BIG GIRL! **Updated Friday**

Yeah! I am so beyond excited and Very, Very Proud of my little Emma Joy! We have been trying off and on for it seems like forever on this potty training thing and had taken another break to begin again this past Monday. Well, it finally clicked! Probably party due to Mommy's brilliant and yet not so brilliant plan. Let me explain, a trip to the Dollar Store and Target with many "prizes" in tow we began first thing on Monday morning. I explained to my dear, sweet Emma that every time she went on the big girl potty Mommy would give her a prize. Twenty minutes later her first time going #1 and she stands up and announces "I'm ready for my prize Mommy"! I very enthusiastic at this point go to my stash and pull out a prize, put it in a gift bag and hand it to her. Me thinking I've finally succeeded and we are on the road, well yes, we were on the road, but little did I know first thing on Monday morning that Emma would bankrupt her Daddy and I with "Prizes"! :) Needless to say come Monday night I had to make a trip back to the Dollar store before my stash ran out. At this point I'm beginning to think that I've created a monster, but on the other hand, hey she was being very successful - even if she was being bribed.

Well it's now Thursday and she has gone 2 complete days accident free! YES! I'm pretty sure she's got the hang of this whole big girl thing now. My only problem.....How to wean off the prizes! AGH! No seriously though, actually yesterday there were a couple of times she didn't even ask for one she'd just go back to playing or watching her movie after she'd done her business. Hey, I may go down in the history books as worlds worst mother for bribing her kid on potty training, but you do what works,and by golly she's potty trained! :)

Although I must put this in the blog post because Lord knows by the time I get around to actually scrapbooking I'll not be able to remember these moments....God FORBID that Blogger ever go down...I'm counting on this thing for one day when I can get the kids albums done again! So here's the two funny things on Potty Training. You know kids - They say the darnedest things! On the first day Emma sat on the potty in front of Little Einsteins pretty much the majority of the day, but she couldn't understand why no matter how much she tried she couldn't go every time. So me, being the good mother that I am tried, and I do put emphasis on tried, to explain digestions and body waste to a two year old! Bet you wish you were a fly on the wall for that one! HA! About 2 hours later Emma was playing and I reminded her that she should go and try again, she turned around and quickly informed me that "Mommy, but I can't, I'm empty, there is nothing left to travel down". Oh My Gosh, I almost died laughing! Not only had she been listening to me explain digestion but now she was telling me in her own little words how it worked! The next thing was this - Yesterday she informed me that once again she needed to go potty so down she sat. We've been keeping the potty chair in the Living Room for easy access, and Ethan has been sick so I was holding him in my chair which happened to be right next to hers. As she sat their for a few seconds she suddenly realized that this was not the "normal" potty experience, no this was going to be a....um how should I say this....#2. Now, I'm NOT embellishing, this is what the little booger turned around and told me.

Emma - "Mommy, you need to move"

Me - "Why Sweetheart?"

Emma - "Because I need some space"

Me - DYING LAUGHING! HA HA. So of course I gave the child her "space" and of course she finished her business and then of course announced she needed her prize. Oh my.

And the picture above is PRICELESS! :) I couldn't resist getting the shot of her as she had just pulled her panties back up and got them caught in her dress! This is definitely a shot to be saved for the future... All in all Emma has done very well. I am VERY proud of her for finally crossing over this particular thresh hold into becoming such a BIG GIRL!

**Well it's Friday morning and Emma has been high and dry for 3 days now! :) Emma even did well yesterday when we went to cousin Charles house and were out of the house for the day (only 1 small hickup but she quickly realised what she was doing and rant to tell me and finished in the potty). She has stopped asking for the prizes every single time now and only asks every now and then, at which point Alex or I will praise her and tell her how proud of her we are and what a big girl she is! Although she has had today to look forward to....Nana and all her Aunts are coming to pick us up today at 12:00 to go on a "Benture"....it's a surprise, even Mommy doesn't know where we are going or what we are doing! I'll post some pics when we get home from our Adventure tonight! I wonder where we are going?**