Babychair has prefered the big toilet for ages and has been flatly refusing to use the downstairs potty or travel potty.

Today for no particular reason, she has started using the downstairs potty. !!! We are having a lazy morning in the house and three times this morning (much more frequently than usual for wees) she has used the potty.on her own.

Each time she has walked to me and clearly signed 'Toilet' and then gone to the dining room to fetch the potty. Place it where she wants in the living room, sat on it backward twice and stood over it once and wee'd., wiped herself with the tissue I have provided and run off to play.

I feel this is a step forward in her toileting awareness, as she is not responding to my requests to 'if she needs the toilet' but taking full control of her own needs. The only thing she needs to learn now is pulling pants on and off in conjunction with using the potty. She can remove and put on her pants but prefers to signal for help from me, which is fine she is only 21 months old.

Nice to know if she is naked on the bottom half and near a potty she is independant...bless her.

Thinking of buying a toilet seat with steps for the big toilet, so she can use the toilet on her own at night...maybe, maybe not. Not sure if we are ready for a wandering toddler at night.

Thanks to my wonderful parents

My parents have been tidying up the garden with my limited (6.5 month pregnant) help and they have done a fantastic job. We have decided to move the cat poo hut (outside shelter with litter trays) to the bottom of the garden next to the biodiesel shed and fence off that section.

My father with my mothers help, has built 2/3 of the fence structure out of the spare wood we had hanging around and will be back next week to do some more (bless him)

I am planning on repainting the fence and wooden outside furniture with help from DH and/or parents and in the next month or so replace the patched cat fence netting with a stronger net but that might have to wait for a couple of paydays yet.

Hopefully once the above stuff have been done, we can actually relax a bit in the garden rather than keep running after Babychair who is trying to play/eat/spill unsuitable things and the cats get a third of the garden to themselves.

Long term planes include eventually moving the cat poo hut to around the back of the biodiesel shed and I hope to build some kind of cat friendly scratching post, sunbathing platform thing next to the shed. Maybe have a couple of raised beds for a few flowers/herbs. But we have plenty of stuff to do in the meantime

Babychair can not only put the right shoe on the right foot (bit hit and miss about this bit) but she can thread the cross strap under the first part of the buckle !!!

Wow, my little girl is learning so many new skills