Expectations

February 2, 2014

26.5 months, give or take a day

It dawned on me as I was wallowing in self pity while washing the dishes: sometimes we (I…) set unrealistic expectations.

Laying fresh tracks.

It probably didn’t help that the Super Bowl game was a total buzz kill.  Really folks, I watch football maybe one day a year.  When I do?  I want it to be something to write home about – touchdowns by both teams, overtime, gnarly injuries….you know, a real nail biter.  I want the “wow factor”.  Alas, no.  The game isn’t even over yet but I’m back home and pretty sure I can predict the rest of it.

Adorable snow lover.

And I suppose it didn’t help that this week I started potty training.  My son wet himself twice in a period of 3 hours while next door watching the Super Bowl.

Which brings me back to expectations.  I expected my beautiful little 26 month old boy to manage his needs during the game – with minor prompting from his mother, of course.  I expected that he would be able to do this among the chaos of 3 other children, 8 adults, 2 cats, a dog and a rather large tv booming down upon him.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  Damn.

My boys keeping an eye out.

We’ve had a great week of potty training – Colter started peeing in the potty right off the bat.  No prompts needed.  Pooping in the toilet started a few days after that and today he wore undies to church without having a mess.  I was patting myself on the back.  I am a Super Mom.  You need your child potty trained?  Listen to me because I know what I’m doing.

So I guess you can say I was feeling a bit cocky.  I should have known better.  I should have known my child’s needs a little better.  Can I really expect that Day 5 of potty training should entail total chaos in another person’s house?  And that my 2 year old should be able to navigate that and pee in a silly little Baby Bjorn potty? Super Mom thought yes.  Reflective Self-Pity Mom is thinking twice.

While I play Julia Child, Colter plays buses and airplanes.

I admit I left the party rather peeved.  I was being juvenile.  It’s cool.  We’ve all been there at some point in our lives (or multiple points).  I was annoyed with my handsome son who really had done nothing wrong.  In fact, he was the perfect little boy.  He played with the other kids nicely.  He ate a few cookies.  He tried to go pee on the potty without throwing a fit.  He sat on my lap and snuggled.  What more can a mother ask for?

The take home message? Some days you just need to let go and put a diaper on.

Our first cross country ski of the season! I swear in my previous life
I was an Olympic skier...I'm just sayin'...

*Side note:  My computer is not letting me upload photos. ARG.  I promise once this resolves to bombard you with adorable photos of my precious two-year-old.  Until then, you'll get not so nice pictures from my phone.*