The Potty Training Rite of Passage

Potty training is a rite of passage... for the parents. Successfully potty train a child before he goes off to college and you have reached the pinacle of success.

Or so I've convinced myself.

There is still much praise and bribery taking place in this house when it comes to the old poop-in-the-potty-not-your-underwear dance. Hershey kisses overflow in the candy dish waiting to be doled out. Star stickers abound to decorate the Pooped in the Potty Not in My Underwear Chart. My hands are raw from excessive clapping and high-fiving. My throat is sore from... eh, that's from the damn cold I caught.

A common conversation in our house of late:

"Wait. What's that I hear? That noise? Did you just poop in the potty? You did? Good Job! You deserve a star. You pooped in the potty so you get to put a star on your chart. I'll go get it."

The part of the conversation that was not expected:

"Um, daddy... I can't find your chart. Where's your poop chart so you can put a sticker on it?"