Siblings

The girls started it. They put up a sign on their door (my 8 and 12 yr. old share a room). They wrote out the NO BOYS ALLOWED big and bold, with a symbol that really gets the point across to their little brother. There is some fine print there at the bottom, though.....the (except maybe Evan).
That was smart of them, actually, putting that "maybe" in there. That way it's left up to them on a moment by moment basis. It's always at their discretion, based on what they are doing or what moods they are in.
On this particular day, Evan wanted in BADLY. They know he can't read, yet. So they read the sign to him, leaving out the "fine print". He was hoppin' mad!
"Mommy, I want a sign for my room!" I told him I'd help him make it.
It's only fair.

He wanted some fine print on his, too, only his wording is a bit different.

*big grin* I love my little boy. :)
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Watching my kids and how they get along wonderfully, then 2 seconds later fight like cats and dogs reminds me of my own childhood.

Sibling rivalry is timeless. Usually, when you get older and you have your own children you appreciate your siblings more than ever.

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They know your story from the beginning.

And they love you unconditionally.

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And you can look back and laugh together, even at some of the things that, at one time, made you angry. I'm very thankful that my children have siblings. And, I'm very thankful for my own. :)

So, give your siblings a call today and tell them you love them!

Or, if you are one of the fortunate ones who lives in the same area as your sibs, make plans for an afternoon together.

Siblings are one of the greatest gifts our parents give us. So thank your mom and dad while you're at it. :)

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So to my siblings......I love you guys!

And to mom and dad......Thanks!

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TTFN

~Tina

An Introduction

Yes, we'd like you to meet a new resident here in our house. Taylor got him from her co-op science teacher yesterday. He's not expected to be "around" very long, but for the fun of it, she wanted to name him, anyway. I don't think she'll have to worry about getting too attached to him. He is, after all, a clam.

We had a little fun with this naming thing on the way home from her class. I chose the name "Clama-lama-ding-dong". Teehee But Taylor, being a little bit "edgy" in her style, settled on "Adam Clambert". I think we could have kept going, but I was laughing pretty hard and trying to drive at the same time, so "Adam Clambert" it is!!

Although he'll always be "Clama-lama-ding-dong" to me. ;)

TTFN

~Tina

A Talent???

Maybe calling it a "talent" is going a little too far, but Evan sure has a unique ability that has come in very handy for him these past few days. I'll explain, but be warned. If you are offended by "potty talk" just click yourself on outta here, because that's where this is headed....

Evan is 3 1/2 years old and not potty trained. Not for lack of trying or enthusiasm on my part. He just flat out resisted. He wanted NOTHING to do with the little potty or the big potty or underwear. Nothing. So I tried motivational charts and I bought some superhero underwear and we bought books and rented potty training movies. We made several attempts, and eventually I actually got him to sit on the potty. That was great. He would sit, but still....nothing.

The last couple of weeks we made some progress. He started peeing on the potty.......for a price....oh he is a smart boy. So, we gave him a little treat every time he peed. But he still wouldn't poop. He kept going in his pullup, no matter how many treats we offered.

Recently I got desperate. What I'm about to reveal will NOT get me on the list for "Mommy of the Year", but like I said, I was getting desperate. We realized that Evan was going to need some SERIOUS motivation to actually pee AND poop on the potty. So we had an idea. I don't know if it was John's idea or mine, but we both agreed. We knew it was excessive, but desperation does things to a person.

Evan is into superheroes. He especially likes the Marvel Superhero Squad action figures. So we told him that every time he goes poop on the potty, he'd get a little superhero. We knew it might get a little expensive, but come on. It was an investment. And how long does it really take to potty train a kid? A few weeks, maybe? Evan only goes poop once a day.....occasionally twice. We figured each action figure was about 3 or 4 dollars, and that's a little expensive, but this was worth it. We'd be over the hurdle. It was kinda like investing in our child's future....helping him grow as a person.

It worked SO well! He has been pooping on the potty for days now, really. That superhero motivation did the trick!

But now we have hit a bit of a snag. It seems Evan has discovered a talent, so to speak. Perhaps "skill" is a better word. The boy can poop AT WILL. NOT kidding you. Oh, he doesn't go in his Pullup AT ALL anymore. But every time he decides he wants a new superhero, he says, "mommy, I need to go poopy". I say, "are you sure, Evan, you just went poopy this afternoon?" We treck to the bathroom and WHAMO!....he does it! He poops. Seriously. It has me floored. He pooped 3 times a day for the last two days and now today he pooped 4 times!!! How is this possible?! He doesn't eat THAT much. He's not fooling me, either. Believe me, at $4 a pop for those superheroes, I am making SURE there is some real pooping action going on. And there is.....EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

So, John and I will have to rethink our genius idea and come up with a plan that will..... a) still manage to motivate Evan to pee AND poop on the potty, and b) keep us out of the poorhouse. This will take some thought and creativity.

In the meantime, I better go. I need to order some more superheroes.

TTFN
~Tina