Potty training

We are working on potty training with Leaf. We started at 18 months with Everest and he did very well. It took about 6 months before he was mostly potty trained, but it was nice to wash fewer diapers. With Everest, I just took off his diaper and let him run around naked for the summer months. The first week he peed and pooped on the floor a few times, but after that, it wasn't very common. He usually went when we put pants on him. 
Everest and daddy offering encouragement to Leaf. We have fun with him while he is practicing. We sing songs, say funny things and just talk to him.

I have been reading about Elimination Control  (EC) so we are doing things a little differently with Leaf. The first time I heard about EC, I thought it was a little weird. In the past 4 years, I have heard and read a little more about it. In a recent article I read in Mothering, I realized, it is very similar to what we did with Everest. 
One of the suggestions is to have "potty stations" throughout the house. And to have a key word or sound you make when they pee, even if it is not in the "potty".

This is our down stairs "potty station", just his size. We put a potty seat on a small bucket, he loves to sit on it.

Leaf has been doing very well. He doesn't always make it to the potty, but he is aware of when he has to go and tells us. He started to pee on the floor today, but stopped, made it to the potty and peed in it. He was so proud of himself. It was fun to see how excited he got. No bribing, begging or offering rewards, other than praise. 

Leaf enjoying a snack, he decided to sit on his potty. I guess you never know when you might have to go.

He does still wear a diaper, we just have "diaper free" times at home. Even with a diaper on he tells us when he has to go. It is fun to see peoples expressions when they see him telling us he has to go. Most of them are amazed that a child that young can tell you when he has to go. I find this is much easier than what most of my friends go through potty training or diapering until they are 3 or 4. 
In the article we read, there was some information I loved and think it is worthy of sharing.
They were talking about potty training and how most experts say it is best if it is "child -lead". Human babies are born with an instinct to stay clean with an awareness of elimination, which they display through body language and other nonverbal ways of communicating.....Waiting until a child can verbalize the need to go is not necessary for the process to be child -led....We don't require our babies to verbalize the need to nurse or to sleep, but instead learn to respond to their body language and signals......it is the same with elimination.
For us as a family, this makes a lot of sense. We cloth diaper, because we feel it is safer for our children and the earth. But even with cloth diapering we use a lot of water to clean them (we hang them to dry). Working on Elimination Control early, means using less natural resources and getting to know our kids a little better. We have decided we will try EC with the new baby from the beginning. Stay tuned to see how our journey goes.