The Joys of Potty Training

Before you start to ask yourself, "Who is that? Is that Brad?" No, this is not a picture of Brad or anyone we know. I retrieved it from the web as an illustration for my story. This has been the summer of potty training. It has literally taken us all summer, but my stubborn little boy is finally potty trained....I think. It has not been easy, and has not been without a lot of bribery. Jelly beans, skittles, m & m's, marshmellows, prize boxes, trips to the mall to throw pennies in the fountain, picking out special big boy underwear, and yes, the big one...a BICYCLE. And by bicycle, I mean this.
Peeing in the potty was not a huge issue...but pooping is a whole different story. For some reason, Jackson just doesn't want to embrace the fact that poop goes in the potty just the same as pee. So for the entire summer I have been telling him that if he goes poo poo in the potty, he gets a bicycle. He knows this, even recites it to me and everyone he meets. But does that mean that he actually does it? No.
I finally decided that maybe if I actually purchased the bike and had it sitting in the garage to taunt him, maybe that would do the trick. Maybe the abstract idea of the bicycle wasn't enough to motivate his little 2 year old brain....but, no.
The worst part about all of this is that I have completley altered Jackson's definition and understanding of bicycles. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

- While reading a book before bed, I point to a picture of a bicycle and ask Jackson "What is that?" He responds with "That's a poopoointhepottygeta bicycle"

-We're playing in the backyard and Jackson sees Gus (the dog) poop in the leaves. He insists that I now have to buy Gus a bicycle.

And my personal favorite
-My mom, Jackson, Luke and I are all in the car waiting to pull out of a parking lot. A man passes in front of our car on a bicycle. Jackson says, very matter-of-factly from the back seat "Look, Mommy. That man went poo poo in the potty and got a bicycle."

My funny little boy :)