the downside to potty training

I'm happy to say that Sam continues to do GREAT with potty training!  He's had just one accident in the last 5 days, and that was on Monday.  It will be a while before he's nap/night trained though.  He's a sound sleeper like his mama!  It has been nice to be diaper-free but there is a downside, and here it is:

1.  You spend A LOT of time in the bathroom.  On Monday, we must have spent half our day in that room.  We read in there, we talked in there, we sang in there, and I'll admit - we even ate in there.  GROSS.  Thankfully our bathroom quality time is decreasing.

2.  You get no sleep.  Sam has to use the potty 3-5 times before bed.  While I want to encourage potty breaks, he hasn't been getting to sleep until between 9 & 10:30 when normally his bedtime is 8.  And when Samuel is sleep-deprived he acts even more crazy than his already active self.  I'm exhausted trying to keep up with this lovable maniac.  Yesterday at the park a woman said to me with a sigh, "He's all boy isn't he?"  I knew what she really meant.  I said, "Yup, he's a lot of fun!"

3.  Your new namesake is now poop.  Let me explain, and sorry in advance for too much information.  When Sam poops more than one poop at a time, he names them before he flushes them.  As in, "Look!  A Daddy poopy, a Mommy poopy, a Sam poopy and a Sydney poopy!"  Lovely. 

4.  You talk about pee and poop a LOT as if it's as innocent as talking about the weather.  You assume it's normal conversation that others will enjoy, so you blog about it too.  I used to hate the word "poop" but now it's one of my most used words.  I decided not to substitute with words like "BM" or "#2" because everyone knows what you really mean:  poop. 

5.  A streaker is born.  Since we have occasionally taken the "naked approach" to potty training, Samuel has realized he loves being naked.  He loves it so much in fact that today he started taking off his clothes outside.  At the park.  In front of other children.  And their parents.  He got off his shorts and underwear and came running to me yelling, "I GOTTA GO POOP!"  So I pack Sydney up and we start heading for the porta-potty.  Mid-sprint to the porta-potty he decides he doesn't have to go, must have just had gas I guess.  So he starts running back to the park and insists on playing naked.  Who in the world would want to climb up a ladder, slide down slides & hang on monkey bars naked?  Sam, that's who.  It's all a blur but somehow I managed to get him back to the porta-potty (naked).  I tried to tell him that some people get arrested for this sort of behavior but I still only managed to get his underwear on prior to packing us up to go home after our potty break.

6.  You visit more porta-pottys during toilet training than you've seen in your entire life.  Every time we go somewhere Sam's first question is, "Do they have a bathroom?"  Good question for a potty training kid if you ask me.  But I don't think it has anything to do with him formulating a plan in case of a potty emergency.  Instead I believe he has this need to check out all potties.  It's like he has to show off his skills to every potty.  Christen every potty, if you will.  Lord help us at parks with multiple porta-pottys as he would like to inspect each one.  And I CRINGE.  I GAG.  I try to tell him they are all occupied but ONE, yet he tries to open each one.  When we finally manage to get into a porta-potty, he gives me the low down on if kids have gone poopy before him or not.  I'm hoping by purchasing the following for my car we may avoid future bad porta-potty experiences or worse yet an emergency with no potty in sight:

7.  New found independence.  Sounds great, right?  Well now Sam wants to clean up the little potty after a potty break.  But he doesn't just rinse it out.  He wants it to be filled and then he wants to play in it.  I tried to tell him that's "poopy water" but now he just tries to splash his hands in it while yelling "POOPY WATER!  POOPY WATER!" 

8.  A need for privacy.  Sure, everyone wants privacy while they go potty.  But Sam is now insisting on closing the door all the while I'm hearing noises in there I can't translate and picturing potty everywhere but the potty.  I'm slowly convincing him that a little help from Mom and Dad is necessary.

I feel the need to get to #10 but I'd just waste your time.  8 is enough to give you a picture into the life I've been living the last several days.  It must get easier... right?