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Journal Key:

Green = Steve | George = navy | Janet = Purple | Evelyn = Black

8/11/13 (Sunday)

Today was Underpants Day. I got Owen into them in the morning, put a towel under him on the couch, and waited to see what would happen. Well, what would happen was that he would get wet. We'd get to the potty, he'd make some more, and then we'd try dry underpants and do it all again.

Around ten, he started playing instead of putting new underwear on. Then he announced that he had to go again, and he went. Then again. He would gleefully run into the bathroom, stand on his stepstool, and pee, then come running back out (having done a little dribbling along the way). And then . . . he stayed dry. Being naked really worked. He stayed naked and dry until naptime, when I put a pull-up on him. He woke up dry, and he kept it dry for the next couple of hours, because Casey was over and we figured a little modesty was in order.

When the girls left, we went outside to finish some yard work. Owen asked where they'd gone, and we explained that they'd headed down to Casey's house. Owen wanted to go, too, but we told him that he'd be staying with us and getting all of the attention. He thought about it. "I want lots and lots of treats!" he announced.

Back in the house, he ran around naked until bedtime. Basically, from ten in the morning until eight at night, he was a perfectly potty-trained boy.

8/12/13 (Monday)

Today was Underpants at School Day. It was also the first day back at school after a week's vacation. Owen got into his underpants (and other clothes) willingly, made some peepee on the potty, and headed out with Cara and me. We dropped Cara off and drove down to YBR. It was a little nerve-wracking having him in the car in underpants for the first time. We made it, though!

Compared with other times I've dropped Owen off after he's been out, today was easy. In fact, compared to any other time I've dropped Owen off, this was easy. We put his lunch in the fridge, and he ran off to play. He wasn't hanging on me as I talked to the teachers; he wasn't grabbing me or making any fuss. He actually didn't even say goodbye.

I'd brought along some extra shorts and underpants, and they used them all. Owen is not as potty trained when he has clothes on. I'm doing laundry tonight, so that I'll have a supply to send tomorrow! The way they successfully got him onto the potty was by pointing out that his friend Harrison was going, so tomorrow they're going to do some partner-peeing.

I made him try to pee before I put him back into the car, and he couldn't produce. He stayed dry all evening, only using the potty before his bath. I do think we're in the home stretch.

8/13/13 (Tuesday)

One unexpected (at least by me) down-side of being potty-trained while half naked is that Owen wants to take off his shorts, underwear, and shoes when he uses the potty. This morning he tried to get me to take his shirt off of him, too! We're working on this.

I was anxious to find out how Owen had done on the potty at YBR. Today was definitely better but not perfect!

One nice aspect of having one girl and one boy is that my little boy likes to play with a tea set in the bath. Tonight we put a red color tablet into the teapot and had a pink tea party. It was lovely. At the end, Spider Man and Captain America, the little guys who had come along, each got to ride on a flying saucer and get knocked off a lot.

Owen had me read him a dragon-themed book this evening. In the inside covers, there are spreads with pictures of many of the dragons from the book. "I like her, and I like him, and I like him, and I like him," Owen declared, pointing. When it was my turn, I picked out a little green one and said that I liked her. "No, Mommy," said Owen, "She is not a girl, she is a boy!"

8/14/13 (Wednesday)

Owen came downstairs this morning and started chattering away to me, but then he suddenly announced that he had to make pee-pee. I was somewhat surprised to find that his diaper was actually dry! It was a nice start to the morning, as I had been wondering about how I was going to transition him into underpants.

He put on his Green Lantern ones, because he loves his mommy and those are my favorite. When I got to YBR to pick him up in the afternoon, he was still wearing them. Yep, the third day of underpants at school was the first complete success!

He also kept them dry while we picked up Cara, took her to dance and hung out during her class, drove down to Red Bank, waited for a table, and enjoyed lobster night at Boon Docks with the Monmouth County family. (Owen and Steve partook of the enjoyment but not the lobster.) He kept them dry while I drove him home at 9:20. Those were some very dry underpants.

While we were on our way from YBR to Cara's camp, I made a quick stop at home to grab the big Green Lantern toy that was Owen's reward for staying dry. He was delighted to get it. It was in its package, and I didn't have time to open it, so I told him that Cara would open it for him in the car. We hurried in to get her. I opened the classroom door, and Owen yelled, "Hey, Cawa, you get to open my big Geen Lantewn!" Then we waited quietly in the hall while she packed up. As the three of us exited the building, Owen loudly explained to her that he'd gotten it for keeping his underpants dry all day.

The kids had a great time in the car with Green Lantern and the horrible monster that came with him. It looks like snot, honestly. It's just a third of a monster; the other two arms come with other Green Lantern toys. Each kid got one, and they did some fighting. Then they switched a couple of times. I heard Cara complaining that she hadn't gotten enough of a turn. When I inquired, it turned out that the monster was the more popular figure.

Green Lantern could easily defeat the monster, until I pointed out, somewhat reluctantly, that it is yellow. As everyone knows, Green Lantern has no power over the color yellow. Cara, as Green Lantern, pretended to paint it green once. Mainly, the tables had turned, though, and I heard a lot of "You have no power over me!"

I actually had a really nice time driving home. It was just me and Owen in Steve's car, which has a cord to hook up to my MP3 player. I got to play lots of music I don't generally get to hear. Owen liked it, too. I wondered, a few times, whether he had fallen asleep, but then his voice would pop up again. At quarter to ten, he'd be asking, "Mommy, who does this song?" and I'd tell him it was Johnnie Cash, or Duran Duran, or Dexys Midnight Runners, and he would say, "Oh," as if that had meant anything to him.

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