A Summer of Successes

Tomorrow ends the first phase of Big Boy Boot Camp. To be honest, I didn't know there would have to be a second phase. I had no idea just how long potty training goes on. This is not to say that Alex didn't have amazing successes through the previous nine weeks. He did. We just have to extend it for potty skills.

Two months ago, on July 30th, we celebrated Alex's 'graduation' from being a baby. He got through the trauma of being separated from Mommy for a real duration of time in his nursery school summer camp. He started out in tears when we'd leave. We ended the six weeks with his never wanting to leave the playground and his beloved Blue Room.

At the time, Alex was still in diapers 24/7. He was still refusing to sleep in his big boy bed, preferring a bean bag on the floor. He was still demanding a bottle before bed time. He was terrified of sitting on the potty most of the time. His few successes in it had come far between. He didn't care for underwear at all, nor even pull-ups. Dressing himself confounded him. He had to be literally forced to pick up toys, with my holding his hand over the toy and grasping it for him to put it away.

Today, he knows where every toy goes and he gleefully puts it away, to show how well he can clean his room. He's thrilled to put on his own socks and pull up his own pants. He thinks it's fun to put on a shirt. He hates the thought of daytime diapers now and refuses pull-ups for a different reason. The bottle is a distant memory as is the bean bag. It seems he can't even remember not having his beloved Superhero comforter and sheets.

For success in Big Boy Boot Camp categories, the big prizes from which he had to choose were; a tricycle; a sail on the Pioneer at the Seaport Museum; a big fire engine from Playland and a sail on the W.O. Decker at the Seaport Museum.

For conquering the bottle nearly immediately, he won his big toy from Playland; a school bus that he preferred instead. This left his success in his big boy bed and his moderate scuccess in potty. We promised that if he left daytime diapers and learned how to use the potty regularly, he'd win a big prize. He's accomplished at least that much.

Now, he wants more and more lessons. Clean up assignments. Academic lessons. More challenges on dressing himself. The next potty step is for him to use it without fail and to use a public toilet. He says he's eager to learn. He knows that he does not want diapers any longer.

So, Alex has won his tricycle and at least one sail on a historic ship. We ordered his tricycle this Monday. Between the two sails, he surprisingly chose the 1885 schooner, the Pioneer after a summer of talking up the 1930 tug, the W.O. Decker.

"The W. Decker is too noisy", he says. He wants the schooner for its quiet sailing.

Mommy has put up his new Big Boy Boot Camp chart for the next 8 weeks. New categories. New challenges. New prizes to be selected.

Congratulations baby. You did it.

October 1, 2010