Potty training.

We've been working on potty training Oliver for a long time. When I see him pooping, I stop him and put him on the potty. That part works well if I can catch him early enough. Getting him to pee on the potty is hit or miss. Sometimes we sit a long time for nothing. Other times he goes. No real rhyme or reason to that.

Today, though, for the first time he asked to go potty and he actually went. Like, right away. I'm hoping this is a new trend, but I don't want to get excited for a one time fluke. Time will tell!

The doctor seemed to think we were idiots for trying to do potty training this early (18 months) but really... How could I not try this early? I can only take so much situation comedy centered around excrement in this household.

It feels like the ghost of my old beagle Lucky has come back to haunt our apartment. Lucky used to delight in nothing more than pooping under stuff. The grand piano, the Christmas tree... if she could fit under it, she liked to poop there. Oliver does the same thing. He'll poop under the table. He'll poop under the high chair. For a scenic diversion, he will poop under a pine tree in the park. If his head is suitably covered and I'm not looking, it's a perfect pooping site as far as he's concerned.

And, also like my fat old beagle, if you show Oliver the poop and ask how it got there he holds his hands out, shrugs his shoulders, and says, "I don't know." And he says it convincingly. Innocently. What? There is poop there? Surely it had nothing to do with me. I've never seen that poop before in my life. If he had a tail, I'm sure he would wag it.

Yeah. Right. Daddy probably pooped there while we were watching Sesame Street. I'm sure that's it.

Yesterday we were taking a bath together and I was reading my book until suddenly Oliver stands, points with his finger to some floating logs and says, "Mom! Poop! Oh!" I took him out of the bath and he immediately peed on the rug.

I really would like to get him past that. Because I am kind of done with doodoo. I'm not in good standing with the fecal family. I'm kicking crap to the curb. I'm shutting down the shit. Canceling the caca.

You get the idea. I want this potty training business to get over and done with soon.