First we tried Pampers pull ups.  They were in the true sense “pull ups”.  They had connected sides, and they needed to be pulled up to be worn and they were torn on the sides if it got soiled by said potty-trainee.  Fine.  I can deal with that.  But let’s face it, children’s pants at potty training age are not usually adorned with crotch snaps making it extremely to change a pull up diaper, because you have to wind up taking the shoes off, the pants off…and it’s at this point that the potty trainee makes a game of taking clothes off and then they demand you take EVERYTHING off…including but not limited to socks, shirts, onesies…you name it, they think pull up changing time is an open invitation to full on strip tease!  It’s annoying.  In potty training you want to get in, get out and be on your way.  Pull ups hinder this part of potty training, I will admit that.  In the time it could’ve taken to just change a diaper, you’ve now had to redress and rediaper a stripped naked toddler.  It’s just ridiculous!

When LF started her new *care, we figured, okay, let’s switch the pull up, maybe that will help.  So we changed to the Huggies pull ups.  You know, the ones with the velcro ont he sides, so now instead of having the teacher needing to take off all the clothes and devoting a ton of time to this process and distracting from the other kids, it won’t take quite as long.  Plus I think, I can’t be sure, but I think LF is the only one in her room potty training.  So, fine, we tried the switch to the Huggies pull ups.  And while…ok the velcro on the sides is a bit less of a hassle…they are Huggies…I HATE HUGGIES!!!  I always have! A wet noodle holds more liquid than a friggin Huggies diaper!  They leak…PROFUSELY!  How they stay in business and how people buy that brand of diaper, I’ll never know.  I guess the diaper really fits the kid wearing it maybe, I just don’t know.  Never liked Huggies, never will.

I really think the pull up thing is a conspiracy.  They are pointless.  You’re still putting a diaper type thing on the child.  You are still giving them a sense of “hey, I have this thing that will catch my pee/poop so why not”!  I can buy a big box of diapers at one of the wholesale stores and get essentially double the quantity for half the money as I would spend on a package of pull ups.

So, Huggies are out and Pampers pull ups, well…just not worth the extra money for less.  So we’re back to diapers.  And that’s fine with me.  Either way you slice it, it’s all the same effort.  One of these weekends I will get a full weekend AT HOME.  No running around, doing this and that and we will do the old fashioned, pull up the area rugs and let the kid run around the house bottomless all weekend routine.  It will have to be a weekend LFD isn’t here because I think a tiny piece of him dies each time I test run that routine for an hour or two here or there.

I really think LF is almost there though.  We’re making huge strides.  Before we went on vacation (yes, I know I owe you Day 4) she wouldn’t “go” for anyone except me, with the exception of maybe…maaaaaaaaaybe LFD, once in a blue moon when it was high tide and all the elephants of the world were all facing one direction at the same time.  Maybe then she would go on the potty for him.  Now, she’ll just about go for anyone.  Proof positive when we got back and went to a new *care and she went potty that first day for her new teacher.  It’s never consistent right now, but that’s okay.  In her own time.  It’s all about the development of the process.  We’re close…really close…and that’s great!  Watch, now that I said that, she’ll set herself back 10 months and I’ll be changing diapers until she’s 15.

So, to you, pull ups, I say “good riddens” and flick my hand from under my chin!  I will not miss you!  Although since I still have a few of you up in the diaper stacker, I’ll use you since I don’t want to waste you.  That’s okay, you’ll probably be gone by the end of the weekend given your Huggies and you only hold .2 ounces of water, if I’m lucky!!!

Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet’s get ready to ruuuuuuuuuuuuumblllllllllllllllllllllleeee!!!

In this corner we have one soiled pull up donned toddler!

And in this corner we have a daddy experiencing pull ups for the very first time!

Place your bets now folks, this will be a good one!!!

(I missed this in real time but was briefed immediately upon arriving home last night! So I give you the conversation that took place!)

Hubbie: Pull ups suck!

Me: Why?

HUbbie: They cause a mess!

Me: ?

Hubbie: She had poop in her diaper!

Me: So?

Hubbie: It made a huge mess!

Me: Well how’d you take it off?

Hubbie: I pulled it down and the poop streaked down her leg as I pulled it!

Me: (Hysterical laughter ensues for minutes on end!)

Me: (Finally able to compose myself!) Hubs, you’re supposed to rip the sides of the pull up.

Hubbie: (mumbles incoherently under his breathe)

Me: Also, it’s called a “pull-up”, not a “pull-down”!!!

Hubbie: (continues to mumble incoherently under his breathe!)