Today I began preparation for potty training.  We took Christmas pictures, so that's not hanging over our head.  I made sure I had some meals in the freezer so I don't have to cook and can completely focus on Lana for the rest of the week.  I got a good start on the laundry, including washing all the new big girl panties, and I'll finish the rest up in the morning.  I made a shopping list of some essentials we'll need to pick up before we go on potty training lock down.  Tomorrow we'll clean the house and roll up the rugs.  We used a gift card someone gave us and went out to eat for lunch, knowing that we won't be going out much of anywhere for the next several days!  

My friend Emily asked me tonight if I was getting excited about it - I responded with an emphatic "No!"  I don't like messes; I don't like my routine being disturbed; I don't like being cooped up in the house, especially during the winter.  But I am kind of getting those pre-game jitters....you know, that feeling of "What's going to happen?"

I think I've got my head on straight about this.  I have a plan and have read lots of stuff, but we're going with it "loosely."  Just like I read Babywise and really, really liked most of it, and we used it loosely, going with what worked for us and just not using what didn't.

For over a decade now, I've been learning how to teach/train children.  For many years, I was learning how to teach/train students in a classroom.  For the past few, I have been learning about how to teach/train my own daughter, including this potty training bit.  And throughout all the studying and reading and learning (for whatever purpose), my mom has encouraged me to think critically by saying, "Rachael, just use the good stuff that you read, the stuff that makes sense to you, and forget about the rest."  What a wise mama I've got...

We're going to go full-force potty training - I've read a lot, and I'm going to use the stuff that makes sense to me. And I'm going to follow my gut.  I want this to be an adventure for our family - I don't want it to be something that exasperates my child or that stresses Dan & I out.  We're going to put on panties Wednesday morning, and see how it goes.  Real talk: I think pee pee during the day is going to be pretty simply for Lana to catch on to.  I think poo poo is going to be much harder, and I think nighttime is going to be a disaster.  But we'll see.  If it's not successful, I am 100% okay with backing up and punting.  We'll wait until she's ready and try again.  She's not going to go to kindergarten in diapers.

So wish us luck!  Dan was going to keep her home from preschool tomorrow and start then, but he's swimming in papers and schoolwork, so we've moved to plan B.  She & I are going to go to preschool while he tries to knock out his school work.  We're going to enjoy Tuesday night in diapers, and Wednesday morning is go time!

I'm going to try to journal our progress daily - I want to remember what this was like.

Any last minute advice?  I welcome it all!