The Twinkies

If you decide that your child gets a treat, specifically a bite of chocolate, every time she pees in the potty there is the possibility she will decide to squeeze out just a teensy weensy bit of urine every 10 minutes to keep herself in chocolate all afternoon.

When F has been using her potty I have been giving her a treat. Today she said she had to go poopy, I helped her off with her trainers and she went pee pee on the potty. I gave her a cookie.

Later she pooped on the floor. No cookie. She did come and TELL me she’s pooped but there are standards. They’re low, but they exist.

Later she tried to help herself to another treat and I told her she had to go pee pee or poopy on the potty to get a treat. She IMMEDIATELY stripped off her underwear and sat on the potty to see if she could generate some urine.

We took the kids to church today. They behaved. This priest is not of the “hurry it along in the summer” school of thought so this is especially impressive.

J has a lump on the back of his neck. I took him to the pediatrician. It’s a swollen lymph node. Know why it’s swollen? The toddler-sized bite mark right above it gives a clue.

We rode the carousel horsies again yesterday. And an elephant. And a rhino. There was joy and gladness.

The kids will now drink water out of a steel canteen. The organic juice box expenditures can now be decreased.

You can, in fact, get sick of a Studio Ghibli film. We’ve started letting the kids watch a maximum of 30 minutes per day of very carefully selected television and I just about have My Neighbor Totoro memorized.

F is getting pretty good about using the potty and once or twice per day she will pee in it. J is still surprised by urination.

No, they still don’t sleep through the night.

These are the end of the year summary reports from the kids’ school.

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F

Social Behaviors: F greets everyone with a warm smile. She is gentle with others. She usually engages in solitary play but has recently been engaging more with others in parallel play.

Language: F is using more words to express her needs. She asks for help or more of something at the snack table or gives the names of different objects. We encourage her to converse and acknowledge everything she says.

Grace & Courtesies: F is learning to share and take turns. We encourage her to use her manners at the snack table, “please”, “may I”, “please pass the” and “excuse me.” She sits nicely for snack and music time.

Fine Motor Skills: F is learning to manipulate many of the materials in the classroom. She has mastered the velcro frames, zipper frame and beading. She loves to paint and paste.

Gross Motor Skills: F has been practicing carrying trays with objects and pitchers and buckets of water. She is spilling less as her movements have become more controlled and balanced.

Self Care/Toileting: F has become more independent in her ability to dress, undress and use the toilet. She does not often initiate using the toilet but will sometimes urinate while sitting on the toilet when reminded.

Care of the Environment / Practical Life: F enjoys watering the plants, germinating seeds, cleaning the tables with the sponge, cleaning her shoes and polishing wood. She likes to prepare her own snack. She sometimes makes the flower arrangements for the snack table.

Work Cycle: F chooses her own work and stays busy all morning. She has been sitting and concentrating for longer periods of time. She brings her own work to a table and sits with it but we sometimes have to remind her to clean up.

F’s Plan: We are happy to have F return to YCC in the fall. We will encourage her to help the newer students. We will continue to introduce activities that require longer sequences of tasks and greater fine motor dexterity. We look forward to spending more time with our cheerful friend F.

———-
J

Social Behaviors: J comes in every day with lots of energy and stays energized all morning. He usually becomes self-absorbed in what he is doing. He often takes an interest in what another child is doing and cannot see what the big deal is when he grabs it to take a closer look and the child gets upset. If only everyone was as understanding and accommodating as his sister.

Language: J usually uses single words to express himself. We encourage him to ask for help when he needs it and use words to express what he wants.

Grace & Courtesies: J is learning to bring his work to a table and sit with it and put his work away.

Fine Motor Skills: J has been practicing slicing bananas for snack, spreading apple butter on bagels, opening containers and doing puzzles.

Gross Motor Skills: J likes to keep moving. He also loves to throw anything that has the slightest curved edge. We try to discourage him and say things like, “J, we throw balls outside and in the gym…that’s not a ball.” He hears us but…”

Self Care/Toileting: J has become better at dressing and undressing himself. He does not yet recognize the need to use the toilet.

Care of the Environment / Practical Life: J likes to water the plants, clean the chalkboard and mop up spills. He enjoys any kind of food preparation activity. J sets up his place setting himself but often needs encouragement to clean it up.

Work Cycle: J chooses his own work and usually brings it to a table. He can sit and focus for a short time but usually needs to get up and move.

J’s Plan: We look forward to having J return to YCC in the fall. His energy and passion are admirable. We hope he gets to throw to his heart’s content this summer. We also hope he is encouraged to use the toilet and wear underwear as much as possible.

It was after bath. There were twins running around, naked. I looked at one; the other pooped on the rug. It happened in a turn of the head with no warning. I cleaned up the poop and thought “He just pooped so we are safe with him for a while; I’ll diaper the girl first since she is now a greater poop risk.”

It’s a good thing I don’t work as an actuary. While I was diapering her he squatted next to me, looked at me, and pooped again. On the rug. Then he stepped in it and tracked it all over the rug.

I thought “He just pooped so we are safe with him for a while. I can clean this up before I diaper him.” I am a slow learner. While I was cleaning that up, guess what he did. Come on. Guess.

You’re close. He pooped, but it wasn’t on the rug this time. It was on the hardwood floor. The rug is now rolled up and in the closet until we rent a steam cleaner. Potty training is so much fun.