Potty Training Twin BOYS

This is a post I've been sitting on for while. I wrote it in my phone as I was in the process of potty training the boys, but never got around to posting it. My old laptop was a pain in the behind to ever turn on and use...but get me a MacBook and I'm like a whole new lady! Woohoo!

In March of 2015 I decided it was time to potty train my freshly turned two year old twin boys. Which, if you've talked to moms of boys and girls, they will usually tell you how much harder of a time they had training their boys. They had been showing me the signs a few months prior, but I wasn't ready to take on the task...I wish I would have when they first showed me signs, because when I finally decided to tackle this mountain of a task, they were kind of over it. I choose not to do the three day method, I mean, I semi attempted that ridiculousness and quickly decided it wasn't for me or for the boys. I think it is fantastic when parents have success with that method, because it sure beats 10 months of teaching! However, I just felt that since I am a stay at home mom there was no real urgency for me, plus they were on the younger side for potty training. Here is a snippet of my attempts in the beginning, I have no idea where my day one is by the way, I'm sure I just wanted to forget it ever happened:

Day two potty traing with twins

We started in the afternoon again...our morning have been really slow...so naturally they don't get dressed until later in the day. Unless we have somewhere to be. 

12:30pm get both boys in big boys pants

12:40pm spend 5 to 10 mins in the bathroom...I'm thinking I don't have the patience for this. 

12:45pm HB is naked running around the house. Sitting on all the toys...I know this is how most families potty train it's just, ya know, doesn't sit with me right that he is putting his little nakey booty all over their toys and my couch...ha! 

1pm both boys are naked and running around the house and making monkey noises. Do I live in the jungle? 😂

1:45pm we made it to nap time! No accidents! But no pee in the toilet either. I'm pretty sure HB peed as soon as the diaper went on, but at least he held it? 

3:15pm CJ is naked again. We watch Bubble Guppies with a towel on the couch 

3:30pm HB is up. We keep watching Bubble Guppies with towels

4:00pm daddy gets home. So far no accidents 

5pm...well we made it. We had to out pull-ups on 

for dinner but they didn't have any accident...so that's a plus 

6pm daddy does baths while I workout...Leif comes out to the garage and tells me HB went potty in the potty! Success!!!! He got a Reese's peice of cereal (I don't have candy in the house, and to them it's just as good) yay! I feel like one success with one reward is the bump I've been trying to get over all day! 

Day three 

I've decided to just handle this in small sections. A lot of advice said to put on undies and never look back. 

It's 8:30am we took off diapers and now they are naked. I put on their undies and then both "had to go" so they are naked again *sigh*

Both are much more interested in the toilet today though. They both want Reese's so they are trying to use the toilet...let's hope this is a start! 

No pee in the toilet but no accidents either. We took naps and then had to run to target. We get back on track after their afternoon nap 

It's 6:12: we put them in undies after dinner 

One accident .... Three feet from the toilet. Oy 

Day 4? 

Does it really count? I Honestly didn't work on it at all because we were gone. But both just peed in the toilet after bath, and both were super proud...okay tomorrow...it's on! 

So as you can see the process was a hot mess. There were many times I threw up my arms in frustration. Many times I yelled, tried time outs...I mean it was just bad. Luckily one of the boys got it before the other and once that happened it felt like a whole new ball game...I did have to take a break from it for my other son. I was just getting so frustrated and it was detrimental to our days, not worth getting as upset as I was. Three months in a diaper and two days later of retraining and he got it. 

There are still times when I am out that I feel diapers would just be easier so I don't have to run to the front of the store from the very BACK of the store just for a small tinkle. Now that they both truly get it though, my life is sooooo much easier! Only one is still in diapers at night and I am okay with that. 

Moral of the story? Know your kids, watch their signs, use what works for them and not for you. My son who picked it up faster is that kid who likes to follow rules, he is like his momma in that way. My other son is that " I do it myself" kid and I love him for that! I knew that he would do it because it was his terms not mine. I had to find ways that made it seem like it was his idea to go potty. Remember, parents, although our kids don't believe this simple fact, we are smarter than them. 

If it takes you three days or a process over ten months....you can do it!

I wanted to be everything

I've struggle so much to blog. It's not that I have nothing to say, because I do! I just worry, will what I say one day affect the boys in a way I don't want it to? Will they misinterpret things I say about parenthood? Am I saying too much, being too honest? I still haven't fully decided what direction I am going to take this blog. It started as a fitness type thing, but that quickly fell apart, like a lot of things that I have attempted since becoming a mom...which is what brings me to this blog post.

I want to be everything. I struggle so much with what social media puts out there as far as what we as moms are supposed to be. Being that I am a stay at home mom, I'm supposed to be organized, have my stuff together, but also run a side business and do all these extras. Please don't get me wrong, I look up to those mommas who have that amazing energy. I am not one of them. I neeeeeed my sleep. When the boys nap, I do too, on days I have extra energy, yay! However, most days I jut need that 20 minute power nap, and then I know I can tackle the afternoon head on.  I know one day I won't feel so exhausted, but for now, this is the stage I'm in, the running after two, almost three year olds, stopping every 2-3 minutes to answer sweet questions, break up a fight or take a picture. I LOVE staying home, but I struggle that I am not doing enough.

Before I had the boys my drive to be successful was great! I worked full time and received my Bachelors degree in Business Management. After we got married I got a new job and worked there for 2 years. During my time at this new company I realized I wanted to change fields. I wanted to become a Speech Pathologist. I began taking classes and commuting an hour once a week after working a full day. It was about 3 weeks into my class we found out I was pregnant, and then around week 5 when we found out it was twins. The drive home from my class was exhausting and late at night. Yes, count it as an excuse, I just didn't feel like it was safe for me to keep driving that time and distance during my twin pregnancy.

I had every intention on working part time after we had kids, but throw in the twin factor and daycare...that idea quickly went out the door and that was okay, really, it was. I LOVE being home with the boys, there is no where I would rather be. However, there is this drive in me that I have to do more, accomplish more, be busier....what is that?! I'm a mommy to twin boys for goodness sake, I'm pretty darn busy!

This drive to do more is strong though, I've attempted many different work from home opportunities and when I don't see the fruits of my labor flourish quickly, I am over it. I am so impatient now a days. Why? I think it's because I want something to show off. Look! I stay home and I do this and I do that. Please, my mommy friends who are reading this and have their own companies, or work full time, please know how much I admire you and I see that as a gift that God gave you! God gifted me in a different way, perfect for me. I really, really  need to accept that, and know that it is okay to not be everything and the biggest thing to realize is most moms feel this way. I want so badly to just enjoy where God has me in life right now, because one day I will miss this so incredibly much. One day, I will be busier and I will miss the busy I have now. God has gifted me with being a stay at home mommy, I might not meet the same social media expectations but I meet His and that is what matters the most.

Because at the end of the day, I am everything to two little boys and their daddy.