I've given up on potty training for the time being. Though Michael's technically old enough to try it out on, I can't get him to sit still for story time, let alone for potty time. As for Abby, she's been outright refusing every time I ask her to give it a go.
Then, on Tuesday, in the middle of lunch, she sat up in her chair and said, "Oh! I'm pooping!" She seemed to mean it.
However, when I got her out of the chair, there was nothing in her diaper. This posed a bit of a dilemma for me as she hadn't yet gone that day, she won't nap when it happens in bed, and the fact that she mentioned it might mean that she actually had to go. So, even though she initially refused my offer, I persuaded and cajoled until I got her sitting on the potty in the upstairs bathroom.
Then, I waited. Michael was already upstairs napping but I still had to get Mia down, so I couldn't let things drag on forever. After about 15 minutes of uneventfulness, I put Abby back in a diaper and got her settled upstairs so that I could focus on getting Mia nice and sleepy.
The entire day went by yesterday with no interest in the potty, and it was just as well. I didn't really have the energy to deal with it, anyway.
Today, however, Abby announced just before lunch that she wanted to try. Nothing happened, but kudos to her for making the effort. Then, after dinner, she wanted to attempt it again.
I'd already started taking Michael downstairs at this point, and Mia was still content in her dining room chair, so I left Tom upstairs with the girls to wait things out. In the course of things, Tom and Abby had the following conversation:
"Abby, did you poop?"
"No."
"Are you going to poop?"
"No. Go away."
"..."
(Pointing at a picture in the book she was perusing) "This is a bunny."
"What did you say to me?"
"I don't want you to be here."
The request that followed to have the door shut and locked for her was- of course- summarily denied.