Thursday, March 24, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Privileges Revoked
A couple days ago my sweet, innocent, adorable little boy . . . . oh wait did I say innocent? Sweet and adorable yes but innocent? . . . I will have to get back to you on that one *wink*.
Where was I? oh yes Garrett (see previous posts for detail) has been going through a sneaky and limit testing phase. Be it the end of winter and we are just tired of being inside or an age thing, I don't know. To get to the point here: he spit water all over the TV until there was enough water inside to make it stop working. This happened while Brad and I were out of the room and lets just say that being it was the night of a BYU game that daddy wanted to watched this was a big upset! Plus while we are in want of a new TV it is not #1 on a long list of things we need to buy this year. We were pretty upset with him but didn't know how to set the consequence for this behavior.
Here the problem lies: granted that my 4-almost-5 year old boy didn't know that spitting water on the tv would really hurt it, however, he does know better than to spit period let alone on anything. He's old enough to know most of the time when he is doing something he shouldn't (again see previous posts).
I asked the opinion of my friends and family as to what their punishments might be for this.
*I got some funny responses :)
*I got some somewhat lenient ideas
* I got some more severe ideas
Well since none of the usual consequences for bad behavior have been having much effect lately we decided we'd better go with something that just might stick with him and impress into his mind that "messing with mom and dad is a bad idea". For I fear that he was thinking that asking for forgiveness was easier than asking permission and I would rather that be the other way around. So here is what we did:
We stripped his room of almost every belonging besides his dresser and bed. He ate dinner and got into bed early that night. He can earn one toy back each day, but he cannot play with Embrie's toys or books and of course no movies, tv, wii etc. until he earns all his toys back.
Now I did wonder if this was going to be more of a punishment for me seeing as he would have nothing to do all day but be jealous that Embrie got to play with toys while he watched. He passed Sunday without his toys, but we did have 3 hours of church to distract some of that time. Today he earned one toy back (his choice? I bet you can guess was Lightning McQueen) he also earned one book to take with him to quiet time. But what was I going to do with him all day? Well, we found ways to employ his time :
he helped mommy clean the house! he wiped down the chairs while I mopped the kitchen floor, he helped take down the St. Pat's day decor and put laundry in. He was actually very willing to help. And on a side note we did get the TV working again, whew! I hope this helps him make some wiser choices in the future, but I am not expecting a miracle of course, he still very young and energetic and what can you say? he is a boy!
Do you think we too hard on him?
ha ha we still love him of course and he is a good boy in general just hope this little phase ends quickly.
Where was I? oh yes Garrett (see previous posts for detail) has been going through a sneaky and limit testing phase. Be it the end of winter and we are just tired of being inside or an age thing, I don't know. To get to the point here: he spit water all over the TV until there was enough water inside to make it stop working. This happened while Brad and I were out of the room and lets just say that being it was the night of a BYU game that daddy wanted to watched this was a big upset! Plus while we are in want of a new TV it is not #1 on a long list of things we need to buy this year. We were pretty upset with him but didn't know how to set the consequence for this behavior.
Here the problem lies: granted that my 4-almost-5 year old boy didn't know that spitting water on the tv would really hurt it, however, he does know better than to spit period let alone on anything. He's old enough to know most of the time when he is doing something he shouldn't (again see previous posts).
I asked the opinion of my friends and family as to what their punishments might be for this.
*I got some funny responses :)
*I got some somewhat lenient ideas
* I got some more severe ideas
Well since none of the usual consequences for bad behavior have been having much effect lately we decided we'd better go with something that just might stick with him and impress into his mind that "messing with mom and dad is a bad idea". For I fear that he was thinking that asking for forgiveness was easier than asking permission and I would rather that be the other way around. So here is what we did:
We stripped his room of almost every belonging besides his dresser and bed. He ate dinner and got into bed early that night. He can earn one toy back each day, but he cannot play with Embrie's toys or books and of course no movies, tv, wii etc. until he earns all his toys back.
Now I did wonder if this was going to be more of a punishment for me seeing as he would have nothing to do all day but be jealous that Embrie got to play with toys while he watched. He passed Sunday without his toys, but we did have 3 hours of church to distract some of that time. Today he earned one toy back (his choice? I bet you can guess was Lightning McQueen) he also earned one book to take with him to quiet time. But what was I going to do with him all day? Well, we found ways to employ his time :
he helped mommy clean the house! he wiped down the chairs while I mopped the kitchen floor, he helped take down the St. Pat's day decor and put laundry in. He was actually very willing to help. And on a side note we did get the TV working again, whew! I hope this helps him make some wiser choices in the future, but I am not expecting a miracle of course, he still very young and energetic and what can you say? he is a boy!Do you think we too hard on him?
ha ha we still love him of course and he is a good boy in general just hope this little phase ends quickly.
Which Witch is which?
This is being posted strictly for cuteness factor. I often cut a half banana for Embrie for breakfast and lately she has been calling it her "banana witch". I assume because of the pointy end looking like a witch's hat. She walks the banana across the table in front of her cackling all the way and then bites her hat right off. Oh, the imagination kids have!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Did the Leprechaun's Visit your house today?
This is the first time they've been to ours!
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Miracle of Birth . . . at Spring Time?
*CAUTION* the next few pictures may be somewhat graphic
Meet Effy! Effy the cow. You may not notice right off the bat (because she is not lying in a hospital bed) but Effy is in active labor. She is going to have her first baby!
We were invited home to Cokeville to see the "baby cows" as my children have been going on and on about. Which means that lucky for us but, unfortunately for Effy she had quite the audience. I tried to document the birth with a series of photos:
Notice under the tail: those are two small hooves. (in case you need clarification those are not Effy's)
finally after a few hours, poor girl, she is able to "calve out" as they say.
(now aren't you glad your babies are not that size at birth?)
baby
and mom is exhausted! lucky for her she and her baby get to stay in the barn with fresh straw for the night. To her that is a 5 star offer!
The kids were too impatient to wait around for Effy to have her baby so they went back in the house. Which I think was probably best anyway.
But they were so excited to see the little calves running around.
Grandpa Blaine herded two of them into the barn stall so that the kids could get a closer look.
Embrie was enamored with this cat!
and the cousins were there!!! yay! Jaxon and Garrett spent one night sleeping in a tent together (inside of course) and watching a movie, staying up until 11:30pm!
And the next morning they made breakfast for all of us, smiley face pancakes with some of grandpa's bukaroo breakfast eggs as hair.
then all day Saturday playing outside, which was sooo good for them! It was a very nice day, but as you will notice spring is going to have to work a little harder up in Wyoming to melt the mountains of snow!
Who needs to find a hill when there is enough snow to sled in the backyard!
Embrie and Jerzee preferred a more mellow form of sledding for now.
Papa taking his turn pulling the girls, this is the life isn't it ladies!
Meet Effy! Effy the cow. You may not notice right off the bat (because she is not lying in a hospital bed) but Effy is in active labor. She is going to have her first baby!
We were invited home to Cokeville to see the "baby cows" as my children have been going on and on about. Which means that lucky for us but, unfortunately for Effy she had quite the audience. I tried to document the birth with a series of photos:
Notice under the tail: those are two small hooves. (in case you need clarification those are not Effy's)
finally after a few hours, poor girl, she is able to "calve out" as they say.
(now aren't you glad your babies are not that size at birth?)
baby
and mom is exhausted! lucky for her she and her baby get to stay in the barn with fresh straw for the night. To her that is a 5 star offer!
The kids were too impatient to wait around for Effy to have her baby so they went back in the house. Which I think was probably best anyway.
But they were so excited to see the little calves running around.
Grandpa Blaine herded two of them into the barn stall so that the kids could get a closer look.
Embrie was enamored with this cat!
and the cousins were there!!! yay! Jaxon and Garrett spent one night sleeping in a tent together (inside of course) and watching a movie, staying up until 11:30pm!
And the next morning they made breakfast for all of us, smiley face pancakes with some of grandpa's bukaroo breakfast eggs as hair.
then all day Saturday playing outside, which was sooo good for them! It was a very nice day, but as you will notice spring is going to have to work a little harder up in Wyoming to melt the mountains of snow!
Who needs to find a hill when there is enough snow to sled in the backyard!
Embrie and Jerzee preferred a more mellow form of sledding for now.
Papa taking his turn pulling the girls, this is the life isn't it ladies!
these little city slickers-turned-cowboys/cowgirls checking on the mom's and babies
What a blast they had this weekend!
What a blast they had this weekend!
sneaky sneaky
We're having issues with sneakiness at our house these days.
I really can't leave my kids alone together for 5 seconds, which unfortunately I am required to do because otherwise nothing would get done. Now it's not like this is new for them (and when I say them I really mean mostly Garrett and Embrie just goes along). But lately it is getting harder to handle.
Stuff like, but not limited to
:
- sneaking the bottle of bubbles into the corner and playing until they've all spilled
- sneaking candy or treats into the same corner -there is a corner dedicated to sneak practices- and getting chocolate all over ourselves so that we can't even hide the evidence, and of course, right before dinner.
- sneaking out of my room during quiet time so that I can fill up the bathroom sink with water and wash my stuffed animals (because I know mommy is painting in the basement and won't be able to hear from 2 floors away).
- (and my least favorite including major destruction and possibly dangerous activity) sneaking the scissors out of their secret place, taking sister's bows down and cutting them to shreds.
Embrie just follows Garrett around and does whatever he suggests and Garrett does these things I think because they are things he knows I will say "no" to if he asks. I have tried letting them do things that perhaps I would usually say no to thinking that maybe the problem is that I say no too much, but I can't trust them at those times either. Ahhh . . . the joys of growing up and discovering how much trouble we can get into. :)
Don't worry I still love them despite the sneakiness.
I really can't leave my kids alone together for 5 seconds, which unfortunately I am required to do because otherwise nothing would get done. Now it's not like this is new for them (and when I say them I really mean mostly Garrett and Embrie just goes along). But lately it is getting harder to handle.
Stuff like, but not limited to
:
- sneaking the bottle of bubbles into the corner and playing until they've all spilled
- sneaking candy or treats into the same corner -there is a corner dedicated to sneak practices- and getting chocolate all over ourselves so that we can't even hide the evidence, and of course, right before dinner.
- sneaking out of my room during quiet time so that I can fill up the bathroom sink with water and wash my stuffed animals (because I know mommy is painting in the basement and won't be able to hear from 2 floors away).
- (and my least favorite including major destruction and possibly dangerous activity) sneaking the scissors out of their secret place, taking sister's bows down and cutting them to shreds.
Embrie just follows Garrett around and does whatever he suggests and Garrett does these things I think because they are things he knows I will say "no" to if he asks. I have tried letting them do things that perhaps I would usually say no to thinking that maybe the problem is that I say no too much, but I can't trust them at those times either. Ahhh . . . the joys of growing up and discovering how much trouble we can get into. :)
Don't worry I still love them despite the sneakiness.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
EMBRIE
Embrie Hila Callahan turned 2 on February 5th 2011.
1
Anytime there is music playing you'll be sure to catch her bouncing around. She has also taught herself a pretty good twirl, although no dress is required.
A few other favorites you might catch her singing:"I've got the magic in me", "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Bibbety Bobbety Boo" and any song found on the sound track to "Princes and the Frog."
5
She is happy most of the time But we are seeing a few more temper tantrums lately. I am not sure if that is attributed to turning 2 or becoming a little bit more emotional.
But much of the time she is such a goof ball!
But just like any woman that is only one hat that she wears. She also has her serious side.
She is not too easily provoked. She usually has the "shrug your shoulders and move onto something else" attitude, but she knows how to defend herself when it comes down to it.
She used to be a little bit shy of strangers. But lately she is pretty much up for meeting anyone. She shows it by saying something, showing them something, or flat out hugging them.
8
She is a lovey girl. She loves to give hugs and kisses and say I love you. Funny enough, so do her toys, meaning that they like to give each other and the rest of the family kisses too!
9
She has collected a few baby dolls and accessories since her birthday and Christmas. And she is enjoying playing with those more often.
She also likes to be clean. She asks for a napkin at dinner time and becomes a bit concerned with her sticky or dirty hands. This is also new to me, maybe it's a girl thing. But my mom tells me that I used to be very worried about keeping my hands clean at that age, so maybe it runs in the family.
That brings me to another difference between boys and girls. She seems to be much more interested in doing things for herself.
She seems to have a good amount of self confidence so far. Good! I hope she keeps it! If you ask her who is cute, she says "me". Of course she is not too self absorbed, she'll then quickly name each person in the family, "and mommy cute, and Garrett cute, and daddy cute."
She is quick to share the love!
She seems to have daddy wrapped around her finger. She got that routine down pretty fast, but I have to say it didn't take much!
19
The older kids get the more they blossom into who they are. Their personalities and talents take a little bit more shape as time goes on. It is so fun to watch them grow.
I call Embrie my little turkey, but she could also be referred to as a ham.
1
Anytime there is music playing you'll be sure to catch her bouncing around. She has also taught herself a pretty good twirl, although no dress is required. 2
If there is music playing in a public place such as a store, she always makes sure to point it out to me by saying "songs mommy!"
3
Not long ago she begin asking me to sing songs to her at bedtime. I don't know where this came from. I've never had requests for singing from my older child.
Her usual requests go in this order:
Twinkle Little Star
I am a Child of God
(the first two she is learning pretty well herself) and sometimes,
You are My Sunshine
(one that Garrett is now willing to share the rights too)
Her usual requests go in this order:
Twinkle Little Star
I am a Child of God
(the first two she is learning pretty well herself) and sometimes,
You are My Sunshine
(one that Garrett is now willing to share the rights too)
4
A few other favorites you might catch her singing:"I've got the magic in me", "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "Bibbety Bobbety Boo" and any song found on the sound track to "Princes and the Frog."
I love that she has a love for music, singing and dancing.
5
She is happy most of the time But we are seeing a few more temper tantrums lately. I am not sure if that is attributed to turning 2 or becoming a little bit more emotional.
But much of the time she is such a goof ball!
6
But just like any woman that is only one hat that she wears. She also has her serious side.
She is not too easily provoked. She usually has the "shrug your shoulders and move onto something else" attitude, but she knows how to defend herself when it comes down to it.
7
She used to be a little bit shy of strangers. But lately she is pretty much up for meeting anyone. She shows it by saying something, showing them something, or flat out hugging them.
She is a lovey girl. She loves to give hugs and kisses and say I love you. Funny enough, so do her toys, meaning that they like to give each other and the rest of the family kisses too!
She has collected a few baby dolls and accessories since her birthday and Christmas. And she is enjoying playing with those more often.
10
She loves a chance to use diapers and wipes on someone besides herself.
11
Embrie likes to clean, mostly wiping all kinds of surfaces with wipes.
However, this is not to say that she hasn't made her fair share of messes.
12However, this is not to say that she hasn't made her fair share of messes.
She also likes to be clean. She asks for a napkin at dinner time and becomes a bit concerned with her sticky or dirty hands. This is also new to me, maybe it's a girl thing. But my mom tells me that I used to be very worried about keeping my hands clean at that age, so maybe it runs in the family.
13
It may be time to get out the "dress ups". I found her in her room the other day with her hat on, and trying on several pairs of socks and shoes.
14
It is also not uncommon for her, coming upon a pair of her paints, to try to put them on, even if she is already wearing pants.
15
That brings me to another difference between boys and girls. She seems to be much more interested in doing things for herself.
She has learned to put her own shoes on much faster and she wants to buckle herself the key being that she actually wants to do it herself :)
16
She may even have a bit of a shoe fetish, yikes!
17
She seems to have a good amount of self confidence so far. Good! I hope she keeps it! If you ask her who is cute, she says "me". Of course she is not too self absorbed, she'll then quickly name each person in the family, "and mommy cute, and Garrett cute, and daddy cute."
She is quick to share the love!
18
She seems to have daddy wrapped around her finger. She got that routine down pretty fast, but I have to say it didn't take much!
She is smart, funny, beautiful. She is absolutely precious in every way. We adore her. I can't believe how quickly these last two years have gone! I am learning why they say enjoys these years while you can!
We love you Embrie-doo!
We love you Embrie-doo!
These pictures were taken by my friend Nickie, I couldn't be happier with them and you will all be shocked to know that I did not post all of them even though I wanted to!
Check out a link to her blog on the right side :)
Check out a link to her blog on the right side :)
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