PANTY PARTY!

My BIG girl!!! (yes, I fixed my towels after I saw this picture...HA)

We had a few days where we both were going a little nuts!

A proud moment!

I think she looks so cute in her big girl panties! Santa did good sticking those panties in her stocking!! :)

I have a potty trained little girl!!! I seriously think it is such a HUUUGE accomplishment as a mom. Really, I feel like you should get some sort of medal of recognition or even a VACATION after you endure potty training. I can now say proudly that I have successfully potty trained a boy and a girl. Want to know my take on which one is easier??? HANDS DOWN A BOY! I have heard by so many people that training a girl is far easier than a boy...I beg to differ, but that is just my experience.

I potty trained Hudson when he was exactly 2 and 1/2, and I decided with Harp I would do the same thing. It took us a full week to master the art of going to the potty. Really it was mastering the #2 that nearly made me become a mad woman. It definitely got worse before the light at the end of the tunnel appeared. There was one day where I was so ready to throw in the towel. I might have said that I did not care if she wore diapers to high school...or something along those lines. BUT in Harper's defense when it clicked it clicked and she mastered it!! We spent a FULL week in doors. Luckily it was one of those really really cold weeks that you would not leave the house if you could. We all were in our pj's almost (not even joking) the entire week. Why bother getting dressed when all you are going to do is sit and go potty?? I set the timer and pumped her full of liquids and we went potty ALL-DAY-LONG over and over and over again. It was a long week, but HALLELUJAH she DID IT!!

One trick that I have used on both of my kids is blowing out a candle. I remember when I was potty training Hudson we were going nuts celebrating his potty success he said "can I blow out a candle?", and alas that is how the candle became such an important tool in potty training. Every time they would use the potty we would sing (to the tune of Happy Birthday), "Harper tee teed in the potty..." It was a fun way for us to celebrate these HUGE successes.

A part of the deal was once they could really use the potty we would buy a REAL cupcake and let them blow out a final candle to celebrate being a big girl/boy. Also a part of our encouragement (bribery) was that Harper could go to Build-a-Bear and pick out ANYTHING she wanted. Oh how this was a big deal, and we talked about this so much that it became exhausting.

Today was the BIG PANTY PARTY DAY! We loaded up and headed to La Cantera to shop for Harp. She went thru so many ideas of what she wanted: first was the Dalmatian, then pink bear, then polar bear, then a WOLF (so glad we did not end up with a wolf), and lastly she choose this cute unicorn. She picked out a Tinkerbell outfit for it and even polka-dot panties. It was so cute and we had so much fun. Hudson was so big and sweet while we celebrated Harper. He was such a good boy. Afterwards I took Harper in to HEB and let her pick out 2 cupcakes. One for her and one for Hudson.

We came home, had lunch, and sang our final "tee tee" song and let Harper blow out her final candle. What a big girl she is. It is a milestone for sure!! To think that after 4 and 1/2 years, I do not have a child in diapers. Ohhh, I will enjoy this!! :) I think we just got a raise!!!

We are so proud of our big girl. She is just a bright light and we adore the little girl she is becoming!!

La Cantera...We were ready to celebrate!! Yes, we let Hud go as a cowboy. He loved it!!

Stepping on the pedal to fill up her unicorn.

Showing off the unicorn's big girl panties.

All finished!!

She just looked so big to me walking off with her new unicorn. It really was a moment where I thought "awe, she really is a big girl now."

Last candle!

What a fun party!!!

Oh boy!!

Hud had no problem digging in!!