potty

Michael struggling to regain what dignity is possible during potty training

Michael and Isla playing swingball

michael watering the flowers in granny's garden

can you spot michael? Can you also guess where Grandad is?

we had a real triumph in potty training last night. We've been trying to get michael to sit on the potty for a while in the morning and at night before bed. We've also given him lots of encouragement and he seems to know what it's for. We've not been pushing it too much, but last night without warning michael took off his trousers and nappy , sat on the potty and did a poo. It was disgusting, but I guess I'd better'd get used to it. Sarah and I are both excited, but aren't sure if it was a case of beginners luck or not.

Michael's been in Glenrothes with Granny and Grandad the last two weekends. He's been out on the golf course with grandad, who says he's got a real thing for the bunkers and the puddles. I remember playing golf as a kid and scott and I both thought the point of the game was to get the ball into the sand. He's had a great time over there. He did come back last weekend with a yellow football, which apparently isla had let him play with in asda, and he grew so attached to that grandad had to buy it for him. He's also got quite attached to a big nemo that Sandra donated to michael. It's one thing waking up next to a toddler every morning, but it's quite another waking up to a two foot long orange fish.

Michael is really starting to string sentances together. It's mostly demands to listen to either "Doo Wah Diddy" (Manfred Mann), "Are We Human or are we dancers" (Human by the Killers) or "Those who are dead" (42 by Coldplay). He'll often sit down next to me and ask "What are you doing?" or "What are you watching/playing?". If he spots someone he doesn't know in a photo he'll ask "Who's that?" He'll be specific and say things like "I want to listen to Doo Wah Diddy on the computer". My dad said that when he got to Glenrothes on Saturday he went up to isla's room and said "Get up. I want to play Guitar hero downstairs on the Playstation". Demanding I admit, but there's some reasonably good grammar there.