Friday 30 November 2012

CPD

Sound asleep last night, I'm aware of Grace calling from her bedroom.... "Poo, Daddy Bear! Poo!"
Nudging the snoring being next to me, I point out that although I'm now awake, it's not me being summoned by the Little One. "Daddy Bear! Door open! Poo!"

Continuing Potty Development.

It seems Grace has made the transition to a stage where she wants to be clean at night as well as during the day.... something to celebrate for sure. Just not in the small hours when really at the moment I'd probably rather she just crapped in her pull-ups.

Night all x

Sunday 18 November 2012

Dry seven

Celebrating Grace being dry on the potty for seven days on the trot, I'm so proud how quickly she's cottoned on to what it's all about. We didn't quite make the 3 day potty training technique I mentioned a few weeks ago but to be fair, we did it in 7 days, so I really really can't complain. Go Grace!! Proud as we are, she has a little sticker chart on the fridge now and is filling it up with stickers everytime she keeps herself clean and dry.... she's one happy little girl.

In reward for her efforts she's plastered in little red spots so it looks like chickenpox has come to visit. HE moves in mysterious ways!!

Must dash, off to catch the chemist before it closes for some calamine lotion. Byeeee....

Saturday 17 November 2012

My giddy aunt

So it turns out that my aunt isn't giddy, and neither am I as it happens. Nevertheless sometimes one does have to sit back and take stock. Taking stock done, I'm wondering how on earth I used to blog nearly every day, somedays even twice? How time flies. Or rather how life passes us by.

But let's not be picky, I've had a busy few weeks since saying goodbye to all my work mates and friends at work, closing the door on a chapter of my life that's taken up a quarter of it (scary thought) and sitting on my backside for four weeks watching daytime tele, walking the dog and generally being slothenly... garden leave has its perks. I've never been paid for being slothenly before.

Mores the point, I've never been made redundant before, and great timing too right before Christmas. Lucky for me, I've been in my new job a week and every day now I'm hearing from more and more work mates who are starting other jobs or have them in the pipeline. Bad times, good times, it's turning around. Redundancy pay has been and gone, threw the chunk at the bank to pay off some credit that has seen both me and Matt the Husband walking around with a spring in our step until we had the car serviced and it needed two tyres, a cambelt and a bit of TLC and I though to myself, f***ing typical - should have kept some of that cash back. It was nice while it lasted.

Grace has settled into her new routine already, flitting from day to day without a care in the world. The bags under her eyes this morning tell the true picture though as she adjusts to three and a half days in nursery and the rest with Grandma. She's  had a great week with the Children in Need activities going on, fancy dress, painting, baking. One happy child. Even ballet in her PJs... felt like I had a teenager on my hands already.

The dog is a little more unsettled as we haven't quite figured out a routine for her yet. My induction period for work is being held mostly off patch so the travelling even after one week has left me knackered and the dog in a position where she doesn't know what day it is. Still next week might bring better things, I'm trying to get her into a doggy daycare not far from us where she can run amock with 3 other dogs, have two walks and probably get lots of cuddles from Sally the woman who runs it too. Fingers crossed we can get her in there two days a week, as for me, its so important for D-Woof to keep up her social life and not turn into a hermit like her Mum.

Talking of which, Mum, get well soon x x

Back to Yorkshire again, sorry I diverted there, and I'm seeing lots of promise in this new job. It's a new role that's been created and between now and the end of the year I can work with my counterpart to shape it ready for going live in January. Exciting times. Spare a thought for me though. I'm driving a hire car at the moment, and found myself running on fumes because I couldn't figure out how to open the petrol cap. Damn you Chrysler.

After all that jazz, I'm ready for a sit down. Pity the house needs cleaning and I have a mountain of batch cooking to tackle. Toodle-oo!

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Pottygate

Picture me on Monday, doing a dance around the kitchen when I realise we've got through the day... dry AND clean. Three wee's and a poop on the potty. Not one change of clothes. Happy? I may even have raised a glass (or two) of wine in celebration.

This is the high.

Tuesday formed the low, several misses, and a washing machine wondering what's happened that warrants a mid-week load. Hmph just about summed it up.

Today? Today is a mid-roader. Not bouncing off the walls, but considering Grace has been in nursery all day today, I'm satisfied with her 50% hit rate. Talking of 50%, I'm off to nail the rest of that bottle that I opened on our 'dry day'. Might as well get the mid-week sip of vino off of my chest before starting the new job on Monday..... good times are a coming!

Sunday 4 November 2012

4 days in...

I have run a marathon. Not literally, but definitely metaphorically. I have not let Grace out of my sight for four days on the trot, and I am what you might call bushed. On Thursday, we started out on our potty training journey and you might remember me saying how we were using a 3-day technique which I wrote about here.

Safe to say, we are on track, though clearly there is more to be said for being 'potty trained' than a few well timed wee's on the pot. That said here's a run down for anyone that's interested...

Day One - 5 misses, 1 hit.
Day Two - 3 misses, 1 hit.
Day Three - 1 miss, 3 hits.
Day Four - 1 miss, 1 hit.

Around that, we have cheated a little by letting Grace wear a nappy in bed at night and when she day time naps. Needless to say, poops on the potty are uncharted territory as she has managed to do these in the nappy every day. Some bridges still to cross I think!

It's been hard going, tiring. Grace has been very keen to please, and this had led to a lot (and I mean a lot) of false starts. Time spent running for the potty from her cries of 'wee wee' only to have a dry run. It's been worth is though. She has definitely twigged that she needs to tell us when she needs to go so we can get to the potty to keep her pants dry. Reward stickers all round.

Tomorrow the real world starts. She's off to Grandma's in the morning so I have the perilous car journey to make in rush hour, via the station.... we'll be on the road about 40 minutes and I'm so tempted to put a nappy on just to make life simple but I WILL NOT. I will not cave!! It would just send mixed signals to her and I want to build on the successes we've had the last few days. It will come. She'll learn to tell me when to pull over for a road-side bio break. I'm dreading it. A spare potty potty is in the car ready so I have no excuses.

And then on Tuesday and Wednesday this week she's back in nursery... how will they cope with her crying wolf? Even I've been a bit frustrated at it.

Anyway, Grace has gone to bed early. I'm in need of some much needed feet up on the sofa time. Night all x

Friday 2 November 2012

News just in

Amidst a busy week juggling garden leave with the mad dash of taking Matt the Husband to the station in the morning, I have found time to start potty training the little one. A bit like my life, I've turned my back on the conventional and instead chosen something a little more oooo. Setting aside a few days where I could commit to being home all day to concentrate on things, Grace started out yesterday morning, day one, without a nappy. No nappy, just big girl pants. And instead of getting her to sit on the potty to 'try' every half hour or so, we're going with a method set out in an e-book by Lora Jensen called 3 Day Potty Training....

.... we remind Grace to let us know if she needs a wee or a poo, and we praise her for keeping her big girl pants dry. On repeat. Like every five minutes. Again and again and again. And the minute we see her start to wee, we run the gauntlet to the potty so she can finish (hopefully) on it, followed by praise and the reminder she needs to let us know when she needs a wee so she can go to the potty and keep her big girl pants dry - because wet pants is yucky!

.... we've just finished day two. Thus far, I'm glad to have waders and a shovel in my arsenal. One full wee on the potty (yay!!!) and one dribble. Many on the floor and nothing to report on the poo-bomb. I'm looking forward to day three. Grace definitely seemed to know what was expected. I was a bit miffed when she did a wee in the bath today as we didn't get to practice after the success of her potty-hit before her afternoon nap. Hey ho. All in a days work. Anyway, wish us luck!!

Another new thing for Grace this week is talking on the phone. She likes to phone her Nanny and Grandpa in Norfolk.... tonight Grandpa was asleep, so Grace was telling Nanny about her day, and singing Twinkle twinkle little star.... too cute!


I'll be checking back in with a progress report in a day or two, there's the weekend left to get the potty training under her belt before back to childcare on Monday.... let's go Grace, I've got everything crossed.

If you're interested in the method described, go to Lora's website here