a few words on potty training

it's just so hard. anyone who says otherwise can kiss my grits.
and it's messy. poop that gets stepped on and tracked around the house. changing clothes 4 times a day- for each child. socks and shoes that get wet. car seat covers that have to be taken off and washed. sheets. mattress covers. carpet. Pee likes to hide in carpet, mind you.
but harder than the mess and the clean-up is the will of the child. you cannot push it. you can hardly even ask them to do it. now I know what people mean when they say you have to just wait until they're ready. because if you give them the slightest clue of your excitement at the possibilities of imminent potty training, they will step away from the potty and ask for a diaper.
we are making progress, but it is slow, slow, slow. and it doesn't help that we've had a busy summer and I've had very little time to sit at home and let them sit on the potty whenever they need/want to. so we've resorted to pull-ups, but these are really just the same as diapers.
This has been a summer of change. we've changed eating habits (Walter and Grant- for the better), we're changing attitudes (mine and Brian's), and we're changing houses. That is not to mention all the physical and emotional changes that are going on inside Walter and Grant's little bodies. I am trying to slow down and remember that we don't have to go somewhere fun every day. All we have to do is take our time and talk and play and listen. and turn off the tv and get off the phone. and the computer.