It's a POTTY PARTY!

My little Benjamin....

Potty Training...the thing I've always said is my least favorite thing to do as a parent. I dreaded undertaking the process with Ben. In fact I decided I'd probably just wait until he was 3 to hopefully make the process easier.
Ben, however, had his own ideas about it. Mr. Independent would sneak up to his bedroom, take off his diaper and put big boy underwear on.  As unready to potty train as I was, I decided if he insisted on wearing big boy underwear he'd have to learn what to do while in them!

I started showing him the ropes of using the potty, completely uncommitted to the process actually working. A few weeks of messing around with it and suddenly he was insistent on going "all by myself" and wearing his big boy underwear every where we go!
It's been SO easy! The trick with him was unlimited optimism. He's my happy go lucky, always excited about everything little boy.  If I am ever impatient with him when he's going potty he reminds me, "Say yay mommy!"  When he needs to go potty, more often than not, he'll tell me by saying our coined phrase during potty training "it's potty party time!" :)

I can't overlook Zack's role in the process!  He was the initiator in getting Ben to put on big boy underwear. Nearly a year ago I caught him in his bedroom with Ben helping him "sneak" big boy underwear on (as if I wouldn't find out!)  Zack would cheer Ben on, tell him how awesome it is to wear big boy underwear, and even help him go. I am SO happy these boys have each other! Even with all the fights they get into they are best buddies and adore one another SO much! 

I do say YAY, every time I think about Ben being potty trained. I dreaded having to live through potty training again and somehow it happened without me even having to stress about it! Wahoo! Go Ben!