Big Girl Changes

Before kids, I swore to myself I would never be one of those parents in the checkout line bribing their kids with a treat for ten more minutes of cooperation. So far I have managed to hold fast my ground - even if the supermarkets are secretly sabotaging my will power. Have you ever really looked at the items they stock on the checkout isles, eye level to your kids? Toys, candy, junk! It's amazing we (parents) make it out of there at all.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a saint or Mother of the Year by any means. In fact I bribe my two-year-old on a daily basis for other things. Some days you gotta do what you gotta do! I just choose to bribe my kids in the privacy of my own home so that from the outside I look like Mother of the Year - you'd think I was in politics...

We are currently in the midst of potty training our Brown Eyed Girl. Every time she uses the big girl potty she gets a treat. Thankfully Halloween coordinated perfectly with our training (bribing) timeline - I was going broke buying candy.

I just haven't figured out at what point do we take the candy out of the equation?

One of her major food groups is currently Reece's peanut butter anything.

The other major battle we are facing is elimination of the pacifier.

Some days, I firmly believe that she would give up food, water or even air for that piece of plastic and silicone. It's an addiction she just can't kick and she needs an intervention. Quitting cold turkey would be hard on her - actually, I am only thinking of my self here. It would be excruciating for me. I already am at the end of my rope with the whining on a daily basis.

We are all about being a big girl these days - using the potty, kicking the pacifier and finally facing the reality that one day she will need to sleep in a big girl bed and not a crib.

I can confidently say we are on our way with potty training - we just have a few logistics to work out. How do we convince her she doesn't need to remove everything from the waist down to use the potty?

I am pretty sure we will be walking her down the isle with a pacifier in leu of a bouquet.

We did take the plunge today and converted her crib into a toddler bed. She was so excited and so proud of her new big girl bed. (Lord please don't let her realize she can now come into our room in the middle if the night.) I am happy I don't have to lift her over the rail every night! And as potty training progresses, she will need the ability to get up on her own.

All the pieces are falling into place. Our Brown Eyed Girl is growing up!