Yesterday and today, Allary has stayed dry ALL DAY LONG!!! I can't even believe it. We got a package from my mom a few days ago in which she included some suckers. Allary loves "Grandma's suckers" and so I used them for motivation for her to go potty. It worked like a charm. And even when we ran out of Grandma's suckers, she still kept with it. I think she's figured out that she can have whatever treat she wants because I am desperate and can't even think about her sugar intake the past few days. My kid may have rotting teeth, but hey, she can use the potty! I was offering her treats before, but it was something about a special treat from Grandma that did the trick. Thanks Mom for saving both our lives!
I will probably never know just how Allary's little mind works, but I think I was trying to make her hold out for a big reward if she could fill up her sticker chart, and it was just too out of reach and she didn't understand. So, we have switched to the immediate gratification approach. Every time she uses the potty, with her underwear still dry, she gets a sticker on her chart, and any treat of her choice. I wrapped up one present for yesterday and one for today, and set them out in plain sight as a constant reminder of what she could get if she stayed dry. It is so much easier to remind her to use the potty by saying something like, "Allary, what do you think is in your present?... If you stay dry, you can open it and see." To which she excitedly says, "I need to go potty!" I feel less like I am bugging her to go all the time and we are staying positive. Also, she gets the rewards right away, and a bigger reward at the end of a good day. Last night, her present was a book (actually from my mom's package, thanks again Mom!) and tonight, she got the movie "Enchanted," which I'll admit was just as much for me as it was for her.
I don't want to get too excited just yet, but the last two days have been absolutely miraculous in contrast to where we were before. We are leaving town tomorrow to spend Easter weekend with Jason's family. I am worried about how this little trip is going to affect our potty progress thus far. Wish me luck!
Here is a video I took tonight of Allary opening her present. I took it so that Jason could see since he was not home yet, but I thought it was cute enough to post. (Sorry if it is boring, it takes her a while to get through the wrapping.)
I was sad to cut off any of her beautiful curls, but I'm trying to get it all one length, and then I will probably grow it out again. I don't know though, the shorter cut kind of frames her cute round face better. What do you think?
Needless to say, I am sick of the cold weather and the snow! For crying out loud.
Grandma found some Dora stickers and Allary spent a great deal of time completely covering her eggs with stickers. She liked this better than the coloring or the dying.
Seeing what the Easter bunny brought. She got a little doll, a coloring book, and a big chocolate bunny.
Hunting for Easter eggs. Jason's little cousins were there too and Allary had a great time playing with them.
We rode the 4-wheelers up the canyon to throw the eggs off the hill (Jason's family's tradition). It was pretty cold and poor Allary had to keep snuggling up in Grandpa's coat.
What an arm!
Allary and I had an indoor picnic the other day. She picked out the "Return to Neverland" movie at the library (she is crazy about Tinkerbell), and we camped out with our lunch on the floor and watched it together. We were in need of some relaxing, no-stress, together time after a very very stressful week of potty training.
We made sugar cookies for Easter, which were actually meant to be for St. Patrick's Day, but I totally messed something up, the dough would not roll out right even after chilling in the fridge overnight, and Jason had to intervene and save them (why I even attempt to bake I don't know). Anyway, at least Allary was having a great time "helping."
My brave girl.
