six people in underwear

Gather all your loved ones together and party like its 1999!  Why?  On this day, December 3 (at least it is over here in East Asia), 2011, Kayla Rupp has potty trained her last child!  I'm finished, done, el finito, that's all she wrote, the fat lady has sung, the timer has rung, its closing time, the end has come.  It happened so fast, I hardly know what to think.  It just seemed to happen.

I'm sure Brave will have accidents, but he is way too far into it to turn back now.  I will buy diapers no more.

Yes, I cried.  Just now, while holding an XL diaper (which should have been an XXL on account of the size of Brave's cheeks but I couldn't bring myself to go there). So many emotions accompany me this day: soaring elation, disbelief, sadness, excitement, and wonder at how DARN fast time goes by.

For years, Daniel has been giving sermon illustrations about family life and he has always said, "When everyone in the family poops in the right place, then we will finally be somewhere."  Today, as I stared at two of Brave's turds floating in the toilet water, I thought, 'Here we are.  We are here.  We are somewhere.'

What's next?  No naps?  Oh MAN that will be nice.  Load the car in the morning and roll in with sleeping kids at bedtime.  What FUN we will have then.  Sure, I could wallow in grief that my babies are growing up, but I am choosing a different response.  I am ready to embrace the next phase of Rupp life.  Bring on the loose teeth and Hardy Boys books, because this mama has retired the Boudreaux's Butt Paste for good.