No Thank You, Change

Despite the perfect, obvious timing, this blog is not about politics. It's about my 2 year old, who is making it very clear to us that she does not embrace change.

Two examples:

Big Girl Bed:

We only own one crib. I have vowed to keep it that way. So, as Ryder grows, the task of moving Charlotte out of the crib becomes necessary. For her birthday, she was gifted a toddler bed and bedding. She was ecstatic. She couldn't stop talking about her "big girl bed."  So, Sunday after the party, we took down her crib, and replaced it with the much anticipated bed.  Nap time rolls around and she willingly, no excitedly, lies down in her bed. Jer and I watched in a amazement over the video monitor as she easily drifted off to sleep. With two sleeping babies in the house, I decided to run to the store before anyone woke up.  Nap time proceeded as normal, Jer worked on the house, when out of the blue (and an hour and half too early) Charlotte, in a too-short-naptime-haze stumbles out of her room. Jer sensed her confusion and tried to get her back to bed. And then the breakdown. "No big girl bed! I don't like my big girl bed! I need my crib! May I have my crib please!" This pleading continued all afternoon and evening. Hopeful she would remember the joy of her big girl bed when story time came around, we proceeded as normal with our bedtime routine. But she would have none of that. She would not sit, or even approach her new nemesis. Hysterical, and significantly past her bedtime, Jer and I raised our white flag. So, at 8:00 PM Jer pulls out the disassembled crib and makes swift work to reassemble the prize. To cap off the night, as I'm putting my very happy and relieved toddler in her reclaimed crib, she says, "night night big girl bed!" And there you have it... She will be sleeping in her crib until high school :) 

In all reality, I'm happy to have her in her crib still. We tried to move her because she asked for it. When she realized what it meant to be in a big girl bed, she changed her mind, and we were happy to accommodate. Not all decisions in life can be taken back, but this one could. We know she will move to her bed when she is ready, and Ryder is perfectly content in the cradle. 

Potty-Training

One morning Charlotte woke up completely dry. Very excited, I asked her if she wanted to pee-pee on the potty. She was thrilled, ran to the potty and promptly peed.  But very little. Overflowing with praise, I encouraged her, and rewarded her with stickers and big girl panties. She was so proud. We came out to the living room, and less than 10 minutes later she had her first accident. To be expected, no big deal! Wrong. My poor girl was devastated, and officially traumatized. "My panties are wet! I pee-pee on my panties! I need my dipey! No more panties! I need my dipey!" And oh the tears... And so, the dipey went back on and we said good-by to panties for the time being.  Since then, she completely refuses to even sit on the potty. When asked about it she tells me, "My pee-pee is night night. I just need my dipey." (Where does she come up with this stuff?)

So we will not be pushing her. She is brilliant and I have no doubt that she will potty train and retire her crib in her own time.  Until then I will enjoy the containment and the fact that I never have to use the bathroom at WinCo.