Tptoy Rgitnain

This may not make sense to you, but I'm here to tell you - my two year old has it all figured out.  She is running a M&M, gummy, and sucker racket, as well as a Get-Out-Of-Bed-Free Clinic.  Do you need her to explain to you how this works?

Duh.  Do I have to spell it out for you?
POTTY TRAINING!

 She's also got her sister in on this scheme.

There's only one way to get teeth that color of blue.
POTTY TREATS!

Potty training has to be one of the most frustrating jobs a mom can manage, and yet when it's all said and done, one of the most relieving (pun intended!)  At our house, we use the time-tested technique of M&M or gummy treats for each use-the-potty-and-have-dry-pants episode, and Ellery has figured out the game - if you pee every 5 minutes, you can rack up a LOT of M&Ms in a day.  The BIG bonus is when you get a Ring Pop for pooping on the potty (hence the blue mouths above!)

Because Tanner is such a great helper with potty training, she also gets a treat each time Ellery uses the potty and has dry panties ("helper" often equals running in there when it's all said and done to get her treat, btw).  On the off-chance Tanner does not come running in, Ellery is "nice enough" (read:  trained by her sister) to know she needs to bring her a treat. 

Here is how a typical urinary encounter progresses:

1.  Ellery pees.  Hooray!
2.  Ellery asks for a M&M.
3.  Argument ensues because Ellery is not allowed to hold the glass jar and get the M&M herself.
4.  Once the above disagreement subsides and she apologizes, Ellery gets said M&M.
5.  Tanner either runs in to get M&M -OR- Ellery nicely asks to give one to her sister.  (And how can you deny that?  "Can I have M-M for Sassy, pa-leece?")

Anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes later we do it all over again, and I didn't even mention the 5 minutes of *monitored* hand-washing that occurs after this is all said and done.  It's a wonder I even get my own potty time some days (and by "own," I mean watched-like-a-hawk-by-a-potty-training-2-year-old potty breaks.  "Good Job, Mommy!  You panties dry?  You get M-M?")

In addition to the M&M scam, Ellery has also figured out that at nap or bedtime, she can ask to go to the potty and buy herself a 10-minute delay (yes, indeed, a 2-year-old can delay peeing that long if it means avoiding her crib).  She has also recently discovered that this is quite useful while waiting for food at restaurants (I can see her brain working...."if I say *potty* I get to go someplace else other than here!  WITH a Mommy or a Daddy!  Hooray!"  And yes, I do believe she is *that* sneaky.)

See?  A racket, and I'm not sure if the ring-leader is Tanner or Ellery.  Or both.  But I do know one thing for SURE - John and I are just pawns in this scheme!

Thankfully Elle is doing very well and has very few accidents (virtually none at home, but occasionally when we are out and about.  For example the other day when we went to get Tanner's haircut and Ellery peed.all.over.me.  Did I have a diaper?  Wipe?  Dry pants?  Nary a kleenex could be found - and that's how we roll.  You'd think I'd-a-learned a thing or two in almost 5 years of mothering.  *sigh*).