Saturday, October 18, 2008

Thoughts on Blogging, Yodelling and Potty Training

Or "randomness"

I promise to start writing more often (yes, I delude myself into thinking it matters to you, vast internet). For some reason I have fallen into a "once a week" pattern and by the time the weekend rolls around, I'm overwhelmed by what story to tell and the idea that's it's got to be really good because it's all I'm going to have to show for the week. So from here on out, there will be more for you to read, and less pressure for me to make it good. Get ready for a ton of Sarah-created mediocrity (except of course for the pictures and news about Ethan; he is anything BUT mediocre).

Where to begin? Oh! First of all, WHO taught my son to yodel? Yeah, you read that right.

Somewhere in the last couple of weeks, Ethan has started chiming in with "Yoo-del-ay-hee-hooo" when we are playing or driving or changing a diaper, or any other random activity that happens to NOT be climbing the Swiss Alps (that is where they yodel, right?) I have no idea where it came from; Husband rarely ever yodels (read: never) and I am not a yodeler, period. Jews don't yodel. So any of you out there who read this and happen to spend time with my child, 'fess up; I'm thinking one of you has been giving my kid yodeling lessons. I need to figure out who you are so I can thank you because I would never have thought to teach him such a, erm, skill and it is freaking cute. My goal for next week is to get it on video so I can share it with you.

One thing I will NOT be sharing with you any time soon is stories about Ethan using the big boy potty. Not only because there are some things I just don't think need to be televised in full-length detail (says the girls who wrote about pole dancing class). But more so because there's a good chance the child is going to be heading to college with a year's supply of Depends and I'll be telling you stories instead about how proud I am of him for learning to change his own diaper.

Yes I know he's young yet and Husband and I aren't in any hurry to force it on him. Honestly, the lazy girl in me secretly (um, or not so secretly) dreads the idea of having to be so vigilant about the process and the "do you have to go?" and the cleaning up the accidents and the dealing with "Mommy, I have to poop" in a public place.

Part of me hopes that one day, as we near his 3rd birthday, he will grab a copy of the NY Times, announce that he needs some privacy and then abscond to the bathroom for 20 minutes, returning with freshly washed hands and saying, "I need real underwear. The ones with Thomas on them. Let's go to Target."

I realize that he'd be the only child in the history of the world to do so, but damn, wouldn't that be sweet?

I did recently try to introduce the idea, slowly, with some Pull-up diapers. The kind with Lightening McQueen on them (or as Ethan calls him, "Ca-chow! car") However, the diaper itself became such an attraction that I doubted Ethan would ever opt to live without them, thus putting a big damper on the "Do you want to take them off and go potty on the big boy potty?" Because that would mean parting with "car diaper"!

He did enjoy pulling them up, though, and announced that he was "a big boy!!!" each time he got a chance to; but I fear that his journey to big boy (and the toilet) will be stuck at this point for awhile. Whenever we ask him if he wants to use the potty, he is adamant that, no indeed, he does not (and often runs away from us).

So for now we have to be content that we did get to dance around the house doing the "potty dance" once in August. Perhaps we were too enthusiastic the one time he did use the potty. Do 2 year olds have the capacity to be embarrassed? Because it's not like Mommy & Daddy did the conga and sang "he pee-pee'd on the potty! he pee-pee'd on the potty!" in front of his friends or anything....

That's all from me for now; as much as I've not been writing my own blog, I've not been keeping up with others' either (what the hell have I been doing with my time???!!!). So now I am off to read what I can before I get fed up with the crazy guy sitting next to me in Panera who is regaling his friend (I cant' believe she would possibly be his girlfriend) with his impersonation of Chewbacca from Start Wars. Oh yeah, I'm serious. I love LA.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe someone told him that Grandma was in Switzerland where people yodeled and then demonstrated what that was! I want to hear Ethan yodeling...

Lindsay Margenau said...

We're right with you in the potty department. Lots of early success and excitement - even a real obsession with "potty treats" (M&Ms) but when it comes right down to it, the kid won't ever sit and pee. I guess it really is true that you have to wait till they're ready.

Emi said...

We do miss you... :-) These babies come up with some strange sounds... (hear chanting---we need video.. we need video...

cicadalady said...

we totally had a potty song and yes, we also embarrassed ourselves by dancing around the house singing "pee pee on the potty," for both eve and lu. but hey, if he just grabs the ny times one day and goes, i will seriously be banging down your door to get the secret to that because potty training lucy was an experience that i'm not looking forward to repeating!
and by the way, yodeling? too cute! reading all that made me realize i miss little ethan - it's been a while since i've seen him! we have to meet up at the park soon!

Ashley. Unscripted... said...

I. Love. This. Post.

Seriously Sarah, you need to write a book.

And yes, I bought Will Diego undies. Like he'd really take those off long enough to potty. He'd rather wear them on his head.

AJU5's Mom said...

Oh, I am not looking forward to the potty training days. Our friends just waited until the kids were 3 or ready to potty train themselves (i.e. asked to use the potty) - and it seemed to work.

Unknown said...

Okay, two words: Tinkle Targets.

Don't know if they are still made or not, but these corn-starch items made into the shapes of letters and numbers that can be dropped into the tank and used for aiming practice. My step-brother thought this would be great a his college apartment to help the roommates, err, hit the target. Froot Loops, would also be good, except man-cub might want to eat them as well.

Soon will be the phone call with grandma, where he's talking, drop's trou, and tries to show her his big-boy underwear via telephone. Genius. MIT here he comes (or for the LA-LA crowd - Cal-Tech)

Monica said...

Oh, the dreaded potty training. I remember expressing frustration to my Pedatrician, and her response was I could spend months trying to train him, or wait until he's ready and train him in a few weeks. There is a really cute video about potty training by Bear in the Big Blue House. I'll soon be training my daughter and I don't look forward to it either.

Amy said...

Just get on the train for NaBloPoMo in two weeks and you'll be back in the groove!

Heidi said...

We had a lot of success potty-training using the book "Diaper-free before 3." The author is an MD and a mom of several, I thought she was very calm and practical about the whole process.

What also really worked for us? Bribes. In my daughter's case, the bribe was books. She would sit on the potty as long as someone would read to her.

Hope you find something that works for you and Ethan, good luck!

Tress said...

Oh good lord, NaBloPoMo...that beast. I suppose I have to participate this year.

Also...could it have been E's new best friend KINGSTON who taught him to yodel?

Avonlea said...

Bwah-hahahaha! about heading to the bathroom with the NYT when he's almost 3. I quoted you on my post today. http://postcardsfrommotherhood.blogspot.com/2008/10/hot-hot-hot.html

Lazy potty trainers, whoo-hoo! :-)