External Validation is Important At Any Age

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah, hal-le-lu-jah! We've turned a corner and it took most of our two-week vacation to accomplish. Brigid has finally dropped trau and successfully joined the ranks of potty users, at least for going pee pee. As the score of blog readers (all four of you) know, Brigid is a force to be reckoned with, more stubborn and headstrong than any of the three put together. And using the potty has ranked right up there with distasteful and unimaginable tasks in her mind. Over vacation, on Cape Cod and at the lake, she has enjoyed wearing her "wonderwear," but she would ask for a diaper whenever she felt the urge. Finally, on Friday night, I told her that all I ask is that she try, no matter what happens. Solemnly, she said, "Alright, Mommy. I'll try." I placed her seat on the big potty and she assumed the position. With a look on her face that said, "Well, what do you know?" she started to go. "I'm doing it!" she yelled, loud enough for the girls and Jack to hear in the other rooms of the camp. "I'm peeing on the potty!" Everyone burst into applause and congratulations. Her face beamed with price as she finished the task at hand, or, rather, at bottom. She then ran to each member of the family -- Tessa included -- and received their heartiest congratulations and accolades for a job well done. The next morning, Saturday, she had repeated success. We went to the Franklin County Fair that day, so I brought her portable seat along with us. I wasn't going to throw a diaper on her now that she was getting the hang of it. And, in good form, she used it twice: once at my urging and just before we got in the car to go home. She told me she needed to use the potty, and we scrambled to find one near the parking lot.

She still adamantly refuses to use the potty for any other function, requesting very loudly and insistently for a diaper so she can "go poop" in the corner someplace. I figure we've won a battle, I don't want to lose the war. So even though the two weeks of vacation were wonderful, we came out on top with a monumental breakthrough.

Cape Cod was fabulous. The cottage rental I found back in January was perfect -- good size for a two-bedroom cottage, great location only a stones' throw from Skakett Beach in Orleans yet very secluded for privacy. We felt so comfortable there that we decided to request the same location for next year, thereby saying at least for now farewell to our beloved Wellfleet in favor of Orleans.

The trip down was long and a bit busy with traffic. We hit some traffic outside of Boston thanks to a car accident, and we also hit some right at Boston, but we made it to Hyannis for the night. We were able to arrive in Orleans in time to spend the morning on Skakett Beach before grabbing lunch at Cooke's in Orleans. We picked up the keys to the cottage after 2 p.m., unpacked and then I did massive grocery shopping for the week that afternoon. We then spent as much time as we could at the beach, both the bay and the ocean beaches, throughout the week. Brigid found her true calling and is a fish. She had to be swimming and would be swimming every minute of every day if she was allowed. Didn't matter if it was salt water or fresh, 78 degrees or 68 degrees. She had to be in the water every day. When my photos come back, I'll post as many as I can.

I made most meals at the cottage, but we did go for our traditional meal at the Lobster Shanty where the girls all got to pick up lobsters and, alas, eat one we actually said hello to. Yum. Jack took Margaret and Patricia snorkeling in the salt marsh, we visited Provencetown, the flea market in Wellfleet and did a ranger-led walk at Great Island to see the hermit crabs and all manners of tidal flats creatures.

We stopped in Boston for a night on the way home and extended our nautical theme by going to the aquarium. Brigid said she loved the fish and the penguins, which ate fish. Dinner at one of our favorite places, Durgin Park, was nice.

The second week was spent at camp and had mixed weather, but once again, Brigid was in the water every day she could be. I had to go home every other day to visit Brin and make sure she was OK. In addition, I had to return calls from potential tenants since our new tenants, who moved in for July 1, moved out while we were gone to the Cape. An error in judgement on my part. We were lucky; although I had more than 75 calls on the apartment to sift through, we were able to find someone by Sunday who we know and feel confident in renting to.

Now I look ahead to the last month of summer and a visit from Mom and Aunt Sandy and Cassandra, Margaret's orientation for 9th grade and possibly going to my 30th (!) high school reunion over Labor Day weekend. It's been a busy summer indeed.

As a post script: Margaret and Patricia had a wonderful time and successful production during Summer Saffari of "Godspell." It was a great production and the kids all did a remarkable job -- learning the lines, the songs and the pretty intricate choreography in less than three weeks. We also had the immeasurable pleasure of Maggie Schalk's company during the last week of Summer Safari just before we left for vacation. She and her family were visiting from Ohio and spent much of the time with us. If we could, we would have kidnapped her to Cape Cod with us. Something to keep in mind for next summer. We miss you, Maggie, and can't wait to see you again.