And the retraining begins

Hah. Spending a week in the care of doting family members and cousins has made Precious a changed person. Add to that my preoccupation with Bubby's cold and crazy fever, and you have a recipe for a slightly negligent mommy and a slightly spoiled toddler.

Today, Precious is relearning some lessons. Here are a few:

1. "MINE!" does not guarantee the handing over of goods. Rather, such an outburst shall produce quite the opposite effect of the stated intent.
2. Snatching something is out of the question. Holding out one's hand and saying "Please" is much more effective.
3. "No" means No; "Come Here" means just that, and now. (they do not need to be repeated)

I'm so glad New Daddy is home to join forces in this effort-- strength in numbers! And what is the result of this methodical retraining? The happiest, bubbliest, most obedient toddler one could ever imagine. At least, that's our goal. :D When a child has limits, he is free to explore, and he is much, much more confident than he would be without limits. There, I said it!

We did have a wonderful, relaxing week away from home. And yet, it's nice to be back home, no matter how messy it may look with all of these new toys. To deal with the onslaught of things to play with, I have a timed-release method. I bring out one or two new toys at a time. When these are "played through," I put them away and pull out more toys. This way, Christmas lasts all year, and my living room is more able to stay in a semblance of order.

Ah, yes, Happy New Year!