Love and Logic

There is a fantastic book that has changed mine and Brandon's lives called "Parenting With Love and Logic". Truly the greatest approach and advice on parenting that I've come across to date! But I'll save the sales pitch spiel for a different day...

I know that my kids watch me WAY too closely, but we've only been following these new techniques since Christmas. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that she picked up on it so quickly, I mean she mimics everything else I do (which is quite the eye-opening experience by the way)!

So we're eating dinner this evening and Hunter is fiddling with his food more than anything else. He scooped up a big hunk of rice and played with it on it's way to his uninterested mouth until it fell off the fork onto the table...

Me: "Hunter, that's messy, could you please pick that up?"
Hunter: "EWWWW! It's yucky!" (I know, I know.. a boy who doesn't like to get his hands dirty - what's up with that?!)
Bailey: "Hunter, you have two choices: You can pick your rice up and put it on your plate with your hands, or with your fork. You choose."
Hunter: "OooohKaaaaay..." (He chose the fork.)

Simply stated, priceless. I LOVE this book! Oh and PS. it's by Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim Fay. For all those who either have kids or plan on having them... FABULOUS!!! Changed my life and my view on parenting 110% (and I mean that in a VERY good way)! Of course if you don't want to go through the trouble of reading it, I could always rent you Bailey... ;)

And the winner is...

Christine!!! Congratulations Christine!:) E-mail me at eehooley@hotmail.com so I can send you the redemption code for your $25 in FREE product from www.baileysblossoms.com !!! Thanks for participating everyone!:) I'll definitely be doing this again so check back soon!:)

Jesus wants me for a...

SUNBEAM!!! Bailey has been ready for a very long time for this critical moment in her aging process.. to graduate out of the nursery, and into Primary! Given that she's a January birthday, and will be FOUR (my word!) next week, she was more of a teacher's aid than anything else with all the "babies" as she liked to call them. ;) But let's not confuse her willing and readiness with my own... I was not even close to being "ready" for this moment! :( I dropped her off into the Primary room and watched her skip away without so much as a glance backward at her over protective adoring mother.. then I did what any normal emotionally enhanced woman would do -I BAWLED! I wish I could say it was one or even two glittering tears down my cheek, but that would be nothing short of a lie. I would like to blame it on being pregnant, but really, I am an emotion-on-my-sleeve kind of gal.. prego or not!

Once I finally gathered myself (to a degree), I started the lonely walk back to my own Sunday School class, when I heard the very distinct sound of Hunter's unhappy calls in the nursery. It was bad enough (and unusual enough) that I went in to console him. He buried himself into my shirt, shaking and sobbing "Bailey!... Bailey!..." all the while pointing to her now torturous picture on the nursery wall. I tried to help him calm down, but it only set me off yet another time and, let's just say we were a sad sight to see! :(

I keep telling myself it would be crazy for three of my kids to be in nursery at the same time, and Landon's picture will soon replace his very "big" sisters... Alas, I am VERY excited for Bailey and all the "growing up" that she's readily embracing, but MY WORD - SLOW DOWN ALREADY!!! Don't you know I'm an emotional woman?!

Bailey's Blossoms GIVEAWAY!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!! And what better way to celebrate than with $25 in FREE product of your choice from www.baileysblossoms.com ?! Just post a comment and the winner will be randomly selected and announced on January 8th. Good luck everyone!!! :)

Sing with me now

Bringing you some Christmas cheer... two of the three (soon to be four) hooligans. Put your hands together for: Hunter & Bailey!!! *This one's for you Grandma! ;)