Small Victories

Most of you know that the whole potty training thing has not been very successful with Gavin. We've tried a couple of times and are currently in the midst of trying again. I even bought him a potty watch that you set for a certain amount of time and it plays a little song when it's time to go potty. The first couple of days it worked well, but then he just stopped telling me when it went off... Still, he has only had one pee accident all week, mostly because I have been pretty on top of it myself, making him go every hour or so. Number two has been the big problem. Ever since we tried the first time in June, we have had the GRAND prize of a coveted lawnmower and weed wacker combo sitting in my closet for him to look at and only acquire once he pooed in the toilet. He has cried and begged for it, but no poop. Well all week my dear son had been pooping in his underwear and having had enough of that, I have been letting him go around bare-bummed the past couple of days when we are home, thinking he surely would not want to poop with nothing on his behind. I even moved the little training potty down to the basement, which has been his pooping spot of choice. Then yesterday he was playing downstairs and yells that he has to go potty! GREAT, I think and tell him to run upstairs. He runs up and I hoist him onto the toilet. Then he tells me he has already pooped downstairs. No! I go and survey the damage, all the while telling him he had better produce or I am throwing him into a cold shower, (it would have been the fifth one this week). For the first time he actually tried and did go a small amount. I told him that the next time he has to go he can finally get his lawnmower as long as it all ends up in the toilet where it belongs. Well today he did it! I was so proud I almost took a picture, but I will spare him future humiliation and I'm sure no one out there really wants to see anyway, right? We celebrated his small victory with giving him his new toy and hopefully, hopefully we have turned a corner.