Blessings on the (Kiddy) Throne

I hinted yesterday that we are potty training at our house.  Little Charity is learning to be a big girl! Yea!  I was so nervous to start, because, I think we can all agree, potty training has to be one of the worst parts of parenting!  Okay, I may be overstating that, but you'll understand in just a moment.

Our last child to potty train was a train wreck!!  We worked on it for a year. and. a. HALF!  I kid you not.  We would go for weeks on end with poopy pants every single day.  Yucky, really stinky poopy pants.  We'd throw up the white flag and go with pull ups for a few weeks.  Then we'd repeat the process while trying something different. 

Food rewards, toy rewards, wearing no pants at all, being time-out-ed, charts, bribes, maybe a time or two of yelling (yes, I admit I lost it more than I wish I had).  We tried everything we could think of or read about or dream up.  We prayed, and prayed and cried.  Seriously, this was major drama for us.  Imagine 18 long months.  78 weeks!  540 days in a row of failure!

Fast forward to our sweet Charity.  Last Tuesday her friend at play group had panties on.  I thought, "Oh yeah, with the holidays over, I should try that."  So we went home and pulled out the big girl panties. 

We put them on and a cloud of potty blessings descended upon our tired and very nervous potty training nerves.  She is done!  She was done in three days!  She had 3 accidents the first day, one when I was in the shower, one when I was on the treadmill and one during family prayers (on my lap I might add). 

The next day she had an accident when she pooped.  But the third day when she figured out how to poop in the potty, she was done.  She's had like 2 accidents since then.  She doesn't even get me for help.  I just hear the flush, and I go help her wash her hands.  We've been shopping, to church, to play groups and she's fine!

It is a certified miracle, a blessing from heaven direct to my tired head.  Someone is watching out for me.  I just might be able to handle six kids after all.