We have tried potty training Pea on several occasions. Those occasions usually ended with me saying “screw it,” and tossing another diaper on her. It’s not that I didn’t think she was ready, I’m sure she was. Perhaps I was lazy? Or just the most impatient mother in the world? Seriously, you pull down your pants, sit on the potty and go.

But I skimmed a book, “Toilet Training in Less Than A Day,” recommended by my friend Nona, and sort of loosely followed the author’s instructions, and lo and behold, I have a kid who can use the potty by herself. Wait, what? Was it really that easy? The answer is a resounding yes!

The book is very dated. The illustrations drove me nuts, a mother in an apron hovering over her child. But I got it. Consistency was key. A lot of “Pea, go sit on the toilet for 10 minutes, please.” It had to be 10 minutes. It was the amount of time it seemed to take her to realize that whatever was inside of her was indeed going to come out.

Sure, there were a handful of accidents here and there. Minimal damage, no big deal. And she’s wearing a diaper to bed. But who cares what goes on at night, when the first thing she does in the morning is tear off her diaper and do her business on the toilet in my bathroom? And the beauty of it all is that she really, truly did get it on the very first day! By the second day, we actually ventured out of the house to run some errands and eat lunch out. No accidents. And the third day? A trip to the airport where she was very, very excited about those toilets that flush themselves.

By now, we are pretty well on our way. Every once in a while, I hear a toilet flushing from another room. And it startles me, at first. And then, I remember that I am the very proud mother of one potty-trained toddler. And I beam. And then I high-five myself. And then, I thank the lucky stars that I pulled it off. And then, I knock on whatever wood surface is closest, and say “pooh pooh.” I don’t want to jinx myself. I don’t want to wake up from this dream…

Oh, and one last note. Pants that I thought were too small on her? A little too tight in her derriere? Nope. Turns out wearing big girl panties instead of a 20-pound diaper makes all the difference.