. I didn't really believe it until I saw it. I went in the bathroom and she DID go in the potty. The crazy thing is that there was tons and she did tons in the other room as well. I was so happy. She actually went without me. It was a victory. I made a huge deal hugging her and telling her how happy I was. I could tell that it was a huge deal to her as well. Well, she has gone again today and I am feeling that this could work. I can actually do this and come out alive and happy in the end. I know it is a rocky road ahead and there will be accidents still to be had, but I feel more prepared this time around. I am feeling very hopeful. Cheers to Play Kitchens!!!