avuncular
Here’s a random Luke story from a few months ago.
He’s been totally potty trained since his 4th birthday back in April. He was having difficulty getting motivated until we hyped it up to him that his birthday would be the day. On the day, we ceremoniously discarded all of his pull-ups so that the reality of our expectations would sink in. And apart from a couple of accidents in those first few weeks, he hasn’t looked back, but has fully embraced the concept.
Starting out, he sat down for everything, and we gradually phased in one of the great perks of being male: Being able to stand up to pee. That’s gone as well as everything else has–the transition was seamless. He even aims well and doesn’t goof off too much.
A month or two ago we hit another milestone, this time a little unexpectedly. We were standing outside the local abortion clinic, protesting in conjunction with the 40 Days for Life campaign, and of course we brought along the kids. Penelope was in the stroller and we let Luke have a little free rein to run around. By and by, he brings it to our attention that he needs to go potty. No facilities available called for some quick decision-making: We would head for the bushes behind one of the office buildings. I took him back there and he went in the bush–it was a complete revelation for him that he didn’t even need a toilet to be able to go.
However, that realization and the ease with which he’s been potty-trained backfired a few weeks ago. We were raking leaves in the front yard (I say we; he jumps in the piles while I rake, haha) and I was about halfway done. I had lovingly collected a so-called “Jupiter pile” (on account of its size) in the middle of the yard for him to jump in. After putting the finishing touches on it, I turned around to call him over, and I saw him, shorts about halfway down, mercifully turned away from the street, about to pee in one of our holly bushes. “Luke!” I shouted. “Whoa whoa whoa. Let’s go inside for that, big boy. We don’t go in the bush when there’s a toilet available.” I smiled to myself and led him inside. Lesson learned. Ah, to be young and free and excited about pee.