A Random Visit with Unexpected Results

Dear Jen,

So as you know the in-laws came, kind of suddenly, this weekend. Well, they have now went, even more suddenly. They were going to go into Halifax today (I think Brad was kind of looking forward to it), but instead, they left this morning at 4 am. Probably about 4 pm yesterday is when I started overhearing things like, "So I'm going to get up at 4:00" and, "I'm going to bring everything downstairs except what you're wearing tomorrow." I'm pretty smart so I put it together pretty quick.

Who knows why they left a day early. They gave their loose reasons, but the thing I do know is that Brad's father never was one for visiting long, and will always cut things short or cut them out altogether (hence why in the past 3.5 years this is the first time they've visited us, but probably the 8th plan to do so), so I'm not surprised. I just felt bad for Brad because I feel like he's always being let down by his parents in that respect, and this was just another time where I heard the genuine disappointment in his voice when once again a plan made with his parents was foregone with no discussion or warning.

Ah well. I thought Evelyn would be more upset because she just loved tagging along behind gramma, and especially being her smoking buddy (yay), but today was fortunately playgroup, so already all disappointment seems to have been forgotten.

Anyway, I'm just grateful that visits from the inlaws don't induce stress or exhaustion--so I try not to be annoyed by the little things. Plus they brought us our potties!

(angel choir)

They are really basic, but that's good--we like basic. Our only criterion was that the front bump be big enough to catch his boy pee, and it is more than ample--definitely more coverage than any of the $20-$30 potties from the department stores. And all for $3 a-piece? Yes please! I tried to get Gavin to pose on it for a picture, but he wouldn't. I got Evelyn instead, although she's so tall that you don't really see how the kid sort of squats onto the potty. But just in case your kids like seeing mine as much as my kids like seeing yours, I thought I'd include it anyway:

(hi crazy-hair Evelyn!)

And now for the moment of difficulty. I have mulled this over in my mind and decided that if we are going to be real friends I shall have to share these sorts of things with you, even though there is a chance it might make you jealous (depending on your situation). Especially because I want to make sure you never leave things out to protect me from envy. You hear that Jen? I want it all. I can handle it.

SO: when we first got the potties, I tried to sit Gavin on one to show him what you do with it! Well, he freaked out and got angry and resisted, so I let it go. But I did have Evelyn sit on the potty for him to see, and after about a day of playing around with the thing, he started sitting on it. Sunday afternoon I decided to keep his diaper off, and mention to him with great frequency that if he needed to go pee or poo he should sit on his potty. Well...he did! I think it helped that he's been pooing on the big potty for several weeks, so he understood what I meant by "going on the potty". Monday morning he had his diaper off the whole time, peed a bunch, pooed a bunch, and had not a single accident (okay Brad's dad found a poo on the floor upstairs. But I don't count that because he doesn't really know where the potty upstairs is).

I just keep marvelling because he is only 18 months old! Evelyn trained by the time she was 22 months, I think, and to me that was early. Honestly I always hoped he would turn out like his cousins, Amy's 2nd and 3rd, who both self-trained at young ages. But I never dreamed of it being this early, and I was actually trying really hard to prepare myself for the likelihood of having two kids in diapers by the time the baby joined the family.

Nope! 18 months old and he's already got it down, and I'm not having a baby for another five months! Sweet! I am very happy with my curly-haired Gavin right now.

(this is the least terrible picture I could get out of him this morning)

Now to just work on getting him into a toddler bed! It may be sooner than I'd planned, too--while Brad's parents were visiting and Evelyn was sleeping in his room, Gavin learned how to crawl out of his crib. Oy!