I never said it would be easy...

OK...John and I have this little joke about that phrase that so many people have in their home...and before I offend anyone who has this posted, please note that for years it hung in Mom's kitchen because I had made one for her as well. It's that phrase that usually sits underneath a picture of the Savior that says, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." Well, after a vigorous masters course at BYU, John started getting more concerned with people who mis-quote things and "put words in peoples' mouths." So, I took a marker to the one in my mom's kitchen and wrote "I never said...'I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.'" ..because, hey, he never really said that (at least with scriptural documentation!)

So, why am I bringing this up? Because I don't think that ANYTHING that is "worth it" comes very easy these days. I bring this up after washing 17 pairs of training underwear. Whose? No, not mine, although without mentioning specifics, pregnancy can be such a pain sometimes.... Actually, they were Matthew's. Mom clued me in years ago to the one-day potty training method where you spend the whole day in the bathroom with treats...

Matthew is strange. I knew this was going to be an uphill trek before we started, but I had no idea. My neighbor lent me "potty power," Matthew's favorite movie by his own admission, and we've been watching it for weeks....time after time (and if I get that silly song "whaddya like to do when you're sittin' on the potty" stuck in my mind for one more day in a row I'm gonna die!!!) So I thought he was ready.

After his first time sitting there, I used a little warm water poured down his back to encourage the process...and it worked. He was so excited, quickly wiped his bottom (though he didn't really need to, but did it with such precision I allowed him to continue) and washed his hands...all while singing the corresponding songs from the video. I then told him that he gets a "chocolate treat" every time he goes, and would he like one? "No thanks" was his reply. WHAT????? If I was offered a chocolate treat for climbing Mt. Everest and back, I'd certainly accept! So what do you do for incentive when your kid doesn't want treats?

Throughout the day, and after a few "mishaps" I was reminded that it takes a few tries before the underwear actually stays dry.... but by 8 p.m. I was discouraged. Not one success. Not one pair of dry underwear. Not one "I have to go" or anything like that. We put a pull-up on him just so I could see if those little stars would disappear off the front by morning...and they did....so we began again (this time with "cars" underwear that I had to create myself with a sharpie because Matthew was not happy with the flowered stuff...and I was suspicious that this was why he wet so much...so he could get new undies.)

Well, needless to say, by bedtime, and many loads of laundry later, we succumbed and put a diaper on. In the morning, I didn't even bother with the underwear. Certainly after TWO DAYS I should have seen a little progress....

Oh well. I never said it would be easy. I just hope that someday it's worth it.