Signs your child is potty-training, and other stuff

So I was thinking today about Michael being finally potty-trained. It's wonderful. He doesn't make it all night yet, but I can handle a pull-up at night. But we were running around doing some shopping today, and in every single store, he wanted to go potty. Not that he needed to - he just wants to. Maybe he needs to see for himself that every store has a bathroom, or maybe it's just the novelty of going somewhere other than home. Anyway, here are some signs that your child is being potty-trained:

1. You always have at least one extra pair of underwear and pants with you.
2. When they say they have to go potty, you drop everything and go.
3. You can list from memory which stores do and do not have public restrooms.
4. Not only do you know which ones have public restrooms, but you also know how many stalls are in each of those public restrooms, whether each stall's toilet is installed high or low, and whether the toilets flush automatically or not.
5. You stand with your hand over the sensor on automatic flushers, so that they don't scare the crap out of your kid when they go off, and you repeatedly say, "It's okay, I won't let it flush until you're ready." (Michael refuses to go in one particular bathroom in our church, because the automatic flushers scare him so badly. In fact, when the church was remodeled and they installed the automatic flushers in that bathroom - which happens to be the one by the Primary room - we often heard kids screaming and crying when they went off unexpectedly.)

In other news, I took the kids to have their pictures taken at Target today. They turned out so good. I am really excited to get them back. I wish Target had the "take home the same day" thing that Kiddie Kandids does. Maybe someday. In the meantime, I think I'll continue to wait two weeks to get my photos, and pay less than half the price.

Michael has now gone to four days of pre-school. He really enjoys it, and I think it's been good for him socially. I know that pre-school isn't really necessary, and I know that a lot of people think that 3 is too young for them to be going, but I feel like it's the right thing for him. He and I have too many power struggles over his feeding and over his sensory issues, and so it's good for him to be invited and encouraged by others (not mom or dad) to participate in activities that will help him to progress in that way.

Faith is starting to show a lot more personality, and let me tell you, I am in trouble. She has no patience at all. If she drops a toy and can't reach it, she starts yelling at the top of her lungs. She's not crying, just yelling, and she continues yelling until you pick the toy up and give it back to her. It will be nice when she can move around a little better and pick up her own toys. Of course, then she'll move around better, and be harder to contain.

We went camping at Bear Lake over the weekend with Jeff's family. It was really fun. Jeff's parents have a membership at CamperWorld, so we all stay free at any CamperWorld. Other than cramming the campers in like sardines, they're really nice. This weekend, we were actually almost the only people in the CamperWorld, since Bear Lake season is about over. Jeff's dad brought a heater for us to use in our tent, which was really nice. Camping with his family is certainly not what you'd call "roughing it." We always have flushing toilets, hot showers, electricity, a refrigerator and microwave in the trailer.... The only difference between camping with them and staying in a hotel is that the bed is not as comfortable. Of course, this time, I actually slept better than I have in weeks. So maybe it's the hotel bed that's not as comfortable.