The Amazing Valerie

It’s a bit rocky yet, but Valerie has essentially potty trained herself several days ahead of the arrival of “slow boat shipping” twin potty chairs.  Sadie is all excited about training with her “new blue potty chair,” and Val selected a red one.  We figured they’d train side by side, and it would be easier than using the Dora themed toilet inset and step stool.  Part of the plan for getting Sadie trained was that Valerie was ready and would be doing it at the same time.  We’ve run into problems with having one toilet for the pair of them, and with our having to keep the bathroom door closed so they (meaning 95% Valerie) wouldn’t destroy the place (which overall tendency is another story) just because they can and are bored.

Valerie had success twice today, almost made it another time, and persists in going through the motions of sitting and then washing her hands if she misses one.  She came up with a way to reach the water to wash her hands, standing on the side of the tub rather than the stool.  She can’t quite seat herself, so it’s sad the potties aren’t here yet, and the old potty was destroyed.  Yes, they are capable of destroying anything.

Poor Sadie is jealous that Valerie has Dora pullups (they were out of the store brand), while she wears diapers, but managed to deal with it.

Even if she’s all set before the potty arrives, having it will make Val’s life easier, and she can lead the way for Sadie.

Meanwhile, also in recent days she has taken to talking more, and when she does is crisper about it than Sadie tended to be.  It’s remarkable what a difference Sadie’s aspie tendencies make.  An example was tonight, while I was making red sauce with meat.  Sadie got a taste, but wouldn’t actually tell me it was good or she liked it, this time not even an “mmmm...” of pleasure, except for coming back and demanding more, so she got three tastes.  Valerie got a taste and actually told me it was good, punctuated by asking for a second taste before I was done.  One thing about Sadie, though, is she knew that when she saw me add stuff to the sauce, adjusting the flavor, that meant it was time to do the “give me another taste” dance.

Valerie still says a lot of nonsense, but is trying hard to verbalize.  When she actually means to be understood, she does at least as well as Sadie.  Of course, there’s a reason I refer to Valerie as River and Sadie as merely Simon.

Today Deb noticed Valerie trying to read a word that was written on their bedroom wall when we moved in.  We didn’t notice when we looked at the place, and apparently neither did the landlord.  She was up on the back of the love seat, able to see the writing close up, babbling as if she was assigning sounds to the letters.  I was there, but it was peripheral enough I didn’t catch exactly what she was doing.  I should probably make a point of doing some reading to her and working with her on letters and sounds, if she’s that eager.

It would be wonderful if we could pair the increased maturity with a decrease in destruction or getting into where she shouldn’t, but that has actually ramped up.  It’s like they, meaning the majority Valerie but Sadie’s been worse too, have become so curious and bored, plus big enough, they’re almost out of control and haven’t developed an offsetting restraint yet.  Everything is fascinating.  Everything is a science experiment.  We can’t keep toilet paper where it’s in reach (again with the “but she’s learning the potty and that runs counter to it” problem).  At least some of the time both their bath soap and our hand soap has been up out of reach and inconvenient to us.  The travel mug I use for rinsing their hair certainly has to stay up high, though Valerie took a shower this evening, mainly by herself because they each wiped out a heaping serving of spaghetti and a piece of Italian bread, but Sadie eats far slower, managed to get it in there with her, and played with it neatly.  Sadie was even pretty good, though messier than Val.

She’ll get there, I figure.  It’d be easier if Sadie were farther ahead in that regard.  She can still be trusted to get out of bed and wander the house in a way Val won’t be ready for, well, I have no idea when she will.  But while Sadie might not do something like open the dishwasher and take dirty stuff out, when Valerie does, Sadie won’t hesitate to use kitchen shears to carve trails in the coffee table… It’s the pairing that becomes tough.

I’m still amazed that Valerie has all but trained herself abruptly.  We always expected that of Sadie, but she seems to have trouble getting past it being a change in customary conditions, and reliably sensing she’s about to go.

Posted by on 10/05 at 10:15 PM

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