My Bo-Bell

I feel privileged to be this little lady's mom. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I am falling even more in love with her these days.I do have some news to share on the Kelly front: sister is potty-trained! We'd been talking about potty-training for a few months and had even bought some underwear, but she didn't seem anxious and so I wasn't either! Like I don't have enough going on...potty training seemed like too much. Two weeks ago, on a Sunday evening, we put the last pull-up on her - as in, it was the last one in the bag. I thought about going first thing in the morning to get more and then decided to give underwear a shot.

Up went the balloons (again, thanks for the idea, Carrie!) and underwear, up went the potty charts, out came some stickers. I told Ty as we were going to bed, "I feel like Kelly is a total wild card. Either she's going to do really well or she's going to dig her heels in and it's not going to happen." Even though we only had one accident the first day and one or two the second day, I still wasn't sure which it was going to be. Half of the time it was exciting, the other half was drama. BUT the very first night she insisted on sleeping in underwear and stayed dry all night! The second night she wet the bed...but hasn't since. Two days in she started telling me when she needed to go. Girl ROCKED the potty training. As in, she's totally potty trained. Yep, you read that right. She's done. I have a full-fledged underwear-wearin' little woman in my house!

In fact, that weekend (5 days in) was our half marathon. I decided to go underwear all the way - the 3-hour car ride there and back, the time with a babysitter who would have two other kids to look after...what can I say, I was feeling brave. BUT she had been doing really well, so I felt confident. Right before the race started I took her to the PORT-A-POTTY, not knowing how that was going to go down at all. We stood in the long line, went in, Kelly asked why people threw garbage in the potty, told her not to look, sat her down, she went and we were out of there! What?! I was so surprised. Then found out that during the race she braved the port-a-potty a second time with our babysitter.

Man, I should have tried this months ago! My mom told me I was her easiest, too. I guess that's one of the great aspects of a determined personality!

What the picture below doesn't show is how meticulous she was in getting the stickers on just right. If it was twisted or off to the side, she'd pull it off and reapply until it was right where she wanted it. Oh my. Like mother, like daughter all right. This chart is all filled up and last week she was able to get a princess castle (her prize of choice). Gotta love ROSS for toys. It came with a prince and a princess...she and Max have spent many hours with that castle. I'm sure glad my boy can put down his guns, swords, and wolverine claws long enough to enjoy a purple and pink princess castle with his little sister!

Way to go, Kell Bo Bell!

AND I have to add a few pictures from her final "swimming lesson". I say "swimming lesson" because she never let the teacher touch her. She stayed on the steps the whole time, every time. That part of her personality comes from her dad. She's much more introverted than her momma. And I rather like it. Maybe that means she'll be a home body and never leave me. :) She's already said that she doesn't want to get older and be a mom because she knows I want her to stay little forever.

She kept climbing out and doing this...made me laugh