1 Mother 2 Another

It would seem that both of my girls are
addicted to sugar. Maddie is doing the whole “silky
training” thing in an effort to keep a steady stream of
Starburst candies coming her way, and as for Cora, well,
she’s found another way.


Cora has learned how to poop on command.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Cora
voluntarily began potty training, asking to pee and poop in the
potty. Every time she pees she gets an M&M, and every time she
poops she gets a Starburst. Apparently the M&M is not worthy of
her attention, because her peeing in the potty has become, shall we
say, hit-or-miss: I’ll ask her if she needs to go pee in the
potty and she’ll say nonchalantly, “Nah, I just peed in
my diaper.” If the mood strikes her, though, she’s
happy to go pee, as long as it doesn’t slow her down.


Pooping, though, is a whole other animal. I do not believe Cora has
pooped in a diaper in over two weeks; not only that, but
she’s found herself a pooping coach – Maddie.


They’ve got quite the sister act going on – Cora will
say she needs to go poopy and Maddie will come running right behind
her saying, “I’ll help you, Cora! Count on me!”
Maddie will help her out of her clothes, then stand in front of
Cora seated on the potty and start saying, “C’mon,
Cora, just push it out. Just think about that poopy and push it
out. You can do it.” It’s like we’ve got our own
little Bowel Doula in the house.


After Cora poops Maddie will help her wipe and get dressed again,
and watching Maddie try to put a diaper on Cora is quite a comedy
routine. Maddie’s motive is not completely selfless,
unfortunately: every time she helps Cora, Cora will offer to share
her Starburst and give Maddie a quarter or even half of it. Yes,
Cora likes to cut it in quarters to make it last longer.


Cora’s gotten so good at it that it seems she can poop on
command. I’ll see her looking bored and hungry, and
she’ll announce she needs to poop. Then she’ll sit on
the potty for a while before obligingly squeezing out a bowel
movement – sometimes three or four a day, when
pre-potty-training BMs were once or twice a day.


The two of them could take this act on the road, but I’m
afraid it’s a show only a parent could love.