Mom's Point of View on Potty Training

Hi my name is Terri and I am a mom of 4 that home-schools. My friend Jenny contacted me on Facebook to ask me if I would do a post on potty training for the To Each Their Own blog. I told her sure, but then I started thinking: how will I go about picking a potty training topic. There are soooo many ways to write about potty training. There are the horror stories, tips and tricks, old wives tales...the list goes on and on. There really is an endless supply of potty how-to material out there. There are also many reasons why we as parents start potty training. Either a new little one is to be born, preschool says your kid can't go there if they are not potty trained, pressure from loved ones, etc. I am going to give a quick overview of my experiences potty training my four kiddos and touch on a few different things mentioned above.

Child #1 the only little girl. Our little princess who will soon be turning 10 was 2 years old when we started potty training her. Hard to believe that it has been that long ago when our sneaky little girl would hide behind a curtain or chair to poop. Our reason for starting with her was we were preggo with child #2 and I did not want two in diapers. That was how I felt at that time anyway...Feelings change they really do! We were given some of those thick training underwear and plastic ones to use on her. Those plastic ones do not keep the pee from leaking out down their legs. They just do not work...or at least the ones I was given didn't work. Over all, child #1 was pretty easy to train. Sure she would sometimes sneak off and poo in a secret spot but she usually went on her Dora potty seat on the big potty. It took about a month for her to potty train and she was potty trained before #2 came along.

Child #2 my first boy and my sweetest child. He is now 7 years old. Oh my there are so many things that drove me crazy with this kid. I love him to death but he was so stubborn. He was about 3 ½ before he potty trained. He pushed every button I had when potty training. They say boys are the hardest to train...yes this boy was making me believe that saying. The reason I started with him was because I was getting pressured by other moms to do it. He was in preschool just before he turned 3. Other moms would say how they potty trained their kids because they were told they had to or their child would not be allowed to go to preschool. I was never told that by my child's teacher but it made me feel guilty so I took him out of preschool and decided to teach him at home and also started potty training. Please moms never let other moms make you feel that way about your child. You do what is best for them because you really do know what is best even if the world does not agree. Once I showed him what was in his diaper a few times, he decided that he didn't want poo stuck to his butt and he did really well.

Child #3 my second little boy was so easy to potty train. He is now 4 years old. It kinda floored me how easy he was. I did not start potty training because child number #4 was on the way and I did not potty train him because others wanted me to. It was just time and I wanted him to do it. I have now had 2 in diapers twice. Child #2 and #3 were in diapers at the same time and child #3 and #4 were in diapers together. I had given up the I need to not ever have 2 in diapers at the same time mentality. It was just not going to happen. I had all of them 3 years apart except for the last 2 because they are about 21 months apart. I didn't space them out like that on purpose either (but that is another story.) Child #3 was such a breeze. He was almost 3 years old. I decided to put him on the potty while he screamed at me that he did not want to go. I did that all week long with him fussing and fighting me. I do give out rewards...with him it was M&Ms that did the trick. He stopped fighting me by day 6 and he was telling me that he had to potty. From that day on he was potty trained! Yes it was that easy. I guess with some kids it just clicks.

Child #4 my last baby boy. Yes he is 2 ½ now but he will always be my baby. Well, they will all always be called my babies. Anyway, I had no intentions of starting with him any time soon. I was fine with changing one kid's diaper and wasn't really wanting to train him yet. I was told by my mother-in-law that another grandchild who was younger was going to the potty. I told her that he was my son and I would potty train him when we were both ready. So one weekend my mom had my kids and when we go to pick them up my mom tells me that child #4 was going on the potty for her. I was shocked! The little booger wouldn't go for me. He even gave me the excuse the next day when I asked him to potty that he would only go for his Nanny. I told him “no way boy I know you can potty so get on that potty.” He actually went for me and just started going from then on. Sure he still had accidents and still wears a pull up at night just to be safe but the boy is sure enough potty trained thanks to my mom for starting it for me.

[Child 2,1, and 4 now]

So there you have my adventures in potty training. I have learned that every child is different and they will go potty when they want to. Never feel like you are failing when you potty train. I have some horror stories I could share but that is not the route I wanted to take with the post. I wanted you to see how different each child is, to know the truth behind girls potty training faster is not always true and to never let someone make you ever feel like you need to potty train your child. You are their parent and really truly you do know what is best.

[Me and Child #3]

I want to thank To Each Their Own for letting me do a guest post for them.

_________________________________________________________

We Thank Terri for sharing her awesome insights/experiences on potty training for our guest post this week!  To read more from Terri, check out her blog "Mom's Point of View" at http://mompointofview.com/ !

Potty Training Pain

My first Daughter decided one day she wanted to potty train, and three days later she was done. Even through the night, she very rarely wet herself. Like once every six months rarely. It was amazing. How did I do it? I have no idea. She's just one of those awesome kids that pretty much potty trains themselves.

My second daughter is still young enough that she has interest, but isn't ready to actually potty train. My most helpful advice is: Wait until they are ready! I tried to get my oldest to do it a few times, it always ended badly. But once she decided it was her idea, it was easier than I could have ever imagined.

Seriously, you can't force your child into it. It won't end well for either of you. They will be screaming, you'll want to sneak into your closet with a chocolate bar and have a good cry yourself. It's just no fun. If there's one thing pretty much all kids are, it's stubborn. Therefore, I don't have anything that I can guarantee will work for you. But, here are a few things that seemed to help us:

1- Let your Child watch you use the restroom. It will make it seem cool and totally normal. Put a baby potty in there so they can sit on it while you use the big potty.

2- Let them pick out their own underwear. My daughter loved that, and tried really hard not to get her new princess panties messy.

3- Act like it's a huge deal. I mean HUGE. Like you just won the lottery big. When my daughter went in the potty I would clap, tell her what a good girl she was and dance around with her yelling "YAY!" It made her want to do it again.

4- Accidents happen. Don't shame them for it, they'll probably be upset enough as it is. Just tell them it's ok, it happens to everyone and eventually they won't have accidents anymore.

5- It's ok to give up and try again later. Kids may be interested but not totally ready. Don't compare your child to others. They all get there eventually. :)

Poop. There it is!

Freedom is a wonderful thing. The first time I felt true freedom was on a glorious day in the summer of 1996. I had just passed my driver’s license test and later that day, remember driving around in beautiful, sunny California, windows down, the wind blowing through my hair, while belting out the lyrics to the ever-so-popular Tag Team’s “Whoop...there it is”! Fast forward 17 years…my definition of freedom has slightly been altered. While I still love carelessly belting some of my fave songs of the 90’s, becoming a mom has changed up life’s lyrics a bit and I have become someone who now gets excited over shall we say, some of life’s simplest pleasures. Like, the first day my child “cooed”, or smiled, or gave me wet, sloppy kiss and of course, when she successfully used the potty.

It might sound silly to some, but for me, potty training is just another one of those laborious battles of parenthood, a battle that my little sweet pea and I have fought long and hard to overcome. And like my predecessor mamas who have bravely endured and successfully fought this battle, we can all harmoniously nod our heads in agreement that nothing smells sweeter than joining one other in a diaper-free utopia.

For those of you who have yet to embark upon this delightful adventure or who are perhaps struggling with it still, I say unto you all: There is hope, there IS light at the end of the tunnel and by golly, if you haven’t seen the potty-training light yet, there is always a new day called tomorrow.  And while I am no potty-training Yoda, I do have a few potty training tips from my Jedi-mama-in-potty-training days:

1) Be prepared for the worst… or the best. Whatever you think potty training may be, it’s probably not. It might be easy for you and your child or it might be rocket-science difficult. Mental and physical preparation is the key. Be prepared for your child to pee (or the alternative) in the middle of the day or night, maybe on the floor, in their undies, in their beds, etc., until they get it right. Be prepared with how you will react to it, too (it can be upsetting for the little ones when they make mistakes and they need to feel support). Like any new skill we are trying to teach or learn, practice makes perfect and preparation prior to that practice can make all the difference in alleviating more stress.

2)  A bribe (or two) is ok. I can almost see and hear moms giving me a look of horror and tsk-tsk-tsking at the word “bribe”. Some of you may call it “incentive”. I like to think of it as positive reinforcement. I’d be lying if I said I only “bribed” my child once or twice to get her to use the potty. Hey, I’m teaching creative negotiating 101 over here.  Am I guilty of encouraging an early chocolate or sticker addiction? Perhaps…but in the end, whether it’s the M&Ms or a sticker incentive, I definitely believe that rewarding my child and using positive reinforcement for good behavior and actions, like potty training, is ok in my book. Most importantly though, find out what works best for you and your child and use it.

3) The early bird doesn’t always get the worm. I don’t know why some of us feel the need to have “that” child. You know, the one who reads first, uses the potty first, the child who never ever has a tantrum, who eats all of his/her food at the dinner table, the child who has to be the “best”, etc.. Some of us feel the need  to rush our children to grow up fast and be ready for tasks that they might just not be ready for. Truth-be-told, I realized that no matter how much prodding, my daughter was ready when she was ready (what a novel idea)! For example, we started potty-training Mini-me when she was 18 months old, took a break, re-started, took another break, re-started and just when I wondered if there would ever be a day when she would be fully potty-trained, that wonderful, glorious day came. She was ready…and was a little over 2 ½ years old. And I was thrilled.

 4) Entertain them and learn to laugh about it. Ok, I have a confession. My home can sometimes be like a rock concert or like an episode of Glee. BBH and I are like wannabe rock/rap stars in our house. We are known for turning our normal conversations with each other or with our children into full-fledged musicals or raps. Odd, you say? I am telling you: It works. I don’t know if our daughters think we’re nuts, but they will stop whining about having to go to the potty, quit squirming though a diaper change and just stare at us and laugh. This comical havoc sidetracks them long enough to re-motivate the potty training or re-direct them to anything you want them to do. Aside from accepting the fact that we must look like utter lunatics, we’ve learned that being entertaining and learning to laugh about potty-training and other things in life, makes a house truly a home sweet home.

5) Relax and make peace with it. I think one of the hardest things for me, especially in the early stages of training my oldest daughter, was how easy it was to get caught up in the mind-set of “well, so-in-so’s child was potty-trained at 18 months, what are we doing wrong?” The valuable lesson I learned here? When I turned the focus away from my sweet daughter and focused on the negative or on others, I began to compare myself and mini-me and not appreciate where she came from and all of the progress she and I had made along the way. Taking a mommy time-out to relax, breathe, and re-assess the potty-training situation can really help remember these things.

All-in-all (and like their mama), my daughters dance to the beat of their own drum.  My job as their mom is to help them make sense of the notes, make some music, and dance along with them. And when your potty training battle is looking kind of poopy, take a deep breath, have a good laugh, pop an M&M, and just remember Tag Team’s song…There's a party over here, a party over there, wave your hands in the air, Shake your deriere! These three words when you're gettin' busy: POOP- there it is!

1,2,3,4.....keep your poo off the floor!

I have four "don'ts of potty training" that I wanted to share. I'm sure you've heard some of these before, but just like in the scriptures. God tells us the same story multiple times, by different people, because, well.....we just don't get it the first time. Also, you'll hear these things from more than one person, because, well.....its truth.

#1. Don’t rush it. Diapers are expensive, but cheaper than a trip to the therapist.

My first pregnancy was twins. When they were 19 ½ months old I had our third child. Yes. That is three “babies” under the age of 2 years and they were ALL in diapers. Every time I changed one diaper I ended up changing ALL of their diapers. I always had an assembly line. Everyone who had the opportunity to see would laugh. I had a system. It was great. I wish I had a picture to share with you of my diaper storage system. All three babies were in three different sizes. I used a bottom shelf in our pantry that stored all the diapers. I had three black bins (perfectly sized for a package of diapers) side by side with each diaper size, plus one that had the creams and wipes. I rocked out that diaper organization. With three in diapers.....I had too!

The twins are now 3 ½ years old and our youngest will be 2 years old in August. Our 3 ½ year old son is FINALLY potty trained, however, his twin sister refuses and our almost 2 year old is still in diapers....and I'm expecting another baby at the end of January (insert picture of crazy lady).

Before our youngest was born I contemplated potty training the twins, but there was no way I could potty train them while I was 7 or 8 months pregnant. So to preserve my sanity I didn’t push the issue. Remember, diapers are cheaper than a trip to the spa or a therapist…plus, they just weren’t ready. Kids really and truly have to be ready to potty train or it just won’t work. So relax. It will happen.

#2. Don’t try potty training in a certain time frame. Can you break a habit in three days?

I don’t know about you, but I bit my nails as a child and continued to do so until I was 18 yrs old. It took me a month to finally quit. Have you ever tried to break a habit? How long did it take you? Children will grasp the idea of using the potty in about three days, but they will have MANY accidents and won’t master their new skill in three days. And if they do, well, you have my permission to call them a child prodigy.

#3. Don’t berate your child for having an accident. Children thrive on encouragement. This needs to be a positive experience so they will actually WANT to use the potty.

Would you want to try something new if someone was yelling at you every time you failed at it?

#4. Don’t give in to peer pressure or judgments from family, friends….or yourself!

This is the one thing that I personally struggled with the most. I am a very self-conscious parent anyways so I am constantly comparing myself to other moms and how amazing they are. Also, friends and family always have advice to share whether welcomed or unwelcomed and while they mean well it can sometimes come across as being judgmental….or at least we can take it that way and end up being really hard on ourselves.  I always feel that if my kids aren’t able to do something yet that it’s my fault and I have somehow failed them. Well, I know I’m not the only parent out there that feels like this and I have one thing to say to you. Stop it. Stop it right now. This is about your child. Not you.

I hope my perspective will empower some moms and also help you to remember that you are not alone and many have done this before and you can do it too!

Also, this will be my last post for To Each Their Own. Bianca will be coming back next week! Hopefully I will be able to guest post again in the future! This has been a wonderful experience for me and I am grateful that I was asked to participate on this blog for a few weeks. Thank you all for the feedback and comments!

5 "Must Haves" When Potty Training

I’ve potty trained one boy and am in the midst of potty training another. They are taking two entirely different approaches (one was completely self-motivated, the other has needed a million M&Ms + a fire truck sticker chart as motivation). However, I’ve found that the following five things are necessary when it’s time to get down to business regardless of what playbook you are using:

1. Sani Wipes- Look I am pretty much a cheap, “all natural” type of girl (vinegar, water, and spray bottle), but when it comes to potty training, especially little boys, buy the Sani Wipes in bulk (heck, you should probably buy stock in Sani Wipes). You won’t regret it.

2. Stool- Not only does your wee one need to reach the sink to wash his/her hands, but I have found that I need somewhere to sit while waiting and waiting and waiting for the Littles to do their thing. Also, my kids have a hard time learning to poop on the toilet without being able to push their feet against something (we use a seat that sits on top of our toilet). So, when it’s time for #2 I get my lazy bum off the stool and slide it under their feet. Counter pressure does wonders.

3. Elastic Pants- Zippers? Snaps? Buttons? No way. Speed is everything when potty training. Stick with elastic easy on/easy off bottoms

4. Hand Sanitizer- duh.

5. Flushable Wipes (or if you’re lucky like me and your toilet handles it, regular baby wipes)- The first few weeks of constant toileting those bums still need soft wipes! They've never been exposed to coarse toilet paper, so without the usage of wipes things get a little red. Happy bum = happy toddler = happy mom.

Good luck! 

Out of The Poop Loop

They say write what you know.

So this week- with the topic of “potty training”, I was really tempted to not write at all.  I sincerely thought about seeing if I could find someone to fill-in for me with a guest post.   Surely there are a bajillion moms better qualified than my novice self.  Good experiences, bad experiences, ANY experience has to be better than NO experience. Right?

I mean aside from being a successful toilet-user myself, I have absolutely zero potty-training experience.

Of course I've seen the pins on Pinterest.  I've skimmed through “From Diapers to Undies in Under a Week” articles.  I've seen the plastic potties and child-sized toilet seats in my friend’s bathrooms.  I've heard legends of sticker charts and all kinds of bribes incentives from dolls to dump trucks. But when it comes to the real deal, I’m a deer in the headlights.

You mean one day my sons will need to use the bathroom instead of their pants?  And you mean that I, as their mother, have a responsibility to make sure they eventually cross that threshold?  ….uhhhhhh

But after some encouraging words from one of my fellow TETO authors, here I am to put a voice to all the mamas out there who have yet to “slay the beast” of potty-training. 

[Base Image Credit: http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/162/b/e/dragon_slaying____by_pixelcharlie-d3in4jm.jpg]

Fact of the matter is- “Opinions are like…” well they are like something that everyone has.  And everyone has an opinion on potty training- whether they realize it or not.  With all the "do's" and "don'ts" the process can be really intimidating.  Add that to the fact that some children (like your sister in law's) potty-train instantly, other children (like yours) seem content to crouch around in a pull-up cave-man-style surviving off Cheetos they found under the couch and ignoring the perfectly good incentive-snacks/stickers/underwear etc... you bought specifically for this purpose. 

And you're bound to feel like you're doing something wrong.  Even if that something is simply birthing a child who is happy to urinate anywhere OTHER than the perfectly good toilet you scrubbed extra well just for this special occasion. (And in the occasion that company may come over and you need something to distract them from the patches of hair missing all over your head so that they think you haven't completely lost it.)

[Disclaimer!!!  While I may or may not have discarded Cheetos under my couch- these events are NOT based on actual events...at my house...yet.  Except maybe the toilet.  Wait... no. Don't look at my toilet. ]

It seems like successfully getting your child to go to the bathroom consistently when/where they are supposed to is almost like a rite of passage into full-fledged motherhood.  When your little one is in diapers, you have a baby.  When they are in undies- you have a child.  And somehow that is a completely different ball game.  It means your “baby”  is now old enough to be aware of their own bodily functions.  That means they can communicate, they can make choices, and to the bittersweet realization of their mothers- they are slowly growing up.

It seems ironic to me that “motherhood” really begins with the first sign that your child’s dependence on you is ending.

Last month, my oldest son, Graham turned two.  Throughout my pregnancy with my younger son (Xander, one month now!) Graham started showing more and more interest with the potty.  He began associating us going into the bathroom with using the toilet, and what we did in the toilet with what he did in his diaper. 

There were even a few golden moments when Brandon held our bare-bummed-babe up to the toilet so Graham could tinkle big-boy style.  Graham has started telling us when his diaper is dirty, or if he’s going to the bathroom.  I read somewhere (probably on pinterest) that making potty-going a social event will make eventual potty-training easier.  So that’s what we do.  If he starts making a face like he’s trying to go to the bathroom we ask him.  If he says yes we hold him and comfort him and tell him to push.  That probably seems really weird, but I’m not really concerned with what other people think is “weird”.   I’m concerned that when we finally decide it’s “go” time and start the potty training process- that Graham will be as comfortable as someone being watched as they go to the bathroom can be. 

Now… while I’m making all these grand plans for the future- our present situation begs attention.  They say not to attempt potty training immediately before, during, or after a big change.  So far this summer Graham has experienced both a move and becoming an older brother.  I’d say those are pretty “big” changes for a toddler.  (…or for anyone!)  So- we will not be attempting potty training this summer.

I was somewhat disappointed in this decision.  He seemed so enthusiastic! But- as Graham sees me changing Xander’s diaper and he brings me the diaper changing supplies and lays down next to his baby brother for his turn- I feel incredibly validated in our choice.  Any potty training we would have accomplished would surely have been set-back by the need for Graham to feel he is receiving the same (or more) attention as the baby; or by the fact that we are just completely exhausted and do not have the energy needed to really dedicate ourselves to the potty-training process. 

It will happen eventually.  And while I will be happy to wave goodbye to those stinky bundles of wadded-up poo… I will miss being able to make it through and entire Target run without having to worry about whether anyone other than myself has to go potty. 

Once again I find myself enjoying the moment and not wishing my time with my babies away.  The grass is always greener… but my grass is still pretty green.  

Pea-soup colored diaper green. 

Every Party Has a Pooper

I want to preface this post by saying that I actually really do enjoy being a mother. I also, believe it or not, am a pretty happy person...usually. No, really. I don't scare children walking down side walks. I don't drown any kittens (admittedly, I will make life miserable and eventually non existent for any cockroach that dares to enter my domain or a twenty-foot radius thereof). I smile. I sing. I appreciate a good rainbow. Please keep that in mind while you read this post, which happens to be on one of my least favorite aspects of parenting...potty training.

I detest potty training. I believe that, if Dante had ever potty trained a toddler, there would be ten levels of hell in "Divine Comedy".  Yes, I think it's that bad.

Potty training is one of those things in parenting that has a million books about it, a million different theories and methods, a million "fool-proof" ways to make it happen overnight, while you sleep. Do you know what I would say, if I wrote a book about potty training? It would be really simple. "Stop wasting your time reading this book and just go ahead and accept the fact that there is nothing that I, or anyone else, can say to save help you. Nothing works, except what works. The end."

This would save everyone a lot of time and valuable Barnes & Noble money. Seriously. Everyone within the sound of my voice, step away from the potty training books and go buy yourself a nice vampire romance novel.

Now please don't think that I am saying that potty training is going to be awful and torturous no matter what you do. I mean, it's a very good possibility, but not an absolute. There are some people who have really good experiences with potty training. Some kids really do care about aiming for a cheerio in the toilet. Some kids really do drink twenty-six sippy cups of water in an hour and pee three times and it just sinks in. Some kids really do just wake up and say, "I am now mature enough to handle my bladder and bowel emptying methods. Please give me a M&M and let's call it a day." Some kids really are so impressed with the Mickey Mouse in green suspenders on their new underwear that they instantly will sacrifice life, limb and the convenience of peeing wherever they are at the time, just to don them. Some kids really are easy to potty train. I even had one.

Then there are the other kids, and I believe most kids, who don't give an ats rass about potty training. They are not impressed with the cheerios. They are terrified of sitting on the potty and Mickey Mouse is cute and all, but he is lousy at keeping pee off of legs.

Honestly, who can blame them? Changing your potty habits is a hard thing to do. After number four was born, my epidural wouldn't wear off. I couldn't walk and thus, couldn't get up to empty my bladder. This is a problem after delivery because your uterus needs to contract and clamp down to control your bleeding. If you bladder is super full and pushing against it, this process is inhibited. Peeing? It's a big deal. So in an attempt to avoid another catheter, the nurse brought me a bed pan. I sat on the edge of the bed on the bed pan for about thirty minutes. We stuck my fingers in water, put ice on my feet, talked about waterfalls...everything. But 20+ years of telling your body not to pee anywhere but a toilet is a hard thing to undo. So I feel pretty sure that the reverse is true as well. For their whole lives, they've been able to do their business wherever and whenever they want, without thought. Now you are asking a two to three-year-old to stop what they're doing, think about things and decide that it is better to go sit on a hard, cold seat to pee, rather than do it right where they are, as they always have. I mean, if you are sitting comfortably on the couch, and your husband offers to grab you a drink, do you really say, "No, no. I would like to get up and miss 'The Bachelor' so I can go get my own drink."? Humans gravitate toward convenience. Diapers are convenient.

When people ask me about potty training, I give them the only advice that I find useful (you may find it useless). Here it is:

First, don't try too early. Seriously, I know potty training feels like a right of passage and we are all eager to get out of diapers but trust me when I say that changing a diaper is about seven thousand times more pleasant than cleaning out dirty underwear. Before you start, seriously consider whether or not your child is really ready, or if you just want them to be ready. Just because your eighteen-month-old pointed to the toilet and grunted, does not mean he/she is ready to potty train. Don't rush it. It's not a race. If your child is potty trained before Kindergarten, you're doing fine.

Second, do what works for you. If pull ups are your game, and it's working, stick with it. If the kid likes to pee in a small child potty in the living room, and it's working, more power to you. Most importantly, if nothing is working for you, and it's just really, really hard...that is normal. It's okay mama. You aren't doing anything wrong. Sometimes it's just hard. Some kids take months to potty train. Some take years to be really consistent. It is OKAY.

Third, keep chocolate on hand. Not for your kids, that's the dumbest thing I've ever read, that whole M&M theory. I think a kid wrote that book. (Please note, if this method works or has worked for you...cool. Stick with it.) In my experience, it results in a lot of chocolate being eaten and very little pottying. So the chocolate is not for the kids, it's for you. When you feel like banging your head against the wall, eat some chocolate. This method might not help potty training, but I promise it has saved lives.

Lastly, be patient. Potty training can be a long process and it all depends on the child. One of my kids potty trained in two days and had two total accidents. One of my kids potty trained in a week. One of my kids took six weeks and one took six months. It really is a new experience each time. Don't let yourself get hung up on how it's "supposed" to go. If your first was really hard to train, don't think that means that your second experience will be equally taxing. If your sister's child trained overnight, don't think that means that there is something wrong with you or your child if they take longer. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with your child. Eat your chocolate. Breathe. Repeat.


"May the odds be ever in your favor."