I also feel like potty training doesn't fit into our schedule right now! With both of the boys, I stopped daytime diapers cold turkey and we just barely left the house for a few days until it was done. I don't see how I can do that with DD given that I now have 4.5 and 6.5 year old boys as well and they are busy guys. There is one week coming up with no camps scheduled, so I might give it a go then. She is announcing when she is going or has gone, does not like being wet, and she always wants to see what's in her diaper, but on the other hand, she is younger than the boys were when they were trained, and so I feel like I have work with her on taking her bottoms on/off before I can train her?? This wasn't an issue with the boys because they were older.
PT--daycare is helping us with this and taking the lead so we are sort of pting but it's really slow. I have about 250 diapers/pull ups in the closet so I'm not in a rush. I am loving this stage too. I bought him a t-shirt the other day on cafepress that says "Warning, I am two". It cracks me up. I will try to post a pic b/c it is so adorable. So far, we have avoided a lot of the typical terrible 2s but I guess that is coming.
DS got invited to his first playdate today, which makes me happy. I like the mom and don't have any mom friends with kids his age. Not sure what we are going to do yet, but that's ok.
Summer is definitely flying by here too. DS enjoys gardening with me and swimming. He can now keep his balance upright in his life vest/float thing that we bought him. This weekend he was all over the pool all by himself--something just "clicked" and he was able to get around in the pool on his own and didn't want to be held at all.
PTing- Add me to the "it doesn't fit into our schedule right now" camp! I will be waiting until they are good and ready, b/c with two of them PTing at the same time, I would never be able to leave the house otherwise! It sounds like most of your little ones are showing more signs than my guys are. We are barely getting them to tell us even every once in awhile that they have gone (after they've already gone) and they have never, not even once, gone on the potty. Once, Will starting peeing after his bath and I quickly set him on his little potty. He stopped peeing. As soon as I took him off, he started peeing again. It is a little hard to hear of other kids their age (even boys) who are successfully trained, but I just know it won't work yet for us. IRL, all of my friends who have pushed their kids before they were showing a lot of readiness signs were PTing for MONTHS and their LOs had a ton of accidents. The ones who have waited until the child showed they were more ready, seemed to go SO much faster. I am hoping that will be the case for my guys! My sister waited until her boys were almost 3 and did the boot camp type thing with great success.
Gia- Eli isn't showing any signs. He will yell for us if he poops, but only if he's in bed. He likes to say "I peeing" and stuff, but he's not. I get a feeling that his new teacher is annoyed that he isn't further along, but he's not even 2 1/2 and has only been in her room for three days. He sits on the potty every time they go, and has actually gone never. She had all girls before he moved up, and they must have all trained pretty quickly. I'm trying not to feel pressured about it.
Taurus- I have been working on pants with Eli, because I agree with you. They can't go unless they can get their pants off first. He only seems to be able to take his pants off when it's inconvenient for me.
Gia, my boys were like 3.5 and then about to turn 3. I was in no rush at all. We picked a week when we hardly left the house and it wasn't too big of a deal, really. I find IRL that for some reason people like to feel super proud of themselves when they have kids who are trained "early." I always find it a bit amusing actually. I'd like to be done with diapers because I fell off the cloth diapering bandwagon and have landfill guilt every day, but other than that I have never cared at what age it happens.
Potty training - My philosophy is to wait as long as possible to make sure they're ready, and then it's a breeze. I literally just put underwear on my two oldest one day, told them to pee in the potty, and that was it. They were both over 3. I don't plan to even attempt anything with Jake until he's at least 3 as well. (My third child is nearly 4 and not potty trained either.)
Carseats- We turned Nate ages ago He was just sooooo terrible in the car when he was rear facing. Now that he's sitting "just like Millie" (a quote that comes out of his mouth at least 50x each day for one reason or another) he's a million times better. And he can see the portable dvd player that we take along for long drives which also helps!
Baby bug- NO WAY! I'm actually very glad that that phase is over forever
I am also a big fan of 2 year olds. Two and a half is specifically what DH and I call our favorite age. So we're right in the thick of it right now with Nate. It's just such a fun age- they can start to have real conversations, their little personality really starts to come out, they can do a lot more things physically, etc. Neither of our kids have been terrible 2 year olds at all. Three, on the other hand, was not a good year for DD. I'm crossing my fingers that Nate is better- I'm trying to blame the awfulness of that year on the fact that Nate was born 6 days after her birthday so she had that to adjust to.
Potty training- This is not even on my radar yet. We do not own a potty seat or any potty training books or anything. I'm not looking for signs of "readiness" (I put that in quotes because DD had all the signs but obviously was not ready) and I am ignoring them if the present themselves, lol. I'm waiting until he's at least 3. I'm sure I've mentioned it here before, but DD took 2 YEARS to potty train, from about this age to just before she was 4 1/2. It was the most terrible experience and I can't even express how much I dread training Nate.
Betsy and Dave, married 10/18/03
Amelia Claire 3/4/07
Nathan Edward 3/10/10
Oh man, I'm glad someone is enjoying this age. DS is deep in the throes of the terrible 2s. He is testing us pretty much every second. I can't possibly say how many time outs he's had today, a zillion. He's defiant, violent, has temper tantrums, and antagonizes his sister at every opportunity. And then he smiles about it all. DD was fine at two, and though three was more difficult it was because she was so sensitive, not because she was naughty. Graham is already saying "I no wuv you anymore!" DD has never said anything like that, has never talked back, has never done anything mean. So it's been pretty challenging. On the other hand, as you can see, his speech is better I think he is only going to have one more speech therapy session and then we're going to stop. He definitely lets us know what's on his mind. He's already decided he wants to be a garbage man for Halloween. He is pretty tough when he gets hurt, and rarely cries over injuries (thank goodness, since they happen all the time!) So different from DD who cries at the slightest bump. When he can stop himself from pinching, hitting, kicking, and scratching DD for a few minutes, they are starting to play together a bit more. They played wedding the other day and I don't think DD has hugged him as many times in his whole life as that hour - like 4 times!! LOL. They held hands the whole way home in the car. I think he just has little boy energy and it's been pretty hot, so we're spending too much time inside right now, just like in winter. I'm going to have to make sure I keep him busy when DD starts kindergarten. I'm thinking of signing him up for circus class - a few of DDs friends do it and love it, but DD is just not very coordinated and I always thought she'd just be frustrated. But I think DS will love the opportunity to be physical and do tricks. For all that he drives me crazy and keeps me on my toes, I admit #3 is still a possibility we talk about quite a bit. I must be nuts.
Eve Eleanor arrived June 5, 2007
Graham Alexander arrived February 27, 2010
I find IRL that for some reason people like to feel super proud of themselves when they have kids who are trained "early."
Yes! But I feel like people are like that about everything... walking early, talking early, etc. There was one person in particular who I swear liked to hang out with me just so she could compare her twins to mine (hers did almost everything earlier and never get into trouble).
Magrat- The super hot days are hard! I never thought I'd say this, but reading your post makes me think maybe I'm better off having both of mine being super high energy! I can see that has to be hard having two with such different temperaments. Yes, burning off their energy makes things so much better! I am getting very good at that. My friend has two calm girls and I crack her up. They were just getting dressed and finishing breakfast when she asked me at 9:30am if I wanted to meet them at the indoor play gym on one of those super hot days. My boys and I had already eaten breakfast, been out for a super sweaty walk/run around the neighborhood, played in the baby pool in our back yard, and then were playing with playdough by 9:30am. And then we got changed and went to the indoor play gym with my friend and her girls and the library, lol! I am finding mine just do so much better if I keep them active and give them a lot of stimulation (and then they'll nap longer in the afternoon). We are also spending lots of time up at our inlaws lake house, which completely wears the boys out too. I know it will be harder in the winter, so I am planning on signing them up for gymnastics again, probably indoor soccer, and then we will hit up the indoor play gyms. That circus class sounds hilarious- you should sign him up! My boys would love it!
magrat--You do have your hands full with Graham but I'm glad that your DD seems to be more involved with him. Playing wedding is too cute! I agree that the circus class sounds like just his thing. I remember you posting about him climbing on to the balcony and on furniture so this would be a great way to channel his fearlessness too! I know that you must be relieved that his speech is improved.
Training early--I agree that people I know IRL are the same way about their child's "accomplishments". I usually assume that they are exaggerating.
DS loves facing forward in the car, now he says that he is a "backseat driver". The first few trips he was pretty anxious but now he is fine. Tonight we were sitting on the couch reading and he broke out into a rendition of "Happy Birthday" that was recognizable and in the right tune/melody. It sounded like "had e bird day", but it was adorable. He only managed the first line, but I just melted. I wish it was my birthday.
Not much else is going on with us, we're trying to survive the heat and this long hot summer. Will really enjoyed watching the Tour de France with my mom, he asks to "watch bicycles" and cheers them on. Do they make bike helmets for toddlers or do bigger ones size down to smaller heads? Does anyone know?
With both of the boys, I stopped daytime diapers cold turkey and we just barely left the house for a few days until it was done. I don't see how I can do that with DD given that I now have 4.5 and 6.5 year old boys as well and they are busy guys. 
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It is a little hard to hear of other kids their age (even boys) who are successfully trained, but I just know it won't work yet for us. IRL, all of my friends who have pushed their kids before they were showing a lot of readiness signs were PTing for MONTHS and their LOs had a ton of accidents. The ones who have waited until the child showed they were more ready, seemed to go SO much faster. I am hoping that will be the case for my guys! My sister waited until her boys were almost 3 and did the boot camp type thing with great success.
He was just sooooo terrible in the car when he was rear facing. Now that he's sitting "just like Millie" (a quote that comes out of his mouth at least 50x each day for one reason or another) he's a million times better. And he can see the portable dvd player that we take along for long drives which also helps!
My friend has two calm girls and I crack her up. They were just getting dressed and finishing breakfast when she asked me at 9:30am if I wanted to meet them at the indoor play gym on one of those super hot days. My boys and I had already eaten breakfast, been out for a super sweaty walk/run around the neighborhood, played in the baby pool in our back yard, and then were playing with playdough by 9:30am. And then we got changed and went to the indoor play gym with my friend and her girls and the library, lol! I am finding mine just do so much better if I keep them active and give them a lot of stimulation (and then they'll nap longer in the afternoon). We are also spending lots of time up at our inlaws lake house, which completely wears the boys out too. I know it will be harder in the winter, so I am planning on signing them up for gymnastics again, probably indoor soccer, and then we will hit up the indoor play gyms. That circus class sounds hilarious- you should sign him up! My boys would love it!
