We are trying so hard to get Chase to go to the potty. We have lengthy talks about big boys don't use a diaper, big boys go poopy in the potty, etc., etc. He seems to like going to the potty at the babysitter's house, but will scream bloody murder when we even hint about the potty at our house. We hit a major milestone on Sunday when we were at my mother's for lunch: He ran to the potty and went! ALL BY HIMSELF!!! We all cheered and made utter fools of ourselves, and he was so proud. That was it for the day. No more potty. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Fast forward to yesterday. I pick him up from the babysitter's house, and she tells me that they had gone grocery shopping and were just about to leave when he tells her he has to go "poop." She finds the bathroom and he does it! This has to be good, right?
I had to head right back to school for cheerleading practice (I always take Chase with me - it's just easier that way), and he tells me again that he has to go potty. I'm thinking "WOW! It has finally clicked!" We go to the teacher's lounge and he stands there (and stands, and stands, and STANDS!) - he refuses to sit. After a few minutes (hours it feels) he says "mama I cold." Before I can respond, he reaches down, pulls his "peepee" and says "pecker, you cold down there?" I thought I would die! He didn't have a stool, so his "peepee" was resting on the toilet brim. Out of the mouths of babes...

How ironic is it that this came out in our newspaper today:

Peter Potty gets standing ovation from toddlers One of the most difficult challenges that parents face during their child's early development is potty training. Although some children learn faster than others, little boys tend to take longer to potty train than girls. This is primarily due to the stand-up factor. Since most boys between 2 and 3 years old are too small to reach the toilet and their aiming skills are just not there yet, they start their potty training by sitting down. However, when little boys sit down to go potty, they still have trouble aiming down into the toilet bowl, and the traditional potty training seats with deflector devices simply do not work. When boys grow tall enough to use a toilet or a urinal, most parents have to retrain them to stand, which requires balance and can make a little fellow uncomfortable, especially when using a public restroom. The solution may be the Peter Potty, from Visionaire Products, a flushable toddler urinal that makes it easy and fun to train little boys to be little stand-up guys! The Peter Potty is made of durable plastic, and designed to look and function just like a real grown-up urinal. It even has its own toddler-friendly flush system to keep the potty sanitary and teach good hygiene. Parents simply have to fill the reservoir on the top and empty the liquid waste from the tray below. No plumbing, tools or additional attachments are required. Most important, it's sized to fit little boys, and it adjusts to a toddler's height, so there is no need for a step stool. The Peter Potty can either mount directly on a wall or to the sturdy, free-standing base that comes in the box. Parents can set it up in a bathroom, in a child's room, or anywhere in the house. Since traveling often puts a temporary halt on the potty training process, the lightweight design makes it easy and convenient to transport wherever families go. The Peter Potty was conceived by mother and entrepreneur Marcia Hauflaire and is being introduced to the marketplace by Visionaire Products. It is available at select retail outlets and on the Internet at www.visionaire products.com. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $39.99.