Asier Enrique O’Malley Gorbea has achieved a milestone of impressive proportions.  For the first time and perhaps the last first time in this family, we have achieved targeted evacuation.  Long has been the road to this operation and as diaper operations quickly come to a close, we breathe a sigh of relief at this most fortuitous success.  To what do we owe this completion?  Bribery?  Threats?  Time?  Patience?  Maturity?  I have asked myself the same question.  Did he actually understand the process?  What is his motivation?

“Asier, you can’t go to a playdate with Javier and his friend until you go caca in the toilet.  You have to show us you are a big boy,” Laura informed him today.

Upon arrival home, he dutifully called out a caca alert and made it so.

“Ah, so he gets it,” I said, “He understands the process; he just needs the proper motivation.”