Olivia is finally learning how to use the potty. Nearly a month ago, I purchased potties for our 2 bathrooms, mostly so she'd just get used to looking at them. We figured we would take it day by day.

This week Olivia has used her potty every night before taking a bath. Today I thought I would work the potty angle just a bit more. For once, one of our ideas worked exactly according to plan. We have succeeded in *both* areas of "potty magic."

As parents we have learned:

• Your child may wish to be naked before using the potty. This can make those mid-morning breaks a little more involved, but at this point, you take what you can get.
• Your child may often want to wear a pointy princess hat while using the potty (We would've taken a picture of the princess on her throne, but Scott thought it would scar her for life). It would appear that some clothing is not, in fact, optional.
• Your child may want to have a magazine to look at.
• It's a good idea to call the cats in for company and to act as a cheering section.
• Cheer loudly at accomplishments.
• You still have to wrestle your kid to the floor to wipe their butt.
• Diapers are suddenly NOT called diapers, they are panties. It makes them feel more grown up.
• Clean toilet paper can be doubled as a scarf when you sit on the toilet (hey, you get cold sitting there naked!)
• Little kids like to watch their parents use the potty too. Well, the parent with the proper anatomy anyway. The opposite parent is usually greeted with looks along the lines of, "no, that's not right, you're supposed to sit down!"
• It's just a potty, not a potty box. One has litter in it, one doesn't.

We have had a little girl who has remained dry all day due to the sucessful potty attempts. Go us!