Poop Du Jour!

If anyone had ever told me potty training was so darn messy, I probably wouldn't have believed them. Well I might have thought it had potential to get messy - but this messy?? I didn't think it was going to be all rose petals and sunshine - but these days, instead of friends with faces, my friends are Napisan and an over-sized bottle of disinfectant.

Noah is pretty well driving this bus. We talked about it. We read about it. And now, after much discussion, he's doing it. And scoring gold stars.

Take for instance yesterday's conversation:

Me: Noah, would you like to do a wee on the potty?

N: No. But I'd like to do a poo.

Yep. That's what's happening in our neck of the woods. Not content with just a wee, he's going for the big 'uns.

Don't get me wrong. I am immensely proud of the little guy. He's really going for it, but it would be great if he could sit still and relax. Noah's taking a more hands on approach. Literally. Mmm. But he's going well. I've been doing a little 'toilet training' related reading. Not entirely scintillating, but interesting.

In other reading,I read in today's SMH that there's a professor of psychology from Harvard visiting Australia at the moment for a conference attended by 2000 happy-seekers. Daniel Gilbert (the prof) has said that people's happiness goes into a steep decline after they have children and never recovers until the children leave home.

I don't know about you, dear reader, but my kids definitely make me happy. Sure I do have the odd day when I screech like a banshee - but those are rare. My collective memories of my children mainly some of the most insanely, intensely happy and satisfying moments of my life - and that includes both births.

So why are 2000 people attending a conference to seek happiness? I know I don't need someone to tell me when I am happy - or where to seek it.

Baking a cake. Check - happy.

Thrifting and finding a small tattered book. Check - happy.

Tickling and inhaling the milky warmth of my little on. Check - happy.

Rumbling and chatting with my bigger little one. Check - happy.
Watching my two babies grow. Check - happy.

Teaching myself to embroider. Check - happy.

Watching Autumn creep into our skies. Check - happy, albeit with cold feet.

Cuddling and canoodling with my man-friend. Check - happy.

I think you get the picture.

So what of Daniel Gilbert's theory? I find it a little disturbing that he's out there preaching that child-less people are happier in the same week that SMH reported a disturbing trend on the rise. More and more Sydney couples are sending their kids to boarding school while they work and carry on with their lives. Why have kids if you're going to just send them packing?

Perhaps they are the 2000 attending this squeaky seminar.

Makes me wonder if Daniel Gilbert has ever experienced holding his own newborn in his arms. First smiles. First laughs. First crawls. First words.

Enough of my banter, I just wanted to defend us people WITH children who ARE happy. My little people are doing well, Noah's potty training with the best of them, Scouty's laughing and wriggles like she's stomping grapes.

And me - I am a proud & happy mama.

Oh and if anyone knows of a natural way to cure our house of black ants - please, please share with me. I am desperate.