The start of something good?

As much as I complain about potty-training my son, I've really taken a half-assed approach to it. I always figured that it would happen someday, in spite of me. I also never really minded changing diapers - even the poopy ones. I mastered the art of holding my nose without using fingers eons ago at the swimming pool at Camp Dodge.

It's so much easier having a kids in diapers, rather than a kid in full-on potty-training mode. I'd much rather glide through the supermarket, distracting my kids with crackers, cookies, and funny faces and letting them relieve themselves in their diapers, than running pell mell for the bathroom everytime they said they had to potty. And I won't even get into the condition of some public bathrooms. The thought of getting on my knees and hoisting my sweet child's fanny onto the germ-filled toilet seat gives me the willies. Give me diapers any day!!

Except.

Except it had to happen.

Except it had to happen at a very inopportune time.

Earlier this week, Max was showing real interest. He was showing acute awareness of his bowels and bladder function. However, he would tell me after the fact. "Mommy, I peed. Mommy, I pooped." That was all fine and dandy. I even put him in his "big boy underwear", until he peed in them a few minutes later. I was starting to sweat a little - my baby (who is 3) couldn't possibly be ready for this.

Imagine my relief, when, the very next morning, instead of pooping on the toilet, like he has done for months, he raced into the kitchen and hid in the corner to poop. Of course he did this while I was taking Elise to school, and his dad and I thought it was a scream! Ha ha! Isn't that cute? Boy, he won't be potty trained for MONTHS!!

I was smug in my "child knowing" ways. I admit it. I just KNEW this kid might be potty-trained sometime this summer, but NOT within the next couple of weeks. I just plain wasn't ready for it.

Have I mentioned we're leaving in a week and a half for Disneyland??

Then this morning I put him on the toilet as usual as soon as he got up. He didn't want to go!! (yay!) He ended up pooping just a little bit, so, as a reward, I put him in his underwear, just knowing in my smug way that it would be shat and peed upon within hours. I took Elise to school about half an hour later, just knowing that when I got home, I'd have a mess to clean up.

Only, there was no mess. I put him on the toilet again whereupon he not only pooped more, but also peed. There was much rejoicing and praising, while inside I was a bit less smug. A few hours later, I put him on the potty again. He peed and pooped again. There was much rejoicing and praising, while inside I felt my smug-ness melting away. Then, during lunch, IT happened. He said "I have to pee." Did you hear that??? ""I HAVE TO PEE."" Said like a pro. Said like something who's been saying it for years.

My smug-ness demanded to be heard!! I smugly thought, "Yeah, right." Only, he peed. On the potty. After telling me.

I didn't have the courage to leave him in his underwear for naptime, so he is currently sleeping in a diaper. But my smug-ness? I think it went on permanent vacation.