Q: Is Pixie the smartest kid ever born?

A: Yes.

Today Pixie used the potty. Yes, she is only 13 months old and yes, I'm stunned. A week ago I figured I'd get her in the habit of sitting on the can a few times a day. Every time she had a messy diaper I would bring her to the toilet and let her sit for a minute and let her play with the toilet paper. But after real results this morning, I realized how great my life could be if this actually works! I want her potty trained before I have to buy more diapers. She's got 200 diaper changes left and after that, she's on her own. Once you go pot, you can't stop!

I read an article in Newsweek last fall about a movement of parents reacting to the current trend of late potty training (around 3 years old) who therefore are teaching their 8 month old babies how to use the toilet. At the time I thought it ridiculous. But now I realize that if they can be taught, why not?! After Pixie learned how to sign to us, we realized how much she really understands and how quickly she learns new things. I can now tell her to go use the toilet and she'll run to the bathroom and sit on her new training toilet. She'll even sign to me that she wants to sit on the potty. Granted she usually doesn't "produce" but after the golden miracle this morning, I have high hopes of a brighter future that doesn't involve us having a reeking diaper pail on our otherwise charming patio for the next two years.

And you guys thought this wasn't another ones of those family blogs! Shame on you. How can I stop myself when I have a marvelous little pooper who likes to sit her dolls on our toilet and wipe their seamless rears with t.p.? I did catch her today trying to drown one of them in my bathroom toilet but thanks to my amazing mommy grab her doll escaped with only wet legs and debatable emotional scars. But I can't watch Pixie all the time so that dolly better learn to poop or I have a feeling Pixie will dunk her again. (No, that's isn't how I taught Pixie how to use the potty!)

I feel the winds of change. Pixie isn't a baby anymore and I couldn't be happier. I'm all for independence. Nobody make the obvious comment that "they'll be grown before you know it.." or "you'll wish they could stay babies forever." It seems like all older moms I've talked to live with those sentiments so it can't really matter what I do. Someday I'll be sorry about something or other, but believe you me, it won't be all the diapers I had to change. And get out of my way because this baby is going to be cooking her own meals by the end of the month. She'll thank me someday. Probably next week. That's when I'm going to teach her to converse.

Three frantic cheers for over-zealous parenting! Hip Hip HOORAY!