“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” — Clairee Belcher, Steel Magnolias (1989)

Four weeks ago, when MDO ended for Summer break, we put Wog in big boy underwear and hoped for the best.  You see, I am a very structured person and lover of rules and guidelines, except when it comes to parenting chores (and, yes, potty training is a chore and if you enjoyed it, I might be inclined to call you strange to your face).  I’ve found that the occasional strong-willedness of my children can reduce me to an pile of inconsistent mush. 

So, enter my “let’s try this and see what happens” method of parenting.  (It’ll be all the rage soon–you’ll see.)  And WOW, were we surprised!  After the first day, there were no accidents of the “tee-tee” variety.  And after four long, excrutiatingly messy, tear-filled days,  he was dropping twosies in the potty like nobody’s business. 

I’m almost embarrassed to tell you that he didn’t even wet at night.  He started off sleeping in a Pull Up, but it was dry every single morning.  So, when he started asking to sleep in his underwear, I let him.  Two nights ago, he woke up at 11:30 at night, found his daddy, and enlisted him to help find the potty in the dark.  I may have teared up with pride.

Before you hate me with my innovative parenting techniques and my genius child for our easy trek to freedom from the grips of Huggies, you should know that  the Shoe house is not without it’s casualties.  My uber cool shower curtain, the only one in existence on the planet that matches the icky green tile in my bathroom, was lost in one of the great Wog/poo clean up of 2009. 

Rest in peace, fair tropical stripes.

HH has been off-the-hook busy with work.  We’re talking I’m not even awake when he comes in busy.  While I’d rather saw off my elbows with a butter knife than get both kids to bed by myself, it’s given me some good snuggly time with Wog that I don’t usually get since he’s all about the Daddy these days.  We’ve started to teach him to say his prayers at night.  He tends to get shy when asked to perform on demand, so we just prompt him to say the things he’d like to thank God for.  Among the things he’s been most thankful for:

• His movies & DVDs (every night, the top of his list– too much TV?)
• His books, especially his Batman book (this one belongs to the library, so unless I can get B&N to deliver on the pronto, we are about 3 days away from one distraught little boy)
• The numbers 1, 2, and 3 (not all numbers, mind you, just these three)
• Boogers (??)
• Two balls (his tee ball set came with 2 balls, but, seriously, try to keep a straight face for that one)

I am wildly entertained by the things he chooses and the thought that goes into picking each thing.  I’ve also found myself challenged to do the same.  Not saving my prayers up for the biggies (health, money, etc.), but thoughtfully choosing the things that make me happy– Bug’s laugh, Wog’s cheesy grin– no matter how silly or small–my pink Sharpie, my new eyebrow pencil–and voicing those daily. 

What a difference it’s made in my mood!

Any silly little thing you’re particularly thankful for today?

In what wreaks of Slacker Mom Syndrome, I sent Wog trick-or-treating in his pajamas. But he didn’t seem to mind nearly as much as I did. This year was his first trick-or-treat outing (as in walking around the neighborhood and begging complete strangers for candy). He had so much fun! With little rehearsal at all, he was able to exclaim “Trick-or-Treat!” or “Thank you!” at the appropriate times and with little prompting. Of course, there was that one older gentleman’s home where Wog got a little confused and said “Thank you” when the man opened the door and “Trick-or-Treat” once he’d given him the candy. But all in all it was a wonderful time. Until Saturday, that is, when all day long he whined to go trick-or-treating again.

And I do have a small confession. We totally crashed a neighborhood to trick-or-treat. But it was my parents’ neighborhood. We sensed that the candy would be better there, plus we had someone to watch the Bug so that HH and I could both accompany Woggie on his first T.o.T. (can I coin that abbreviation? I am so tired of typing those words… I think I’ve used them a bazillion times already).

Check out more Halloween cuties at 5 Minutes for Mom.