Nathan's started walking (and climbing some more)

My little baby boy started walking last week! I love when they first start walking and they have their little fists straight up in the air trying to keep their balance. He's so proud of himself! And having a houseful to cheer him on doesn't hurt his ego either...

He's loving to flush the toilet and unroll the toilet paper and he's getting himself into some curious places...

I did NOT put him here, he opened the drawer and climbed in himself.

Nathan is Gracie's partner-in-crime...

Speaking of Gracie, my sweet little angel-faced baby girl... she's been mrs. sticky-fingers lately when it comes to candy. I have a stash of candy in my dresser drawer that is probably 2 years old and Gracie has found it. A few days ago, I found her with about 6 fun-dips stuck under her pillow with a pair of scissors to open them at a later time. I put them back and explained to her in my mommy voice that it was not OK to take things that aren't hers and told her not to do it again. "OK, mommy"- famous last words... and so at naptime the next day, as I came up to tuck her in, she was looking VERY guilty. Yep, the same candy was stuck under her pillow again along with the same pair of scissors. I did the same routine and tried to convince her that it was not in her best interest to take things from other people. Did you ever try to reason with a 3-year-old? In her mind, I'm sure it went something like this... "if I can just endure mommy's speech for a bit longer, I can sneak back into her room and grab them and maybe I can just be a little faster about getting them open this time..."

So, the third offense was when she was supposed to be sitting on her bed for her bad attitude and refusal to apologize to her friend. She obviously snuck out of bed and made it back, but the wrappers were still unopened. By now, most parents would just throw the candy away to be sure she can't get them again, but I know by now after 4 kids who were all this age, that it would be defeating my purpose (to train her to obey and use her self-control). One thing that I have learned during parenting is that the "cat" has to be smarter than the "mouse" (or at least more creative). So, I set my mousetraps. Yeah, that's right REAL mousetraps... strategically set up around the candy in the drawer. It wasn't so much to hurt her, but just scare her from going in the drawer. I was actually hoping it wouldn't catch her fingers, but things don't always work as I planned. In fact, the next morning Caleb was the one to find the candy under her pillow once again. I was dumbfounded! How did she get the candy?? I checked the drawer and both of the mousetraps were still set! I couldn't believe she'd be that careful just to get candy that she wasn't even going to open... I can't even set the things without them going off on my own fingers... I wanted to see how she did it, so I had her put the candy back herself just to see, and she did. She reached right over the traps as if they weren't there and put the candy back!!

For the past week and all through this incident, Grace has had a progressively bad (and getting worse) attitude. This was not really a candy issue, but a "are you really going to make me obey you?" attitude and it manifested itself in taking the candy. I believe I have found the solution. She hasn't touched the candy for the last day and a half and has a GREAT attitude!! I will try to explain in a future blog, but for now, I have to cook dinner :) ta, ta, for now!!