The One where I am flying by the seat of my pants.

I like to think that I'm not a planner, but who am I kidding? I plan our trips, our finances, and I even plan our meals for the whole week each Sunday. So when it comes to the ins and outs of daily life, I'll admit...I like a plan. But when it comes to the bigger picture, I prefer to have a more laid-back attitude--whatever happens, happens. Unfortunately, my tendency to over-think every minute detail is really getting in the way of my carefree way of living. With that being said, here are three things that I need accomplished by the end of the year:

1. The Little Lady needs to lose the binky.
2. The Little Lady needs to be potty trained.
3. The Little Lady needs to move to a big girl bed.

The binky has only started bothering me lately, but I think it would be best forgotten before we start the nightmare that must be potty training. Do you see how I've already begun over-analyzing? It gets worse. I decided that I would wait until after she turns 2 next month, and I might execute something elaborate to commemorate the occasion. Perhaps I will tie a weight to the binky and throw it off a bridge or back my car over it. In preparation of the binky's departure, I will warn the Little Lady that once her birthday comes, and she's 2, she won't need it anymore. Sounds like a plan, but then the over-thinking really kicks into gear. Is she going to dread her 2nd birthday because it means the end of her beloved binky? Is she going to cry at the very mention of cake and ice cream? Am I ruining her birthday by associating the two?

And if we get through that, I don't even know where to begin the the potty training. I've heard about training in three days, but the catch is that for the following three months, the child should be naked from the waist down whenever at home. Maybe this works for some people, but I don't want any naked bottoms on my couch. Not even cute baby bottoms. I'm sure that when this method was developed, the creator didn't worry too much about her couch. She really should have. Beyond this method, I haven't a clue even where to begin with the potty training.

But I know where it ends. It ends with the Little Lady sleeping overnight without the trusted protection of a diaper. This leads me to the task of transitioning to a big girl bed. I hate changing crib sheets. I can only imagine how frequent sheet-changing must be at this stage of potty training, and I would much rather do it for a bed not surrounded by bars.

So there you have it--a glance into what it's like to fly by the seat of your pants as long as you're flying with a parachute over a large net!