Gilded toilet

So far in our adventures in parenthood we have been fairly lucky. No real "messes" as far as toddler creativity goes. That is until Friday night.

Jon and I had some friends over for dinner and an impromptu "play date". They have a little girl, Grace, who was three in January that Xander enjoys playing with. The two of them were playing well together and were moving between the living room and Xander's room. We (being all of the adults) started to play a game in the living room. The kids disappeared and we assumed they were in Xander's room playing. I hadn't really noticed how quiet they were being (a rare occassion for our little guy) until I heard the toilet lid slam down. I thought "this can't be good". Now, I do have to give them the benefit of the doubt, Grace is potty trained and can go to the bathroom by herself. I assumed that might be what they were doing, I was wrong!

I checked the bathroom and there was no one there, I thought it was strange, then I thought I'd better check the master bathroom. Our bedroom light had been off and Xander rarely ventures in there if the lights aren't on. Sure enough there were the two of them, in the master bathroom, covered from head to toe in some type of metallic gold substance! Xander was proudly "painting" the toilet with it. I looked around the room only to realize, they had gotten into a few scrapbooking supplies that had been in our bedroom closet. They removed the gold metallic ink pad from it's base and smeared gold fingerprints ALL OVER the room. The dresser was covered, the walls were covered, the television screen was covered, the light switch plates were covered - all making a neat path into the bathroom.

That wouldn't have been SO awfully if Xander hadn't taken it upon himself to "baptize" the pad in the toilet, at that point it was dripping wet making a wonderful paintbrush. When I arrived they had closed the toilet and were "painting" the tank and toilet seat. the dad's came in and took the kids out to clean them up and I started scrubbing. Amazingly enough it wiped right off of the dresser and walls. I cleaned up the toilet and thought I should check under the seat. When I lifted the lid, all of the water in the toilet had turned to gold, it literally looked like liquid gold and it was ALL OVER the bowl. I scrubbed and scrubbed and eventually got most of it off.

OH, what an experience. Come to find out it wasn't Xander that was the curious one but Grace and Xander and come and found her amid the art supplies and the two of them continued their "project" in the bathroom. Oh, what a night, I think I felt the worst about Grace's pants. They were covered in gold ink. I just hope it washes out!!!

A one pull-up day.....

Well, parents of all toddlers eventually experience "potty-training", we are currently in the midst of this experience. Xander has been going potty on the potty chair off and on for quite some time. This week I decided I would start trying to put him in pull-ups again just to see what would happen. We started Wednesday and sent him to daycare in a pull up. I reminded Jon to be sure to let the baby-sitter know what we were trying to do so that she could enforce it.

Well, when Xander arrived at daycare Jon said let's try to go potty before I go. (the babysitter has worked with him on and off while training another little boy - Xander would NOT go on the potty and always asked for his daddy to take him. It was quick thinking on Jon's part to get him to go and get a little more comfortable with the situation while he was still there.) Well, he went for Jon and continued to go all day long and was sent home in the SAME pull up that he wore that morning!!!! We were so proud. We continued the same cycle that evening and made it to bed with no wet pants all day long!!!!! He proved he could do it again on Thursday and we are all so excited.

Needless to say all good things must come to an end. Friday he did pretty well but amid some distractions - we had some company over - he did go in his pull up that night. Saturday was a little rough because we weren't home to really try to keep him on a schedule. We tried as best we could but he doesn't particularly care for public restrooms (who does!!!). That is going to pose a bit of a challenge.

All the same we are very proud of our "almost big boy" and will continue as best we can with the potty-training.