Not Interesting to Anyone but Me

Just like Facebook status updates about these things, I can imagine that blog posts about potty-training leave those who are not entrenched in the process rolling their eyes so hard that you can hear them click.

*CLICK*

Those were your eyeballs rolling in their sockets because this is a post about potty-training.

Don't worry...that pic of the cute pink potty is the only picture in the post, and I won't go into gory details. But since this blog serves as a record of my kids' goings-on (in addition to words about fitness and training and other stuff), this post is appropriate and necessary.

Miss C is my youngest and final child. She was in a diaper longer than the other three were. She just didn't give a ----, and I was too lazy busy preoccupied to bust the diaper-free move. Doing neither of us any favors, I also think there was an element of "oh, my last baby...don't want her to grow up" going on...which is partly why I haven't bothered to wean her either. Slacker mom, I am. Whatever...

One week ago, I felt ready to take this beast on. Though she had been dry through the night for over a week, when confronted with the prospect of daytime dryness, Miss C was not entirely on board, but I was game for her resistance. After 5 straight days of pee everywhere (well, fortunately she had a penchant for only peeing on the tiled floors and not the carpets) and several pants-soilings, I am ecstatic to announce that we have had 3 consecutive accident-free days!

I attribute this potty-training success entirely to my superior parenting skills. There is no luck involved. The child has nothing to do with it. If you can't potty-train a developmentally-on-track child before they graduate from high school, well, you just suck as a parent. I really hope some of you more sensitive-types caught the tongue-in-cheekness of that. I am absolutely grateful to all of you awesome and amazing well-wishers who wished me good luck when I announced this undertaking last Friday. 

My idol, Catey, who has 8 kids and is expecting her ninth (her husband is trying to catch up to mine), was reflecting on how long she's been changing diapers and how many diapers she's changed and shared with me that even though those numbers are HUGE, she would rather change diapers than potty-train. And she wrote this, which totally cracked me up, in an email the other day...

There is a woman who writes and I love to read her stuff...she had a half a billion kids and I remember at one point she said she quit trying to potty train her kids.  She let them go as long as possible and then waited until they were old enough to make wild promises about never having an accident ever before finally letting them out of diapers.


I am most thankful that Miss C ended up being far less resistant as the process unfolded. I know there will be accidents. I know there may be regression. And while the growing up of my baby is bittersweet, I am feeling great about not changing another diaper until I either have grandchildren or must deal with spousal incontinence. I hope fervently to experience the joy of the former and to escape the misery of the latter.

If you have kids, did you have an easy time with potty-training?


If you have no kids, is potty-training one of the reasons you don't?

**************

I'm wondering what's going on with me, too.

Even my non-running readers are probably wondering...

What's up with your running, XL? You haven't written a running post in forever! Are you in stealth mode? Did you hang it up? What gives?

So here's the story...

I started running in my new shoes and my calves got super sore. I worked through it. Then I got a muscle knot in one calf that was beyond persistent and left me hobbling. Not wanting to injure myself or run weird or whatever, I took a week off. But it wasn't just a week off. I had only run three times in three weeks following the Las Vegas debacle on December 4, 2011. All of this lack of running has resulted in me feeling nervous about running a full marathon in April. I have acknowledged to myself and my training partner that it may not happen. It might...but I'm leaving the "not" door open with my head held high. It's taken a good deal of soul-searching and several talks with my husband to reach a place of comfort on the topic. I allowed myself to be over-amped by all the awesomeness that surrounds me here in BlogLand. I am coming back from 8 years off of everything. And I'm older. I need to be patient. And realistic.

Which leaves me with a big "We'll see..."

This sounds all grounded and philosophical, but I am really bummed out. Don't feel sorry for me, though, because I'll probably get over it soon enough.

I ran on Tuesday for 2 miles and it was good. I'll run tonight for 2 or 3, I hope. Taking it one day at a time. The hip still experiences some pain. I sure wish that would just not happen anymore :(

Since there's not much to share in the way of workout news, I'm giving a 'mommy update'...

Miss C started potty-training yesterday. This is the oldest child of mine to do this. She is really mad that this is happening. I've done this before, but never have I had a child be mad about it! I'll spare you all the details, but suffice it to say that I've been mopping up pee all day today. Thankfully, she's been accidenting on the tile floor and not the carpet. Wish us luck :)

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days...

She is very pensive at times.

She LOVES oatmeal!

Last night I went out for one short hour. 

In that time, she created this amazing animal line-up... 

three-quarters of it by herself.

She likes to scare me...

But she says she's just watching Big G doing his homework.

Given her delight in jumping, this gives me a heart-attack.

So there ya have it...what's new in my world.

Gotta go mop some more pee now.

If only all of life's problems were so easily solved...

We went shopping today at the outdoor mall. I needed some socks for Miss C, and I figured the post-holiday sales would be in effect so I'd get them for cheap. And I did.

I also got her some underpants, which may be premature, but I swear I am going to toilet-train this kid one of these days. Really. I don't know why I am dragging my feet. In fact, I am a total pro at toilet-training, having done it 3 times already...or rather, I've had some very cooperative pupils thus far. She is now officially my oldest child to still be in diapers at 2 years 10 months. Dang it. But I'll tell ya, these light rose-colored carpets are not conducive to free and easy potty-training ... if you know what I mean.

source

source

The fancy mall we went to has some very fun water features... four cute, animal-themed fountains that are at toddler-level. Of course, my toddler had to go in. Yes, in one of the fountains. And yes, she got wet. And of course, I had no change of clothes for her.

source

Close-up of the one she went in.

I used to be the most prepared mom ever...when I had one, two, and then three kids. For some reason, the fourth one just blew my 'prepared gasket', and I am now always flying by the seat of my pants ... from MacGyver-ing diapers out of old t-shirts and Target bags when there's been a blow-out and I've forgotten diapers to collecting cups of Cheerios off the minivan floor when someone is hungry on a car ride and I've forgotten to pack snacks.

Anyway...

The girl was wet, and we were just getting started on our excursion. Fortunately, the clearance section of Gymboree (conveniently located right next to the fountain) had just what we needed...

If only all things were easily remedied with $6 candy-cane striped leggings and $4.99 Panda shoes. Somehow, I don't think my husband would find it amusing if I suggested he console himself regarding his stolen Hasselblad baby with these items, but as far as Miss C is concerned, we are golden. 

She insisted on wearing them to bed.

Toes, Underpants, and a PR

I don't know why I feel a need to share these things... but I do. Really... a need. They are inconsequential... like most of my blog. But the compulsion to dump it here... well, it is a compulsion and there's no stopping it.

This evening's ramblings... some people call this sort of deal "Three Things Thursday", but I don't really care for alliteration... anyway, this evenings ramblings are just that... ramblings. And of no real importance whatsoever.

Numero Uno

It's a first for me...

I'm going to lose it, aren't I? Will it hurt? Can you believe I'm a toenail-falling-off virgin?

Numero Dos

I am not a potty-training virgin, but this fourth time around is just ... I don't know... I guess I'm just not into it. My middle two kids were done with diapers before they turned two. Miss C is now 2 and a half. We have potties. We have a seat adapter. We have the undies. We casually talk about peeing and pooping in the little potty or the big toilet. She even tells me when she goes whatever in her diaper. We make mention of wearing the undies.

But she finds them to be infinitely more entertaining than wearable.

Numero Tres

Last night I ran a 5K "return-to-running" PR.

The workout was supposed to be 2 X 2 miles @ 8:30ish pace with a quarter-mile rest-jog in between. I started late (as usual). I just wasn't into it. As I was doing my warm up, I was complaining in my mind...

"stupid night running"

"darn kids... why won't they just go the *bleep* to bed?"

"i am sooooo tired"

"i think my hip hurts"

"i'm hungry... i don't think i've eaten enough today... maybe i should just go in"

"i wish we had real t.v."

I finished my 1.5-mile warm-up trot and stretched a bit. I toed the line at my mailbox and set off.

When my first lap was 10 seconds "too fast", and I just didn't feel like trying to slow down, I realized that if I held the pace, I could 5K PR. So I made a deal with myself... if I did it, I would be done for the night.

I could give you the blow-by-blow, but does anyone really care? It was dark. No skunks. Negative splits :) except that I was totally sucking it in the last 0.1 mile... no sprint for me... I was lucky to make it out alive!

Time:  25:20  (8:10 pace)

Three and a half minutes faster than my first 5K back in November.

Nearly a minute faster than my 5K 6 months ago in March.

Of course, I immediately plugged it into the McMillan Running Calculator.  *dork*

Looking at that Long Beach Half Marathon...

...and wondering how long it's going to take for me to really and for real run a new 5K PR... not just a "return-to-running" one.

Getting ready to shoot the moon :)

Have you ever lost a toenail? Did it hurt?

It's been a busy morning...

I've mentioned before that Miss C is non-stop. Today has been no exception... and it's still officially morning.

First...

she peed on daddy's briefcase 

(I cleaned it up before taking the picture)

We are potty-training over here... sort of.

I think it's a great idea...she doesn't really agree with me.

Then...

While I was cleaning up the pee on the briefcase,

she got busy with her toys...

My husband insists a purge is in order...

this picture has now convinced me that he is RIGHT!

And...

While I was cleaning up the toys,

she decided that sitting in her water table would be fun!

This thing is great!

And to think that I got it off the curb for

FREE!

Things were cool,

then she decided to stand up in it and do a little tapdance...

so we went inside.

So...

While I was fetching a towel and some clothes for her,

she was finding a red marker...

and using the red marker on her body.

(thankfully not on the white walls or the pink carpet)

Finally...

we decided a bath was in order...

intending it also as an attempt to tame her 

Einstein hair!

I think matted, wild hair must run in our family :P

I wonder what this afternoon will bring?

On a training note... I was able to eke out 6 easy miles yesterday without feeling too imbalanced. A little soreness in the back and hip but nothing to worry about... I hope. I'm thinking another 2 mellow runs early in the week, and I'll be back in biz. Keep your fingers crossed for me! In the meantime, some biking and a little stretching and core work... P90X-style... will be attempted. I really don't want to stay out of commission for much longer :(

Are you good about taking care of yourself when you get injured?

Are you patient with your kids (or pets) when they make a royal mess?