Operation Potty or Bust

Tim recently accepted a call to pastor a small church in an area outside of Philadelphia known as the Mainline.  We are excited to be part of their church family, and we will be moving to their parsonage in July.  There are so many thoughts, issues, natural anxieties and welcome excitement this change will create and has already been creating.
Here are a few off the top of my head:  how am I going to pack the house with a toddler and an infant?  how can we help Evie move away from the only house she has ever known?  I will post about these anxieties and more in the future.

One result of this move to the parsonage is that I have been scouting out preschools in the area for September.  Here is what I have found so far:

1.  There are a LOT of montessori schools.  It's practically all the rage on the Mainline.  I like their method, and I think Evie would really thrive there.  But will it work for her?  Dunno.  Just to balance it out, I have been checking out non-Montessori schools as well.  And unfortunately, there are a lot of waiting lists.  Will the child even be able to GET INTO a preschool in the Fall?!

2.  Sticker shock.  Let's face it, sending your kid to a private preschool is expensive and costs dollars from your pocket.  Sending your kid to a private preschool ON THE MAINLINE is offensively expensive.  In fact, it looks as though my job will pretty much pay for her preschool and pre-K education.  And then, of course, Isaac will soon be right behind her.  How do parents of several kids send their kids to daycare/preschool/private school?  They must be selling cocaine on the side...

3.  Here's the kicker:  in order for Evie to start in the Fall with the appropriate age group, SHE MUST BE POTTY TRAINED.  If she is not potty trained, she will be held back with the group of kids ages 18 months to 3 years old, instead of the 3-4 year old classroom where she belongs.  Also, it will cost more to pay for her to be in the younger classroom.  These facts were the same at every site I visited.  When I heard that, something small exploded inside.  OMG.  WE CAN'T ESCAPE THIS REALITY ANYMORE.  EVIE NEEDS TO USE THE POTTY OR ELSE SHE CAN'T GO TO COLLEGE.

You know what this means, right?

OPERATION POTTY IS IN FULL EFFECT!

I think the fact that she can't start preschool in the Fall in her correct age group is a big motivation for Tim and I.  An even bigger motivation is saving $200+ a month.  Tim announced he is endorsing my "buy no more diapers" plan.  I have also announced my "she will just be naked all day every day until she decides to stop peeing and pooping on herself" plan.  Evie told me that she will drive her car to the store to buy more diapers, all while happily honking at other cars.  Apparently, that is her plan.

A Glimmer of Hope:   Tonight, while we were getting ready for the bath, I had taken off Evie's diaper.  A few minutes later, she made a beeline for the potty.  She asked me to leave the bathroom and close the door.  One minute later, I heard a jubilant, "Mommy!  I did it!"  Yes, she did.  *sigh of relief*  Maybe it's finally happening?  Maybe my daughter won't go to college in diapers after all.