Adventures in Potty Training

What blog about your kid would be complete without a post dedicated to potty training? The truth is, Brandon has been fully potty trained for months. I was scared to post about it for fear he would revert back to pull-ups and make a liar out of me. I suppose it's still possible but I guess I'm willing to take that chance!
Potty training wasn't the hardest thing we've done but it certainly wasn't the easiest either. We started back in April, only to have varying degrees of success until he was fully trained in September.  Here's a little of what I learned on the road to becoming potty trained:

1. Brandon responds very well to bribes - especially if the reward is a Hot Wheel car
2. Encouragement and peer pressure from other kids at the day home is surprisingly effective
3. No amount of book reading, fretting or advise-seeking on my part did any good
4. Just when I thought he was potty trained, he wasn't
5. Just when I thought he would never be potty trained, he was
6. As with everything else, Brandon will do something 100% when he decides he wants to do it

I have to admit that it's pretty wonderful to not have to change diapers anymore. It's also a lot easier on the wallet now that we don't have to buy expensive pull-ups or creams. Maybe this is the one thing from Brandon's babyhood I won't miss? Hmmm . . . what I do know is that my little boy gets a bit bigger every day. For me, his transformation is nothing short of amazing and I couldn't be any prouder of all that he's achieved so far. Way to go Brandon! Mommy is so proud of you :-)

Trick Or Treating

Halloween always used to be one of my favourite events of the year. As a kid I loved getting dressed up, going to parties and running around the neighbourhood to score some candy. Now that I'm older, I can still dress up if I want to, go to parties and - as of this year, go trick or treating again but this time it's with my little one!
Being a bit older this year, Brandon really started to get into the spirit of Halloween. He was quite interested in "spooky" ghosts, cats, bats, witches and pumpkins. Just down the street a store opened up selling costumes and all things creepy and ghoulish for Halloween. Brandon called it the "spooky store" and requested we go there numerous times so he could look at all the scary stuff. He also picked his own costume this year. Unfortunately for me I had foolishly gone out and bought him a Harry Potter costume before he announced he wanted to be Spiderman. I tried to convince him Harry Potter was cool but it was of no use. Spiderman he was and he loved it.

For his first night ever of Trick or Treating, Brandon was invited to join his little friends Dakota, Kahlan and Leighton in their community of Tuscany for all the fun. We arrived around 6:00pm and dressed up warm to hit the streets. It was clear but about -7 so that meant snowsuits, hats and gloves for everyone. The cold didn't bother Brandon and his friends though. They had a blast running from house to house yelling "Trick or Treating" when the door opened up. Brandon walked into the first house and announced at the door of the second that he "wanted more". After some quick lessons in Halloween etiquette, he carried on like a pro - like he'd been doing it for years.

After 40 minutes or so the kids were cold so we headed back to Danica's house for some delicious chilli and cupcakes. The kids watched a spooky episode of Thomas the Train and then I took my tired little Spiderman home for bed.
That night as I tucked him in he looked at me said, "Mommy, can we go trick or treating tomorrow?" I just smiled and gave him a kiss. Another fan of Halloween had been born.