To confirm that Mommy has absolutely no life, here is the chronicle of our Potty Training Saga so far:

Day 1:  Monday, 3/12.  After we went to the HEB and picked the dog up from boarding in the morning, Katelyn went down for a nap and Mommy began her preparations for the Potty Extravaganza, which started upon waking from nap.  I assembled all of my supplies in the upstairs bathroom: potty success chart, potty procedures list (so that Daddy and Mommy can be consistent), stickers, lollipops, fresh pull-ups, flushable wipes, and all kinds of cleaning supplies.  Suddenly I discovered that I only bought 2 pair of waterproof trainers and about 12 pair of actual underwear.  And a whole pack of pull-ups, which are so much more expensive than diapers that I hate using them.  Oh well, I thought, we will make do until I can get to the Target.  When Kate wakes up I put her on the potty, read about 400 books (or maybe 4 books 100 times), then finally allow her to get up.  Of course the potty is dry, so I put trainers on her and within 30 seconds pee is running down her leg.  Since she hates to be messy, she instantly began to freak out, so we cleaned up and put on the second pair of trainers.  She was very excited about her big kid underpants.  She ran into the game room and after another 30 seconds she began to shriek, "Oh no!  What happened to my underpants???"  I removed the trainers, cleaned her up, calmed her down, and put a pair of underpants on her (unwisely thinking that she must be out of pee).  So you can see where this went.  By the time Paul came home I'd already done two loads of trainers/pants and used them up again.  Thank heaven we had Olive Garden leftovers for Paul's dinner because I had no energy left to cook.  Once she went to bed I ran to Target, bought them out of trainers, then came home and ate 3 bowls of cereal.  Before bed I managed to throw some laundry (literally) at my poor husband and then go on a crying jag until 1 am.  Surely we had nowhere to go but up the next day.

Day 2:  Tuesday, 3/13.  I awake with a sense of dread, realizing that the REALife group was coming that evening on top of everything else.  But hey, it's a REAL life group, isn't it?  So if they walk into a house covered with laundry that smells like pee, that's a slice of real life, right?  And I'm setting a good example by not pretending to have it all together.  Ha ha.  Anyways, Kate wakes up and I whisk her downstairs to sit on the potty in my bedroom while watching Go Diego Go.  She bats her eyelashes fetchingly at Diego (who, oblivious, continues to rescue talking animals).  Meanwhile I use this opportunity to say a few words to my long-suffering mate ("I'm sorry I threw bedsheets at your face."  "Thanks for listening to my whining until 1 am.") and make us some MUCH needed coffee.  A few minutes later I check on Kate to find that she has tinkled in the potty!  Huge celebration, both parents dance a jig, Kate gets a sucker before breakfast.  That kind of treat doesn't even happen at Nana's!  Feeling somewhat encouraged, we smile and wave at Daddy as he drives away to his laundry-free place of employment (lucky!)  After breakfast, the fun begins.  We have 7 accidents, 2 crying jags (Kate's), 2 time outs, and 2 loads of laundry before naptime.  Thank God for naptime.  Kate is upset that I put a diaper on her for naptime.  I explain that there isn't a potty in her bed, so she has to wear a diaper to sleep in.  She sighs in relief.  Poor thing.

Jen calls during naptime and I feel encouraged.  How on earth does she make cloth diapering seem so easy?  As always, she is very kind and listens patiently to my rants.  Ok.  I can do this.  It's only been 24 hours.  Don't be a wimp, Amy.  Of course I must consider that being 8 months (which feels like 80 months) pregnant makes anyone miserable and crazy, and makes it that much harder to get up and down from a tiny bathroom floor.  I ignore all non-diaper laundry and pre-REALife group cleaning and sit down to knit for 15 minutes before passing out.

Kate wakes up and I immediately take her to the potty, where she holds it for countless dramatic book readings.  I give up and put trainers on her and she pees.  Repeat this process 6 times.  How much pee can such a tiny person hold?  I remind myself that this is easier than trying to train her when the baby is here, because I can give her my undivided attention.  Two more loads of laundry.  I am starting to think that 8 trainers isn't enough.  It's time to start cooking dinner.  It occurs to me that she tinkled this morning while I was not watching her.  Hmm, maybe the child needs a little privacy.  We've been trying to teach her this about her parents - well, about Daddy at least.  Mommy has sacrificed privacy entirely so that Katelyn can become familiar with the potty process.  Anyways, I decide to let her sit on the potty while I try to start dinner.  And talk on the phone to Paul.  I was completely distracted from her.  And guess what - she tinkled!  Only a little, and she wet two trainers within minutes afterward, but hey, it was a start.  Many stickers, a lollipop, and creative songs to celebrate the success.  Guess she needs her privacy, too.  Peeing for an audience is a lot of pressure.  She likes the celebration part, but seems to want me to ignore her while she is actually going.  Interesting.  Uh oh.  It is 6:30.  Group starts at 7 and I have only 2 ingredients assembled to make dinner.  I call Paul back and we debate take out for a while and then finally decide to eat cereal.  So I have eaten nothing but cereal and Olive Garden leftovers for 2 days.  Oh well.  At least we are eating.  Group comes and the kids go upstairs to play (Kate is in a pull-up).  I feel almost human for all of the adult conversation.  No one comments on the fact that every single dish I own is in the sink.  During group and before bed Katelyn actually asks to sit on the potty.  She doesn't go, but she seems to think of it as the fun place where we read books.  Instead of actually going to sleep immediately like we probably should, Paul and I watch 2 episodes of 24 and relax a little.

Day 3:  Wednesday, 3/14.  We all oversleep - I have to wake Kate up at 9:20, and put her on the potty downstairs.  I bustle about like yesterday, only the TV is not on - she is looking at books.  She tinkles in the potty!  Celebration with Daddy!  We eat breakfast and get ready very fast (with one accident) because today is playgroup at Crystal's.  And she has a "bouncy bouncy" indoor inflatable jumpy thing.  Kate is very excited.  At playgroup I actually get her on the potty a couple of times, but she stays completely dry all morning.  She gets really upset and oversensitive near lunchtime and has to have a time out.  I start to wonder if she needs to poop and feels uncomfortable - she hasn't pooped in 48 hours, which is weird.  But she is freaking out over every little thing so it is time to go anyways.  At home I check her and she is dry and refuses to go to the potty, so we have lunch.  After lunch she is much calmer and in a happy mood.  It is raining so we aren't going to go outside (our usual after-lunch activity)and she asks to watch Little Einsteins.  I am exhausted so I agree, but only if we go "try" first.  So we go upstairs and sit on the potty and read lots of books.  Suddenly, during a dramatic reading of "Dora's Potty Book" I realize that she has become very still and squinty.  And stinky.  I ignore her and continue with my wild and over-the-top rendition of Dora's potty adventure.  The end.  I read one more book for good measure, then ask her if she is all done.  She says, "I need a wipe."  Ok, I give her a wipe.  "I'm all done, Mommy.  I need a sucker."  So I get her up and we look in there together.  Tinkle!  And poop!  It was like winning the lottery.  We dance a jig and clean her up.  She gets to flush and wash her hands.  She gets to pick out her sucker.  We call Daddy with the big news.  We put stickers on the chart and all over her hands and head off to watch Little Einsteins.  I'm amazed!  I never thought she'd poop in there so soon.  Ok, maybe this is all going better than I thought.  About halfway through her show, she bolts upright and says, "Mommy!  I got poopy diaper!"  I snatch her up and we run to the potty.  She is BARELY wet and finishes tinkling in the potty.  Now I am REALLY excited!  After more jigs, some jelly beans, stickers, and finishing the tv show, she heads off to bed completely dry and super proud of herself.  She tells me that she is almost a grown up lady like Mommy.

Sigh.  Almost a grown up lady.  Probably maybe so.  I love that kid.