Day 8 update

Yes, I know, my readers are probably getting bored with the daily updates of Sam and Ben's potty habits, but hey, this blog is basically their babybook (which sit, unopened, in their closet -- I had every intention of filling them out as we went along -- but I don't think I know a single mother of twins who has managed to keep up ... I do, however, have their milestones written down in a small notebook that I keep in the kitchen!).

Another very good day overall. Sam has decided to start pooping in diapers again instead of on the potty -- but that is okay, I'm not going to push him on that seeing he used to have serious anxiety about pooping and I don't want that issue to flare up again. He hasn't had a peeing accident since the first day, and is staying dry during naps and is fairly dry when he wakes up in the morning.

Ben did great today, too. We even went out to the playground for several hours, and he stayed dry the entire time! He did have one peeing accident when Daddy got home from work (I think he gets too excited and then distracted from using the potty) and ... The very first major pooping accident I had to clean up from carpeting. That being said -- I realized that the carpet cleaner we have from a vomiting incident this winter is awesome. The product is Carbona oxy-powered carpet cleaner, and has a small brush attached to the container. I thought that part of the reason the vomit had cleaned out of the boys' carpeting so easily was because the boys have very expensive, very stain/odor/moisture resistant carpeting in their bedroom (because my mom was working a 2nd job at a home supply store when I was pregnant -- and we got a fabulous discount on it!) -- but I think the product also played a huge role in the vomit removal. After a few minutes of soaking, the Carbona completely removed the poop from the carpet, and everything looks and smells very clean. I even used the product to clean up some stains on the carpeting in the master bedroom left by the negligent bathroom renovators several months ago -- and the stains came right out.

So -- my potty training advice for today -- buy some Carbona oxy-powered carpet cleaner prior to potty training! It probably isn't very "green," and I try to use mainly green cleaning products -- but I think that when choosing between poop-stained carpets cleaned with mediocre products or clean carpets cleaned with chemical-laden cleaning products, I would choose clean carpets!

And -- Ben has learned to game the system. He literally pooped on the potty 5 times today. Each poop was probably about the size of a raisin -- but after finishing his business, he would proudly show me the poop -- and then demand his candy. I played along for today -- but I'm going to have to figure out a different reward than candy if he's going to play that game!