Potty training continues...

It's crazy how one step in a kid's life can consume so much time and thought! We're trying to be consistent, and Avalai is such a willing, and earnest participant...just wanting to please us. It's so precious! Today she did her pee-pee in the potty several times, and also poopy once. We're so used to letting her play in her crib when she wakes up from a nap that it didn't occur to us that we should rush up and get her to the potty as soon as we heard her wake up...it's so fun to hear her talk and sing to her animals...so when Matt did get up there to get her, she had a poopy diaper...but overall, she's doing well.
She got to go to the store with Matt (a true treat for our little social butterfly who makes friends with everyone) and they picked out some "Princess Pull-ups". She's actually never seen any of the Disney princess movies, but I guess some things are just a natural thrill to a little girl. Once we told her that they were "princesses" (she doesn't actually know what that is)...despite her ignorance of the folklore...she was sooooooo excited! Gasping and staring at the picture on her new pull-ups as she held it right up to her face. She loooooved the idea of wearing pretty princesses as big girl panties (I know they're pull-ups).
She kept bending forward trying to see them better after they were on her. I've got to pay closer attention to what she calls them...I know whe throws in a lot of "p's" and it's hilarious to hear her say it. She was definitely NOT happy when we "covered them up" with her pants. She started to whine, but we just distracted her with the cool penguin on her shirt. She loves penguins, and that worked for now.
It's so funny how we can generally control her moods with distractions, or songs, or excitement. We do a toothbrushing song...and it works too well. She doesn't want to STOP brushing her eight little teeth! And she tries to sing with the toothbrsh in her mouth, so it's a little messy :)
Matt kept saying, "Are you done brushing? ... Alright, let's put your toothbrush away"...
Her response..."Nope" and she tries to sing the song again.
Soooo...we have to get creative and say..."Let's put the toothbrush to sleep...Say nite-nite toothbrush"...and she suddenly thinks it's a great idea and goes right along saying "Nie-Nie too-bush...Awwwww". And then we're fine to move on :)
At the store, Matt also got her a 97 cent easter rubber ducky that she just couldn't live without. And she was loving on it, and then being rough with it, and throwing it, and picking it up and kissing it, and then throwing it...when I caught her doing this, my first reaction would normally be to scold her and remind her that we don't throw things...which always ends in tears...but something told me that a different approach might work better. So I played the role of the poor little ducky that had just gotten thrown down and I was so sad that Avalai wasn't being nice to me...and her compassionate side kicked into gear...I said "Poor ducky, you should say you're sorry for being mean to her...she's so sad!" Avalai's eyes showed her concern, and she gingerly picked up the rubber ducky and said "Si sowwy, I niiiiice," as she hugged the duck again. I showed her how to set the ducky down "easy" if she was done playing with it, and she caught on quickly. It was so funny to see her repeatedly set the duck down ever so carefully saying "Eee-seee, eee-seee" She even felt the need to show Matt when he came in the room saying "Daddy...eeee-seee...nice ducky" I'm sure it was a better lesson than just a reminder of the rules.
She's really such a soft-hearted, precious girl. We have issues now and then with her little 2-second temper fits that we can usually quell with a stern look, and she definitely doesn't like to sit still unless she's watching Einstein DVDs (she has been begging for "Eye-Tine" since she was not much over a year...and lately "Nemo" is a very frequent request) or stacking her blocks, or reading a book. But she's a daily joy that I never realized that she'd become.