The Mom is gone, off on a three-day retreat, to hone her already prodigious editing skills, which I hope will mean that from now on when I ask her to read over something, she'll have graduated from, "It's okay, I guess," to the more confident, "It's okay."
The last activity she partook of before she left was helping me move our couch to our kitchen. Our downstairs has exactly three rooms, placed in a row, like the segments of a caterpillar. All three of the rooms are the same size, which means if the couch fit in the living room, then it will fit in the dining room and in the kitchen, too. The upshot is, when you visit my house, you will either be surprised at the grandness of our kitchen, or the puniness of our living room, depending on your personality. Personally, I am surprised by both.
As for why the couch is in the kitchen, it is because I am through screwing around. Somebody's getting potty trained this week, by God, and I'm purging our living spaces of diapers, pull-ups, and furniture until it happens.
Don't expect regular posts.
Good Luck! Perseverance is the name of the game. That and bribery.
Posted by: Shiri | July 16, 2007 at 03:52 AM
Omygod I am holding my breath all week. And then, if/when somebody does indeed get potty trained, I will fly my daughter and myself out to NJ to sleep on that couch myself 'til you do a number on her, too.
Posted by: Polly | July 16, 2007 at 03:59 AM
I wish you luck.
I just got my little one to start peeing in the potty two weeks ago and she's doing great. It's been almost a week since she's wet her pants.
On the other hand, she steadfastly refuses to poop in the potty, and I'm all out of ideas.
Posted by: Sandra D | July 16, 2007 at 04:40 AM
I hope that, after the stress of the week to come, you will still be potty-trained on Saturday.
Posted by: Petunia | July 16, 2007 at 09:09 AM
Good luck, it was the hardest parenting thing I have done.
Posted by: tuesday | July 16, 2007 at 09:27 AM
Be strong.
Posted by: Tammy | July 16, 2007 at 09:56 AM
May the force be with you...
Posted by: ~Crystal | July 16, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Daddy-of-Twins powers, activate!
Posted by: Renata | July 16, 2007 at 10:32 AM
No magic tricks or helpful advice here. Just well wishes.
Posted by: Lisa Milton | July 16, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Good luck with that and may the best person win. hehe.
Posted by: Michell | July 16, 2007 at 11:39 AM
1 chocolate covered raisin for pee pee, 2 chocolate covered raisins for poopie.
Posted by: heidi | July 16, 2007 at 12:03 PM
Good luck! I hope we don't discover you weeks later lying in a pool of your own urine, crumpled behind the couch, defeated.
Posted by: Venita Michelle | July 16, 2007 at 12:42 PM
If I come over with a pitcher of margaritas, you can get ripped enough to pee in the corner with the twins.
Posted by: Jennifer | July 16, 2007 at 12:53 PM
Good luck. You are a brave soul and I wish you well! I hope we hear from you soon. :)
Posted by: Kori | July 16, 2007 at 02:45 PM
Oh dear! Good luck to you all!
Posted by: Kelly | July 16, 2007 at 02:52 PM
oh my, i bet we get at least one poopy story :) good luck!
Posted by: chocs | July 16, 2007 at 03:05 PM
My prayers be with you! (And for the record, I don't pray unless it's an emergency, which I feel THIS IS.)
Let me know if your tactics work, as I've got three 2-1/2 year-olds to train sometime in the future, hopefully before graduation.
Posted by: loren | July 16, 2007 at 05:18 PM
I'd gladly accept "It's OK, I guess" to what I get from my Editor Spouse, which is usually, "It's fine."
How do I look? Fine
I spent all day rearranging the furniture, how do you think it looks? Fine
Yeah ... gotta love the brevity.
As for potty training ... good luck on that. Really. I have always heard training one then the other works well. What kind of a bribe you givin'? A potty party in the future? : )
Posted by: s. | July 16, 2007 at 06:48 PM
O.k., is it just me, or is anybody else confused as to why the sofa has to be moved to the kitchen for potty training? So The Dad can mix his martinis without getting off the couch? So the girls can just pee behind the couch right there in the kitchen? I believe an explanation is in order here, or am I just clueless to the latest methods of potty training? Either way, best of luck to you!
Posted by: mommy24x7 | July 16, 2007 at 06:48 PM
My best guess, mommy24x7, is that the aforementioned kitchen is a designated twin-free zone (i.e. there is a floor to ceiling gate/wall that is blocking the entrance of said twins, therefore becoming the safe zone for all potty-sensitive furniture)
Either that of it's the only room with tile--easier to clean up the behind the couch mess...
Posted by: ~Crystal | July 16, 2007 at 07:54 PM
Hoo boy. I'm crossing my fingers and toes for you this week. Hang in there!
Posted by: Sweet Mary Sunshine | July 16, 2007 at 10:24 PM
So it's be 24 hours - are they trained yet?
Posted by: Anne Prince | July 17, 2007 at 07:17 AM
Good luck to you! After you've figured it all out, be sure to post and tell those of us who haven't been there yet about all of the many training methods that didn't work and what one thing not mentioned in any book did.
Posted by: DebiD | July 17, 2007 at 03:20 PM