Potty training continues and I feel like the dullest co-worker in the world right now. Everyone is asking how our summer was, and sharing stories of their great trips, and my big exciting story of the summer involves emptying pee out of a modern-day chamber pot.

While we can still count the number of poops-in-the-potty/toilet on one hand, peeing in the potty has become very comfortable for Frannie, and she has also become quite proficient at the toilet. At first, we felt like we needed to hold her on the toilet, so she wouldn't fall in, but she learned quickly that she could just slide right off without trying. I tried setting her on the seat and stepping back, so she would have to balance, and she got it right away. Now she asks us to leave while she is on the toilet (not the potty, though), and so we lift her on, turn around, let her do her thing, and come back to wipe and help her down. Only two accidental pees in her diaper, both in the morning before she is really awake. I think those will take some very intentional planning, so that she is able to wake up enough to think "don't pee now," while staying asleep enough that rolling over and going back to bed is an option. Right now, if she gets up to pee, she wakes up too much to go back to bed. If she wakes up before we are willing to let her rise for the day (say, 6:15?) then we try to put her back down, but those are the mornings her diaper is wet.

Frannie is also developing quite the pitching arm from the backseat of the car. First she was removing her shoes (she likes to "be bare feet") and chucking them at the seat in front of her, then she realized she could aim for the space between the front seats, and get a good reaction out of us. Now, she has taken to lobbing anything within reach at our heads and shoulders. It makes car trips feel a bit like Whac-a-Mole. I loved that game when we were little. My sister and I used to gang up on those moles, using our four hands instead of the one mallet to cream as many of those rascals as we could.

Poop and Ice Cream

Using the potty for peeing "clicked" for Frannie about a week ago. After going consistently every morning, last Saturday we took a long car trip to the outlet mall, and while we were there, she managed to surprise us all by actually peeing on a public toilet. Luckily, we had brought the M&M's with us. We went to a piece of the candy as a reward for successfully making it to the potty after a few stubborn accidents. For the last week, she has been very successful at peeing in the potty, rarely having an accident and peeing in her underpants.

Pooping has been a different story altogether. After cleaning poop out of underpants for 3 days in a row, we decided to give Frannie the option of a bigger treat for the first time she was able to poop in the potty. It started off as going to have ice cream. Then, Boppa would come have ice cream with us. Then, Ellen and Boppa would come. Then Frannie would get to ride in Boppa's truck to get the ice cream. Then, Grammoo (great-grandma) would come. I think we're glad it didn't take too much longer, or the guest list wouldn't have fit in the ice cream parlor.

Today, after a busy morning riding a new balance bike, playing at the park with friends, and having lunch out, we came home to give Frannie a nap. Truth be told, I need the time away from her incessant energy as much as she needs to sleep. About 5 minutes into her nap (and without any actual napping occurring), Frannie announced she had to go potty. I sent her in without much fanfare, figuring it was a stalling technique (since she had just gone), but wanting her to have all the practice she could at using the potty. Plus, I hadn't taken the time to put her in a diaper, so going to the potty was in everyone's best interest.

After a minute, I went in to wipe and clean up the potty. When she announced "I poop!" I didn't really believe her, since she has been claiming that for the last few days. But, hooray! Poop in the potty, and we didn't have to sit in the bathroom for 20 minutes to make it happen! I immediately texted the whole entourage and put them on notice for later in the day. That nap never did happen, and there was a subsequent poop in underpants after she got up, but the ice cream was still earned, and quite delicious it was, too.