Celebrations

This weekend has been very special for us since it was June 4th again.

Time for celebration x 2.

Saturday was our 3rd wedding anniversary. :)

 

But of course it was also Ace's 2nd birthday.

With Markus' parents in town, we had decided against a big party but just opted for coffee and cake at home.

Checking out the cake...

This year Ace got the idea of blowing out a candle and did his best, but in the end he needed some help from mom and grandma. ;)
(No worries Ace, we made a wish for you on your behalf.. ;))

Then it was time to unwrap the presents...
Let me just say: He got a lot of Duplo. ;)

Eventually it was cake time and since it was Key Lime Cake, Markus was in heaven [insert angel trumpets here], however Ace did not care.

He just picked at his slice for a minute, but didn't even want to eat one bite.

Finally he handed me the plate and asked for an orange instead.

This child is hilarious!

Birthday gift

When you love reading or have a thing for books in general, you might face this challenge:

How to decide what to read. 

True liking of myself

And if you end up reading two (or more books) at the same time, you are always torn which one to take for the commute to/from work – cause we all know: There is just never enough space in the bag/purse – not to speak of the weight issue…

So, last week was my birthday and I have to say Markus nailed it on the head with this year’s birthday gift.

He bought me a Kindle.

I absolutely love it. 

I feel it is best invention since sliced bread when it comes to reading.
It is so light, but holds up to 2500 books and it actually reads like the pages in a real book.
You don’t feel you are looking at a screen. 

Awesomeness.

Royal wedding or what not to wear

Hello world!

It's a joyous day because it's the day of the royal wedding.
Prince William finally married his Kate (who is now automatically the Duchess of Cambridge, the Countess of Strathearn and the Baroness of Carrickfergus - in case you were wondering). 

Leaving the church...

I know that lots of people couldn't care less, but I have a soft spot for that kind of thing. 

At the office we even had a team breakfast in honor of the newly weds and that we also got some mimosas to get through the work day lifted the spirit even more.

So congratulations, William and Kate. I hope you will have a successful life together. :)

My favorite picture of the two.

Having that said, it's time to take a look at the wedding guests (since everybody only seems to talk about how lovely Kate's wedding dress is). 

Let's see if we can spot the ones having an issue with not being in the spotlight (or so it seems if you look at their attention-seeking outfits) and those that should be mentioned for other reasons.

First up we have this photo: Carole Middleton (Kate's mother), Queen Elizabeth and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Carole looks pretty good to be honest.

The Queen could make a nicer face, I think, but it is really Camilla who draws my attention here. While the colors she chose for her gown are not "that" bad, I feel the hat is a bit unfortunate. 

Her facial expression is worse though. 

Oh Camilla, why can I never see a photo of you with a normal smile? 

You always look as if you are about to pass a kidney stone...

Pastel rules or what?

Next, please!

Here we have Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, the wife of Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Apparently she couldn't decide what to wear because she is sporting a turban-ish head scarf AND that giant red flower on her head.

I am sure humming birds would find her attractive...

Zara Phillips, the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, opted for a different head gear. 

To me it looks like a combination of satellite dish meets gift wrap ribbon and I am wondering if she is secretly trying to send a signal to aliens with that thing.

Bigger is not always better.

I have saved the best for last and since I could not decide which photo to use I will just show both.

Those two ladies are Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, daughters of Prince Andrew.

Their dresses: Really ugly... those bows and ornaments make it look like as if they had pulled the clothes out of grandma's closet.

The real kicker are their hats though. 

Eugenie's blue "hat" with this flowery thing and those feathers standing up high make her look like a futuristic flight attendant working on a space ship.

My favorite is Beatrice's "hat" though. 

I mean what the heck was she thinking when she chose that thing? 

If Zara is trying to send messages to outer space, Beatrice must surely be able to receive some.

An alternative explanation would be that both, Eugenie and Beatrice, are already space aliens and that is their traditional head gear. 

Take me to your leader, girls.

Their facial expressions are not helping...

Warning: This head gear is not suited for driving.

Easter

I hope everybody had a good Easter!

We were planning on hiding some eggs for Ace in our apartment but unfortunately he got sick and was not feeling well at all on Sunday.

Nonetheless he had a few good moments so we managed to do the Easter thing and snap a few pics.

Sporty

When we went to the gym on Saturday, I might have been able to catch a glimpse into the future. Our fitness center offers MMA classes for all ages and while we were working out, I was able to watch their Junior Grappling class. They had a group of about a dozen kids there - ages 5 to 8 years. Most of them were boys, but I could also see 2 girls.

Watching those kids - especially the young boys - made me wonder what Ace will be into in a couple of years. He is so full of energy already that I have no doubt that he will be doing something active. But what might it be? 

Naturally our family enjoys soccer, but Markus also likes to watch American Football as well as UFC and boxing on TV. 

We both run and before Ace we have been known to swing the tennis racket on a regular basis.

Markus really likes cycling and I enjoy inline skating (despite the fact that I haven't been doing it a lot in the past years.. ). 

But of course, there are still a ton of other sports Ace could get into. (I just hope it won't be lacrosse - it looks too much like butterfly hunters gone wild. :P) 

Lacrosse - Too many nets if you ask me.

I can't wait to find out what he will like... :)

Kiddie TV can be weird

Ace loves watching TV.

You can count on it: As soon as we get home from work/daycare in the evening, you will hear his "Tibi! Tibi!"- chant and our little guy will hand us the remote control so that he can watch an episode of his favorite TV shows.

Currently he is into Curious George, Caillou and The Cat in the Hat.

Occasionally he'll also watch Sesame Street or Barney. But not that often.

Markus and I have a love/hate relationship with most of the shows.

I mean I can't deny that we can use them to our advantage.

In the mornings for example. Ace is so not a morning person. Getting him ready for daycare can be such a struggle and the last thing I need at 7 am is whining and crying. But if you turn on Curious George he'll be fine. And before he knows it, he is completely dressed and actually feels pretty good... awake and ready to conquer the world.. So he'll tell Markus "Bye bye", blows him a kiss.. and off we go.

It works in similar fashion if we need to make a phone call without having him yell into our ear or if I need to clean the bathroom with bleach.

On the other hand, sometimes these shows are really hard to stand.

Here are my (and Markus') random thoughts:

Curious George:

What is wrong with the man with the yellow hat?

Why doesn't he even have a name? - All the other characters have one!
Including (my "favorite") Professor Pizza. (Really?)

And what's up with this obession for yellow?

But more importantly: How can he be so irresponsible?

He lets George do what he wants or gives him tasks that will set the monkey up for failure. 

He expects too much.. I mean come on: It is a monkey! 

For once a picture without the hat...

Caillou:

OMG - just stop whining already! I have no idea why Caillou's mom hasn't wacked him over the head already. Or maybe she has and that's why he is bold? I mean at 4 years old? Isn't that weird? I'd see a doctor.. but nobody in that family seems to be concerned.. so I guess they know something I don't...

Don't be fooled: He is just trying to hide the boldness.

But you know, I can't condemn the parenting Caillou's family does in general, cause they show admirable amount of patience with their kids.

However, I have observed some things that I find questionable.

For example, in one episode Caillou and his dad go for a run.

Remember, Caillou is 4, so obviously his legs are a lot shorter than his father's.

I can't say that Dad cared a lot though. He runs off and is ahead without even thinking to ask if Caillou is okay and can keep up. Kind of inconsiderate.

Eventually they have enough and decide to make their way back to the house.

Dad encourages Caillou with a "Last one at the house is a rotten egg!"

Ehm.. yeah.. sure.

Caillou's friend's parents aren't doing much better though:

Caillou is at his first sleepover and gets homesick. He wants to go home.

His friend's mom suggests helpfully to have dinner first and see how he feels afterward.

OK, fine.

At dinner then, Caillou repeats that he wants to go home and mom pulls an amazing idea out of her ass: "Why don't you guys eat as fast as you can, so that you can finish your plates and have dessert? I'm sure you'll feel better then."

Nice.. Let's teach our kids how they can suffocate their emotions with food while they are still in Pre-K! I am sure this way they'll get a future eating disorder for free as well! Yay! - Not... :(

Sesame Street:

I still have to see an entire episode, but there is always one part that creeps the heck out of me: Elmo's World.

First of all the entire scenery... kind of weird all this crayon scribble.. but whatever.. if they like their designers to smoke while work.. Fine. :P

What's really bugging me though is Mr. Noodle. He is such a weirdo! He gives me the creeps.

Creepy guy aka Mr. Noodle

And now recently I discovered he also has a brother - equally strange! Ugh!

I feel uncomfortable just watching them.

(And worse: I just found out you can book Mr. Noddle for your kid's birthday party: http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/RCDS08/catalog_items/83810

AH! SO not happening!)

There is one show I absolutely adore though: The Cat in the Hat!

I love it. So educational. The stories are so sweet and the characters are singing in nearly every episode. I could watch that show all the time. I might even learn something myself! Ha!

Always in a good mood: The cat

But of course Ace has his own ideas of what he wants to watch.. so I can only suggest Dr. Seuss' creations - in the hope he feels more like talking cats and fish instead of monkeys that sell ice cream or ride the subway.. ;)

Toddler brain

Most of us know this already: When you become a parent a lot of things will change and life becomes more interesting.

Ah, no kidding, eh?
For example (and I have mentioned this before), most moms experience (suffer from?) some kind of "mommy brain". So do I.
As a consequence us moms have to write everything down or we will forget it. Instantly.

Here is an example:
The local supermarket around the corner from my office is currently running a promotion where you get a free coffee with your purchase. When you pay for your goods the cashier will ask you if you want one, so that she can put it into her system.
Of course I don't say No to that. (I mean it's FREE coffee!)
Too bad that last time, I had already forgotten about my free coffee the second I had put away my credit card. So I grabbed my bag and left the store.
I realized this 2 hours later by the way.

Why is this happening?
- Because there is so much going on in our mommy brains.

Mine basically looks like this:

Yep, there is a lot happening here...

During the day I am basically hopping from one thought to the next. (No wonder I am always so tired at the end of the day.. lol)

That I always have a lot on my plate at work doesn't help either.

So I am always carrying a notepad around wherever I go. That does the trick for me.

Enough said about that though because what I discovered in the past week is that our counterparts have similar "issues" - only they don't really care that much.

What I am talking about is this: Toddler brain.

Since the kiddos don't think about it and have no worries, it must look pretty much like this:

Don't be fooled by the cuteness...

Just imagine it going a 100 miles per hour.
For 12 hours straight.

Of course this gives them plenty of opportunities to come up with crazy ideas on how to entertain themselves.

Ace's new favorite:
Sticking objects into body cavities.
It started with un-eaten pieces of carrot in his ears. Now he has moved on to corn kernels up in his nose.
The latter he tried for the first time on the weekend.
We had microwaved popcorn as a snack while watching TV and he decided to grab the bag to help himself. Suddenly it got quiet and we knew one of two things were happening:
1. He got tired or 2. He was up to something.
Of course it was number 2.
He had grabbed the corn kernels that hadn't popped and stuck one into each nostril.

Great. Exactly what you need on a Sunday night at 11.15 pm.

We started to think about heading to the ER, when we got lucky. One just fell out and the other one Ace was able to dig out himself. Phew.. good for us.
No 3 hour wait at the hospital.

Well, fast forward to last night.
You know how kids always find everything?
Well, of course we didn't give Ace any popcorn bags anymore, but he still managed to find a single corn kernel somewhere... and of course he stuck it up his nose.
No panic on our side here as we had already been through this before, but when an hour passed and the thing still had not come out I got a tiny bit nervous.
It didn't help that Ace didn't want to cooperate and declined to blow his nose. :/
Eventually I ran out of options, so I did what I always do when I don't know anymore:
I ask Google. (Mommy brain's best friend!)
And I was not disappointed cause apparently there is a CPR-like technique you can try before heading frantically to the ER.
(Read here for more info: How to get that thing out of your kid's nose)

Long story short:
I got lucky cause Ace thought this was a game where mommy gives kisses so he had fun and was holding still.
2 min later that damn thing popped out and passed my cheek with lightning speed while I ended up with toddler snot on my face.
But you know what - I could not have been happier in that moment. The kernel was ginormous. No clue how he even managed to get that in.

I can't wait to find out what he will come up with next.... :P

First day of spring

Hello, hello! 

Yes, I am still here... life has just been busy again and didn't really leave me any time to blog. But I am back and I bring good news:

Spring is here.

My fellow readers, we actually made it. 

Winter is officially coming to an end because yesterday was the first day of spring.

Right on St. Patrick's Day, I was wearing my greenest t-shirt and went for a walk around lunch time cause it was just so nice outside. And it actually got better. 

9 pm last night and we had 14 degrees. 14! I was so happy!

I am sure we'll still get some chilly days until I turn 27 (-> May 9th for all of you who don't know or remember - Shame on you! ;)), but for me, spring is officially here now.

I just thought I share this news.. ;)

Don't mess with my Zen

It's no secret: I love books.
Reading is like meditation to me... my mind becomes still and the stories, scenery and characters unfold in front of my inner eye. It's magical. And so relaxing. Usually. 

The last book I read was kind of an exception:

A few weeks ago our friend Theo came back from his vacation to the Dominican Republic and announced that he had been eaten alive by mosquitos and read a book: 

"In the Courts of the Sun" by Brian D'Amato. 

"It's pretty good," he told me. "It deals with time travel and the Maya. You should read it." 

I had just finished the novel I had been reading over the holidays, so I was up for it, but I didn't expect what this book had in store for me.
Don't get me wrong. I don't regret reading it. It was pretty well written and the author seemed to have done his homework with all the Maya stuff. But I had some moments when I wanted to set the book on fire while reading it. That certainly was a first. 

The author lets the main character use words and phrases in foreign languages, including German. And 9 out of 10 times he got it wrong. I got upset when I saw it the first time. 

I told myself to let it go. It's just a book, right? Then it happened again... and again.. and again. By the time I had finished the novel I was so pissed off that I felt I needed to take action. So last night I emailed Brian D'Amato. And this is what I wrote:


Subject:  Issues with the use of German phrases or why I feel like poking my eyes

Hi Brian,

I have just finished reading "In the Courts of the Sun".
In general I enjoyed your book, but there are a few things that I find upsetting.

I get that it is neat to have Jed throw in phrases in foreign languages. But if it's done incorrectly it just sucks.
I am German and since I am also a writer myself I feel like someone stabbed me in the eye each time I see words and phrases used in the wrong way.

There are many examples in your book, but page 421 stood out the most: "So auch auf jener Oberfläche sich noch im krystallinischem Zustand befände."  REALLY??? Is that necessary? I was contemplating to throw the book out of the window the moment I read that, because I was so pissed off.

It just really makes you not look good. Throughout the book you really get the feeling that you did so much research on the Maya, etc... and kudos for that, but why not here? Why not have someone who knows German look over those phrases before you use them?
I'm sure your publicist knows someone if you don't....

Well, and if not.. heck I'll help you with the other 2 novels that are still to come if that's what it takes.

So, anyways... I'll let you get back to writing and I hope my little feedback (rant) was helpful to you in some way.

Kind regards,
Melissa


I don't know if I really expect a response.. but at least I feel better now... my Zen is restored. ;)

Ten on Tuesday

After a long weekend with lots of fun with my guys, it's Tuesday again!

So here are this week's questions found on Roots & Rings:

1. What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day. Do you love it? Hate it?
Well, I like it.  (I mean who doesn't? There is lots of chocolate involved!)

But I am a little sad for all those people that seem to need a specific day to show their love to their significant other. It's always Valentine's Day in our house cause we have so much love to give. Every day.

2. What is your favorite romantic comedy?
Ehm.. no clue. I can't even remember a single one at the moment.
Let me ask Markus and I will check back later...

3. Meg Ryan & John Mellencamp: what’s your first reaction?
John Who? (...running off to consult my friend Google...)
Ah, THAT guy!
Ehm.. good for them?
I guess, I don't really care in this case...

4. All time favorite poem or quote?
Man, that's hard. I am a sucker for quotes.
So I'll have to list my top favorites and not just one:

"...cause it's the heart that really matters in the end."
- Rob Thomas - Little Wonders

"This, too, will pass."

- Eckhart Tolle

(I will have to update this later with more..)

5. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve gone without sleep? (like consecutive hours).
:)

6. What color ink do you prefer to use?
Black.

7. Share with us a blog that you recently found and fell in love with (and link us!)
http://www.starkravingmadmommy.com/
Just read it. She is amazing.

8. If you could be on a reality TV show which one would you choose?
"Survivor". Or "The Amazing Race" with Markus.

9. Mountains or Beach?
Beach!

10. With the Oscars around the corner, what’s your pick for best picture?
"Inception". It blew my mind.

Markus = Leadership

Lately I have been hearing the name "Markus" more than usual.
One of my online mom-friends (-> Facebook group) just had a baby boy and named him Markus.
But the movie/TV industry seems to have picked up that name as well:
On Saturday we celebrated Valentine's Day early and went to the theater to watch "The Eagle". The main character in this movie is Marcus Aquila.
Yesterday we were watching the latest episode of "V" and Anna's second in command, Marcus, was in distress so she was calling his name.

So I turned to Markus and asked if he is not feeling weird hearing his name all the time.

His response: "No. Not at all because all those people are always in key positions. So that name is just appropriate."

Confident men with an appropriate name

The BEST response! Cause who can argue with that? ;)

Ten on Tuesday

After I skipped last week because I had no time to post anything, I am back with answering the Ten on Tuesday questions gathered from Roots & Rings.

This time we have summer theme going on...

1. Any vacations you are looking forward to this summer?
We don't have anything planned yet.
But I would really love to go someplace this year that is at an ocean and has beaches.
It has been a while since we did that...
We went to Dominican Republic in 2007 and Mexico in 2008, and both trips had been so much fun.

2. What is your favorite article of summer clothing (shoes are included)?
Shorter skirts and Flip-Flops.

3. What is your favorite summer drink (alcoholic or non)?
Pina Colada

4. Do you tan or burn?
Burn. I only get a real tan if I use a tanning bed unfortunately.

5. Any goals you are working toward this summer?
Not specifically toward this summer... 

I always have goals I am working toward to.
I feel that is an important thing to have in life.

6. What is your favorite summertime food?
Strawberries with vanilla yogurt

7. What song most says “summer” to you?
Hm... I usually go with the flow... There are always a few songs they are playing in the radio all the time each summer and I usually like a couple of those as well.. Those would mean "summer" to me for that year... 

Other than that I could also name "The Love Committee - United States Of Love". 

It was the hymne to the Love Parade of 2006. 

At that point we were living in Berlin and it was an amazing summer with this party as the finale before we left. Every time I hear this song, I think about the great time we had there..

8. Any home improvement goals planned for this summer?
Nope. We don't own a house..

9. What is one thing you hate to see at the beach?
Trash. It always makes me mad cause it is so inconsiderate to other people trying to enjoy their day. And of course it can be dangerous to kids running around barefoot (-> think of broken pieces of glass, etc).

10. Did you ever go to a summer camp?
Yes. When I was in elementary school the community would offer summer activities for the kids during their summer break. One of them was a daytime summer camp that lasted about 1 week. We would do all kinds of creative, sporty and fun things there.

Not everything goes as planned

When you become a parent you quickly realize that there are tons of decisions you have to make just to get started:

Breastmilk or formula? Scheduled feedings or on cue?

Cloth diapers or disposables? What brand?

Stroller or baby wearing?

Vaccinations? All of them? Some of them? Delayed or on schedule?

Your general parenting style? Traditional or Attachment Parenting?

And those are just a few...

Some were no-brainers. 

There was no question that I would breastfeed and that Ace would wear Pampers. Being a working mom, I was more than happy to hook myself up to a pump every day at work to collect food for my baby, but I was absolutely unwilling to deal with soiled cloth diapers when I came back home. Especially since we didn't have a washing machine, but were laundromat customers... 

Other decisions certainly took a bit of time and relied on trial and error. And adjustments were necessary as time went by. 

For example we bought a running stroller, but Ace was too small to sit in there. 

But guess what, his infant car seat fit perfectly in it, so we would just use that combination to go out.

Or we bought a Snugli baby carrier, but in the beginning again he was too small for it.
So I got a baby pouch sling to carry him around for the first couple of months. 

(By the way that also solved the problem with noisy strangers trying to touch him. People often thought it was just a hand bag... lol)
And eventually when he was over a year old and had gotten a bit too heavy for the Snugli, I bought a sling wrap so that I could hip carry him.

Of course then there was also the sleeping situation...

While I was pregnant I thought I had it all figured out: I had insisted on buying a bassinet, so we got one and had it set up next to our bed. 

My idea was: I am close to the baby when he needs me, but he is still sleeping in his own bed. This will make it easier to transition to a crib later when he sleeps through the night.

Yeah, it didn't quite happen that way.. *cough*

Once he was born the midwife gave him to me and told me to keep him close since he would need my body heat to stay warm and so that we could bond as well. So for the next couple of days I would hold him (except when Markus had him, of course) at day and night time and by the time I was ready to let him sleep in his bassinet, Ace wasn't having it anymore. 

He would be fussing and was just so unhappy in the bassinet that we continued to take him with us to bed. And before you knew it, the Laibachers had become a co-sleeping family.

Something I had not really planned on, but I might have been the one benefiting the most from it since it turns out that breastfeeding while co-sleeping is so much easier than having to get up in the middle of the night in order to feed your baby. ;)

Fast forward to today. 

Ace is 20 months now but our sleeping arrangements haven't changed. 

For a while we tried to get him used to sleeping in the PNP but the results were just so so and eventually we just let it go. And it's not like that we aren't enjoying it. It's really nice to be able to be there for your child the second he needs you... and all the cuddle time we get because of it is just wonderful. Also our bed is king-size with plenty of room for all of us, even now that Ace has grown so much. That is: Usually. 

Cause there are the days when even a king-size bed doesn't seem to be enough - especially when you have a child that hates blankets, but loves to steal your pillow:

Oh, the things we don't mind doing for our kids... ;)

Ten on Tuesday

I'm still amazed by how fast every week goes by.. and before you know it, it's Tuesday again!

Here are the questions Chelsea from Roots & Rings asked today:

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Watching the birth of a litter of kittens.

2. What is your favorite quality about yourself?

My honesty and empathy.

3. What is your favorite thing that your child does?

I love that he is so cuddly and attached. But he also makes me laugh with his humor. I think once he starts speaking in full sentences we will have a lot of funny moments ahead of us.

4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?

A hot bath is nice. But these days it's rarely in peace and quiet since Ace wants to climb into the tub too. 

I find reading very relaxing. Especially with a nice glass of wine.

But I guess my favorite way of relaxing is to cuddle with Markus. :)

5. What is your favorite restaurant? And what is your favorite thing on the menu?

I don't have a favorite restaurant cause I like a variety of different foods.

But to give a couple of examples: I am a big fan of the General Tao Chicken at the Imperial Buffet and I was very happy about the Spicy Vegetarian Maki I ate at New Generation Sushi while I was pregnant with Ace.

6. What is your favorite piece of jewelry (besides your wedding ring)?

The heart necklace Markus gave me as a gift last year.

7. What is your favorite night of the week M-TH? And why?

Thursday. Because it means I only have 1 more day to work before the weekend.

8. What is your favorite dessert?

Cheesecake.

9. What is your favorite item in your make-up bag?

My foundation. BareMinerals by Bare Escentuals.

10. What is your favorite smell?

That salty-fresh smell you can only experience at an ocean.

Potty training readiness

Lately potty training has been on my mind a little bit. 

A few of my online mom-friends (Facebook group) who have kids the same age as Ace, have started with potty training.

If cats can learn how to do it, I'm sure Ace will as well..

And then I know a few other friends who are now slowly starting this as well, so of course we are discussing it.

I already read a bit about it.. what signs to look for to find out if your child is ready to start potty training, etc. But today I stumbled over a proper checklist. Nice. 

Since Markus is home with Ace these days I just forwarded this list to him as well. 

For reference cause I know we are not there yet. 

However to my surprise, I already got the list back since Markus has taken it on him to answer each point. 

Please find below the interesting responses I received (in kursiv and red):

Potty training readiness checklist:

Physical signs 

□ Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily. 

- Fluctuating!

□ Urinates a fair amount at one time.

- How the heck should I know? I am NOT measuring with a cup.

□ Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times. 

- What the heck is a well-formed bowel movement??? IT’S A FRICKN’ TURD!
- Predictable times? Sure: DAILY 

□ Has "dry" periods of at least three or four hours, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine.

- Nope

Behavioral signs 

□ Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes. 

- …while watching TV! Easy peasy.

□ Can pull his pants up and down. 

- Way too often! Mainly DOWN!

□ Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper. 

- He couldn’t care less.

□ Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear). 

- Or hands you the toilet paper! Yeah.
- Especially the watching part is kind of creepy.

- Yes, he often wears mommy's underwear - ON HIS HEAD!

□ Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you. 

- He is too busy trying to climb on you.

□ Demonstrates a desire for independence. 

- What? By writing the Declaration of Independence? Sure.

□ Takes pride in his accomplishments. 

- Big time!

□ Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet. 

- How the heck should I teach him? Sit him down until he wants to get up? He doesn’t get the concept quite yet.

□ Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one. 

- In the washroom? During lunch? WTH?

- He is extremely cooperative when I do what he wants me to do.

Cognitive signs 

□ Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy." 

- Sure. But doesn’t mean that he is going to do it, though.

□ Understands the value of putting things where they belong. 

- He does it sometimes. How the heck should I know if he understands the value?
Ask him??? The answer is always the same: ‘Da…deeeeeee.’ SO GO FIGURE!

□ Has words for urine and stool. 

- Nope.

□ Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.

- Dream on!…