Since Eliana and I have been back from Texas, Ivy has taken to calling me the “the mama.” With her second birthday and Eliana’s online schooling right around the corner, I figured today was a good time start potty training. For a month or so Ivy has been practice sitting on her little green and white plastic potty chair. So after her morning breakfast and change, we went diaper free. The theory is that if I follow her around and watch her, I can catch her doing the potty dance and pop her on the chair.

Watching a toddler playing with a doll on the kitchen floor is boring so, I started to put some clean dishes from the rack into the cupboard. A minute later I hear “poo poo.” I look up and she’s standing in a pool of pee. So I quickly carry her, dripping, to her potty chair. Nothing more happens and we pantomime wiping with toilet paper.

Even though I already did this with the first kid, the second one isn’t feeling easier or automatic. At least I am not living in an rental with wall-to-wall carpet this time.