On This Leap Day, PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE...

So today is LEAP DAY! In case you didn't get the memo, we have an "extra 24-hours" to SEIZE THE DAY and MAKE IT COUNT! Leap day only comes every four years (or so), I guess to keep our seasons in check, so why not take advantage? Too bad it's on a Monday! Well anyway, Mr. President #1 used his extra day to wear his Ninja Turtle pajamas to school, and we already know Mr. President #2 spent most of his extra day catching up on some sleep. But we decided to take things to another level today, with a little help from Auntie F.

We've been doing this potty training thing since Mr. President #2 turned two a few months ago. We haven't quite mastered peeing on the potty, and pooping...well that's another story. Auntie F. called last week with a few tips to help us master the whole going pee pee and poo poo on the potty, and I thought she had such a brilliant idea!

First of all, you have to keep an eye out for the warning signs. When Mr. President #2 stands a little bent over in the corner of the room, I know it's time to go poo poo. When I see that stance, I snatch him up and put him on the potty -- no problem! But what about those instances when you don't get any warning signs? What do you do then? That's where your patience comes in. To get Mr. President #2 in the habit of going to the potty often, I have to take him several times an hour, and often times sit with him for what seems like an eternity!! I obviously want him to conquer the potty thing, but I'm always struggling with ideas to kill time. Well thanks to Auntie F., here's an idea for you...

Never mind patience being a virtue...let me introduce you to Potty Coloring Time! Thanks to Auntie F., we now have Mr. President #2 on the potty, distracted, engaged, and going pee pee or poo poo ever single time!! Woo hoo!! So how did I do it? I taped a piece of paper to the inside of the toilet lid, sat Mr. President #2 on the potty backwards, gave him a dry erase marker (in case he colored outside of the paper for easy clean-up), and let him scribble his little heart out! What a genius idea! Now the key is getting him OFF of the toilet, but that's where the bribing comes in! Oh...and don't forget you can't leave the little ones unattended. After all, they are sitting on the potty backwards!

Potty Coloring Time just made my life a whole lot easier! And what a great way to spend some of this extra day. Whether or not you're doing something creative like this during your potty training time, remember that patience is always a virtue. Your kid isn't going to graduate from high school in his pull-ups, so relax; mastering pee pee and poo poo on the potty will come eventually. Happy Leap Day! Here's to doing something extra special to help you SEIZE THE DAY! Carpe Diem!