Yup, my 3 year old felt my butt. For poop.

For those of you following the potty training saga, it’s not going so well recently.

Somebody had to change his pants five times on Saturday.

But, rather than get into the pee-stained details, I’d like to instead share a triumph. Why a triumph? Because the following means that Tucker not only understands what pooping is (and that everybody does it) but that his brain is capable of making connections from my actions to his actions to then mimicking them. As in, he understands what I’m doing when I feel the back of his pants. Huge win, friends.

Last night, as we were playing after dinner, driving trucks around the house, flying ninees in the air and playing “catch” (which means you better watch yourself or you’re getting a 2.5-foot exercise ball in the face), I mentioned nonchalantly to my kiddo that it was time to relax before bed and that mommy had to poop (gotten a lot more open about this stuff. It is what it is. Also, by saying this out loud, Robert is forced to acknowledge that I have a basic biological need to take care of and that he’s on Tucker duty.).
PoopButtBall_edited-1

Of course, Tucker’s first reaction was guilt.

Um, “NO POOP.”

PoopButtBall_2 He felt his butt, smelled his fingers (you’re so jealous right now you can’t stand it, I know. It’s ok.) and then — da da da…

PoopButtBall3

Finally realized it wasn’t about him and said:

“Oh! Mommy poo?”

And then…this…

Yup! He actually walked behind me, felt the back of my pants and declared that I was indeed ok because I had “no poop.” Win. Well, maybe. Because at this point, he’s supposed to get that poop goes in the potty, right?

Still. Feels like a win. Like a rockstar, baby.

By the way. Although I should TOTALY have quit by now, I haven’t. So please, if you have even the tiniest smile on your face right now, click on the button over there on your left, and vote for the total loser (moi) who is in like 100th place right now. Scroll WAY down, and give me a orange thumbs up. Please? OH! And the worst part? Unless I am smart and withdraw as I should, I’ll be asking you for this crap for the next 2 weeks. Yeah, I know. I suck.

by Kristi Campbell

31 comments

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Joy - This is a total win, baby! xoxo
Voted for you again!January 30, 2013 – 2:24 amReplyCancel
- admin - I thought so, too! Thanks, Joy!January 30, 2013 – 10:26 amReplyCancel
OldDogNewTits - You know … you COULD surprise him next time. Just an idea. 🙂

Cute post. Visiting from TALU.January 30, 2013 – 11:07 amReplyCancel
- admin - Ha! Never thought of that. Thanks for the idea 🙂January 30, 2013 – 11:13 amReplyCancel
Kerri - Way to go Tucker. And add this to his milestone chart he smelt his butt and realized it was all good! And of course I voted for you. I will probably forget tomorrow so make sure you remind us 🙂January 30, 2013 – 2:57 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Thanks, Kerri! Think he’ll be extra proud of that milestone when I show his (hopeful mama here) teenage girlfriend? And, sadly, I will remind you tomorrow. And every day until Feb. 13. Sigh.January 30, 2013 – 6:23 pmReplyCancel
Emily - That is huge! I totally get your joy at this one…going to vote for you now!January 30, 2013 – 3:24 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Thanks, Emily! Voted for you this morning.January 30, 2013 – 6:23 pmReplyCancel
Kenya G. Johnson - I had a big smile! Going to go vote. Hope its not too late. TALU!January 30, 2013 – 4:47 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Thanks so much, Kenya!January 30, 2013 – 6:23 pmReplyCancel
Mama Meerkat - I think that’s a win!January 30, 2013 – 6:16 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Me, too, Mama. Me, too. 🙂January 30, 2013 – 6:24 pmReplyCancel
Debbie McCormick - hahahahhaha – oh my gosh. I guess it is good he did that at home and not in a restaurant, or some other place where strangers could enjoy it. Thanks for the chuckle.January 30, 2013 – 8:48 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Ouch – didn’t even think of that! I guess my life really COULD get more embarrassing. Thanks for the reminder 🙂January 30, 2013 – 8:50 pmReplyCancel
Anne Kimball - Love it! Kids are so funny.

Don’t worry, I’m voting.

Thanks for linking this up with the TALU!January 30, 2013 – 8:57 pmReplyCancel
- admin - YAY, thank you for voting. I really appreciate it. Especially since I’m doing so badly 🙁January 30, 2013 – 9:09 pmReplyCancel
Sara - Go, Tuck! ….maybe you should explain to him that there’s no poo in your pants b/c you save it for the potty (the potty LOVES poo).

For the record, a 2 and a half inch ball isn’t very big and I think your drawings might have exaggerated it a bit. 🙂January 31, 2013 – 10:41 amReplyCancel
- admin - Oh crap. Better go fix that now. This is what I get for allowing for only five hours of sleep each night. Sigh.
  And your advice about the potty loving poo is spot-on. When he goes in a diaper, we put it in the potty and clap and flush and dance around. Someday….January 31, 2013 – 10:55 amReplyCancel
  - Sara - I shudder to think of the mistakes I made at work yesterday (after not enough sleep).
    Maybe go one step further and tell him the potty likes to get its poo fresh from the source. Adding it in later from the diaper is all well and good, but straight from the butt is the stuff it REALLY loves. ….Does he EVER poo in the potty? or is it only pee in the potty?
    Can’t wait to tell him when he’s older how much time I spent contemplating his bathroom behaviors! 😀January 31, 2013 – 1:05 pmReplyCancel
    - admin - Ugh to not enough sleep all around…being tired is such a sucky feeling. I resent that when I have time to sleep (today at 10am), I cannot sleep. When I don’t have time to sleep (today at 7am), all I want to do is SLEEP. Sigh.
      And no, he never goes poo in the potty. We’ve had a couple of gallant attempts but it freaks him out and he ends up holding it (so far his record is from Tuesday to Saturday), which really sucks. Because then it hurts to go and makes him not want to go even more. Right now, per his teacher’s ABA instructions, we’re supposed to get closer and closer to the potty (while letting him poop in a diaper), eventually sitting on it with the diaper, then folding it back, cutting a hole, etc. It’s a long and stinky process.
      Hey, been meaning to ask – do you work near where you live? Or do you have an icky commute?January 31, 2013 – 1:28 pmReplyCancel
      - Sara - Definitely UGH to not enough sleep. It’s like being drugged and makes me feel unsafe (b/c I KNOW I’m not paying close attention)…
        Work is about 14 miles away, about a 25 min drive that takes me past horses, cows, goats and llamas. Plus I leave early enough in the morning that the mtns are actually “purple mountain majesties.” Awesome! When the sun is just about to come up, every bit of glass on the mtnside sparkles like a crazed bedazzle project gone wrong. Gorgeous.
        
        The pooping NEARER the toilet plan sounds pretty good, but I don’t envy you. Did you have any luck with the pear juice? I’d keep it on hand for when he wants to put off pooping. (It’s ok for mommy to force the issue, methinks)January 31, 2013 – 2:02 pm
Sara - …and speaking of bedazzle projects gone wrong, have you ever been to regretsy.com? It’s like etsy, but with projects that went wrong or that never should have been attempted in the first place. Some of them are pretty funny.January 31, 2013 – 2:04 pmReplyCancel
- admin - He didn’t like the pear juice but I’m still trying. I got sneaky and mixed some in with his orange juice (OJ is an awesome masker). I’ve never seen regretsy.com – sounds perfect for me though!
  
  um…hey, are you voting? or did you use up all the voting love on my previous failed attempts at fame?January 31, 2013 – 2:12 pmReplyCancel
Sara - It only lets you vote once in a 24-hr period so if I vote at 9am one day and then try to vote at 8am the next day, it won’t let me. I then have to remember to go back and try again later and my rememberer (rememberizer?) isn’t what it once was (esp given that I don’t remember what time I voted the day before). My intention is to vote 2x a day by voting from work AND from home, but have I mentioned that my rememberer isn’t very good anymore?? I’m trying to vote more though, I swear. I have more voting love for you. I’m not worn out yet! 😉January 31, 2013 – 2:53 pmReplyCancel
- admin - I LOVE YOU. Thank you. Even I can’t vote for myself 2/ce in a day because, well, I have no office. Also, Robert can’t vote at all because we’re on the same network at home and his “office” is, well, his “office.” Or whatever. I’d be so excited to get higher up on this list. It’s killing my ego. Totally. Sigh.January 31, 2013 – 7:28 pmReplyCancel
Kerry - I’d say that’s a triumph, indeed! Also, sounds like possible blackmail material when he’s older… 😉

TALUJanuary 31, 2013 – 6:18 pmReplyCancel
- admin - Ha, so right. Thanks for the TALU comment 🙂January 31, 2013 – 7:28 pmReplyCancel
Stephanie @ Mommy, for real. - HAHAHA! One of the best parenting moments EVER! Must Tweet this for the world to see! (Or the 600 or so people who follow me. Or the 14 people who sometimes read what I Tweet.) I love that picture, “Plus, Mommy needs to poop!” (I announce it to, and yes, it’s a heads-up to the Hubs to be on alert.) And I love that he smelled his fingers! You are so frickin’ funny. I would buy the shit out of your book.February 1, 2013 – 10:34 amReplyCancel
- admin - Aw, Stephanie thanks so much for the Tweet and the awesome sweet comment loves. And you KNOW that I’d buy the shit out of your book right back, sistah. Totally.February 1, 2013 – 10:38 amReplyCancel
Nicky - Oh, I love it! My kids did so many funny things but I never had one check me for poop! I probably would have ruined the moment by rolling on the floor laughing! oh goodness! So very cute! I just love it! Visiting from the comment and love and I will so be back for more 🙂March 3, 2013 – 8:29 pmReplyCancel
- admin - yeah, one checking you for poop is probably unique to this house…and I would have ruined the moment, too! Awesome. 🙂March 3, 2013 – 11:35 pmReplyCancel