Lessons learned.

I totally commend those parents out there that have more than one little one running around. Brooke is our one and only and I feel like she keeps me hopping. Potty training is done as far as I am concerned. Yes, there WILL still be accidents....but as long as I pay attention they are very few and far between. She potties and poopies like a pro, but still hardly ever tells me when she needs to go unless we are out in public and she can say it very loudly (insert picture of me blushing here). I've been keeping an eye on her and when I notice her acting funny run her in for pooping and we haven't had a single accident since our 8 pair of panties day....WOO HOO! I know there will still be set backs on occasion, but I think I will get rid of the pull ups completely (if you need little girl ones let me know) so she won't have any excuse to be lazy about it ever again. We started out trying to bribe her with M & M's (didn't work), then I moved on to jelly beans which did work for a while, but her new treat is 'bunny treats'. What on earth is that you might ask, well I found an Easter Pez dispenser that she'd been given and she gets a pez for pottying or two for pooping and she LOVES her bunny treats. What I have learned is that I still have to pay attention and be consistent for it to work, even though at times I feel like she should know how to do it all by herself. What she has learned....what wedgies are.

Now, on to something besides potty/poop news. Brooke is a stinker. I know all kids have an ornery streak, but lately she has been showing hers completely! We are going through a defiant stage that is new to me, so I am learning to deal with it and trying to figure out what works best for her in 'curing' this stage.

On to funny, mommy learned her lesson news....yesterday, all I wanted to do was log on to the computer and check email and check Facebook....yes, Brooke was awake and active (first mistake). I walked into the computer room and hit the button on the computer to boot it up (only takes about 30 seconds), when I walked out after pushing the button Brooke had moved her stepstool over to her dresser, grabbed her lotion and managed to totally cover the top of her dresser in a nice think coat of pink lotion. Did I learn not to turn my back? Of course not. I walked back in the computer room after cleaning up the lotion to open the email (takes around another 30 seconds), walk back out to her in our snack cabinet...what she didn't want she was very sweetly sharing with our dog (aka other kid, Cooper). Learn a lesson yet? Nope. Last time....I walked in logged onto Facebook and heard silence followed by a blood curdling scream. I RAN (whacked my knee on the door facing on the way out of the room of course) to find Brooke had opened our pool bag from earlier in the day, gotten out the spray sunscreen, sprayed our bedspread, pillows, towels, bathroom mirror and last but not least her EYE.....hence the blood curdling scream. YES, I finally learned my lesson and am no longer on the computer at all while she is AWAKE!

She has always been all about her Daddy, a true 'Daddy's Girl', but lately we are going through another new phase. It does not matter what she's crying about, whether it's because she got in trouble, is tired, fell and hurt herself, etc. When I ask her what's wrong her new response is "I need my Daddddddyyyyyy." If Steven calls to tell us he's on his way home, she says "Momma, Daddy is comin' to spend time wif me not you."





Another thing I've been reminded of lately.....the feeling is mutual. Steven can have had a horrible day and just when I think nothing can cheer him up, I realize the one thing that always can.