Sorry for the potty talk but for journal entry sake I just realized I hadn’t recorded the most miraculous happening in May.  At the beginning of the month I had 3 kids in diapers and I was up to my elbows in poop on a daily basis.  Weston has been “potty” trained for well over a year but because of his refusal to poop in the potty he still had to wear diapers whenever we went anywhere and to bed.  He always held it in and just constantly oozed.  (This is a gross post) I kept him in undies at home and just dealt with the underwear mess so he would continue #1 in the potty.  But my sweet little boy constantly smelled terrible and he was very self-conscious about it.  I would catch him wearing 6-8 pairs of underwear at a time, until they cut the circulation in his legs.  He said he wanted a strong bum.  We had tried everything we could think of, positive and negative reinforcements, but we were dealing with fear rather than a behavior and I wasn’t sure how to get him past it.  Charlie was hit and miss and I knew with her it was just a matter of time but she needed to decide for herself when she was ready.  About a month ago Charlie just refused to wear a diaper anymore even to bed.  And that was it for her.  She has not even wet the bed a single time.  When she has an accident during the day (because she waits too long to take care of business)  she takes care of the mess herself and changes her clothes.  My work here is done.  I had a moment of clarity when on a Sunday afternoon I decided enough was enough with this 4 year old boy.  I sat him on the toilet (kicking and screaming) and I sat on a stool in front of him, and I told him we weren’t going anywhere until he produced something.  After about 45 minutes there was still nothing.  I told him I was going to go buy a magic bullet that would make him poop if he couldn’t do it on his own.  Through a sad tear filled face he said that would be ok.  So I went and spent $7 on some “magic bullets”.  Within seconds that stuff took effect and the poor kid unloaded.  I don’t know how in the world he was holding all that inside his little body.  He was scared as it was happening but then exclaimed, “It didn’t hurt!”  It took another 2 weeks before he would go on his own and we used a few more bullets, but now he’s there!  He goes on his own without prompts from us and no longer asks for rewards.  His big reward has been to go camping with Dad.  He will go on his second one tonight.  We are officially down to 1 kid in diapers.  My life has improved dramatically.  And my house smells much better. 

Just so you don’t leave here without at least one picture.  Here is a great shot of the oldest 4 headed across the Hoover Dam bypass bridge.