Just in case you wanted to know...

Just how wonderful I am ;). I'll tell you!!! Or show you rather.

SO after our little fiasco of the shenanigan, I was pondering the appropriate punishment... which by the way there really isn't a "good" way to punish Savannah. She works better with positive reinforcement... I did after all spend an entire semester telling her horribleawfulnogoodteacher as much, I guess it was time to eat some Karma.

Savannah needs structure. Savannah needs order. Savannah needs balance. Savannah needs positive reinforcement. Savannah manipulates negative reinforcement and the result is truly disastrous (enter CHANGING SCHOOLS LAST YEAR). I decided that I would follow in her current teachers footsteps and implement some of things that worked really good for Savannah in her classroom last year (after we switched said schools)

I wracked my brain all day as to what I was going to do and how I was going to "punish" her. I took all of her new school clothes (because she LOVES clothes) and put them away and told her I was going to take them back. She didn't even blink a wink. After my dad spent 2 frustrating hours taking OFF the toilet, fishing out the phone, and putting it back on, I was seriously at my wits end. HELLO she was SUPPOSED to be upset. That's when I took more stuff away (because I am SO mature:)). Turns out she was holding out because not only did she get new uniform clothes, she got other clothes as well (I took them too). This didn't go over too well, so her little big sister Mikenna got her an outfit from her closet. (bless her tender heart, I WAS TRYING TO PUNISH SAVANNAH) But I remember when I was about the same age and I was the only one who could get my sister to come to dinner after many of arguments with the mother, so I swallowed my pride and let Mikenna help a girl out. 

I really didn't want to get rid of all of Savannah's clothes to pay for the phone that was dropped in the toilet, so I boxed them up and told her she would have to earn them back (enter POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT) I tried to think of all sorts of good ways to have her earn them back. I didn't want it to be hard, but I certainly didn't want it to be easy.

So I came up with a "money" system. She gets "money" for certain things and then on Fridays she can go to "Savannah's Store" and of course I couldn't just have Savannah on this program, so we set up "Mikenna's Market" and "Isabella's play store." I made Mikenna's a little bit harder and more expensive and she really wasn't too happy about that because she is at the age where fair is fair and it must be fair or it's just not fair... 

I am not sure if all this is lost on Savannah or not. She knows that she isn't supposed to flush phones down the toilet (SERIOUSLY!!!) and that because she did so she had all her clothes taken away. And maybe I was wrong to take them and maybe I am wrong to give them back, but it is what it is and I suppose it will be that way. I figure she will be able to get all her clothes back by the end of the semester :) at the current rate of income. So here is the chart we came up with and the rewards. 

 

(I have obviously been away from blogging to long because so much has changed and the picture placement is driving me batty, but I suppose there isn't really anything I can do about it at this point, cept learn it.)

 

 I must explain this "I'd Love to" jar. But first I must point out that my Scarlett is really the cutest baby that I have ever had. I think they get cuter with time, because I have been saying that since Savannah, but no really. She really is a sweetheart, and she is nice, and she sleeps, and she eats, and she is so quiet in the car that I almost wonder if she is really there... She is a dream and I love her to bits and pieces. We snuggle in the quiet when I need to disappear from the madness I call my life. 

I have a really good friend Stephanie Waite, maybe you have heard of her, she's famous you know :) Nyhow, she does a Power of Moms group and got this idea from there, so I totally ripped it off. 

Did I mention I am trying to be a "good mom" (Sometimes I put stuff up in my house to make me look like a good mom, so that I can feel better about myself by lying to others about how I run the house. :)) Anyhow, the idea is that when you ask one of the childrens to do something, they respond with "I'd Love to" as opposed to the AHHHH, rolling of the eyes, and complaining (Oh wait only MY kids do that when I ask them to empty the dishwasher?). We are going to try it anyway. So after they say "I'd Love to" and do the said something, they get to pick from the "I'd Love to" jar. It is equipped with grand items such as a "hug" and "kiss" and "trip to QT" and "$1" and a "high five" and maybe a few more, but my brain is mush. Oh and the $1 is a "pretend" dollar for the store that we get to shop from on Fridays. 

I am not sure who is making out better with the whole money thing, but I suppose we will try it out and adjust accordingly. If my kids can stop bickering and doing what I ask them with a smile, it will be all worth it I am sure.

 

I just thought I would throw in this random picture. Poor Savannah always gets called "bud" when we go out. I try to make it a point to call her "sis" or savannah or something so people know she is in fact a girl. I mean seriously, do you put headbands on your 10 year old BOYS?!?!?!?!? Ya. I'm sure you do. 

Shenanigans

So I have been on my own the last few days and I just needed some "girl" time. A good friend of mine brought over a ginormous bag of clothes for my girls and we sorted through some stuff and decided to give some of it away.

Enter: my trip for "girls" time.

I called one of "my girls" (1 of 2 that I trust with my girls, because I know she can handle Savannah and more importantly come back after she has done so) to come and watch the girls while I escaped for a few hours.

Let me back up a bit. A few months back (beginning of June), I woke up to Savannah and a laundry basket full of unattached hair... yes my friends, she cut off all of her hair with a stray pair of scissors (of COURSE I LEFT THEM IN HER ROOM ON THE TABLE TO CUT HER HAIR, DUH!!!!!) that she had found in her room. My first instinct was to yell and scream and beat the tar out of her... alas, I did not follow my instinct because it surely would have ended in her with a red bum, a smirk on her face, and me not feeling any better at all... Oh and I would have awakened the children, and we can't have that at 645 AM!!!

So I looked at her and said, "REALLY???? REALLY????" Stuck a hat on her, sent her to school, and called my hairdresser.

I don't really know why she does the things she does. I think it is just to see if she can get a reaction out of me or maybe she really wants me to be committed to an institution with white walls, white sheets, white beds, in the corner saying "Rubber room rubber room rubber room" over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Who knows?!?!

I did mention to my dad the other day that I would like/need to kick back something stronger than a diet coke. No seriously. I would. But alas, I won't. But you better believe if I wasn't Mormon, I would be an alcoholic. (Did I just say that out loud? I am sure to get some flack. Don't judge.) I haven't ever tasted the stuff nor will I. I am just saying that I totally get it.

I digress. No really. I actually don't even know where I was going with this....

Oh yes. Savannah. Girl Time. So I left the house with instructions for bed and was on my merry way. About 45 min after I left, I received a call from the house. Savannah had flushed the cell phone of my friend DOWN THE TOILET?!?!?! SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY? I just don't even know where to start. I guess if I knew that there was an "end" I would be able to plan or endure a little easier knowing that there would be an end to all the shenanigans that she pulls almost on a daily basis.

Bless her heart, my friend was so gracious. I don't know if she will come back or if she will just have a really good story to tell. I must say though, It was really humorous to watch her, me, and Mikenna all with a kitchen glove on and a plastic bag in tow, with our hands up in the toilet. NICE... side note**we did look everywhere before shoving our hands in my (very clean I must say) toilet.

I seriously don't know what I am going to do with her. I really don't. I read about these moms who have like 5 special needs kids (no really) who are all adopted and their lives just look picture perfect. That's the thing with blogs.... they are too perfect. (not mine though... I just admitted that I would like a tall one!!!)

Blog from my phone?!?!

Yes please!!! Now that I can blog from my phone and use pics from my phone , I am so excited I think I might pee my pants. (or peeded... As Isabella says ;))

Last night I was tucking her into bed and she said to me, "mommy, don't kiss me on da lips, kiss me right here (as she pointed to her cheek) cuz I don't want you to mess up my wipstick." she is such a wicked funny girl. I've never met a more annoying person that I love to bits and pieces ;).

This summer has been SO much fun. I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready for the kids to go back to school, but it has been great to have late nights, travel, do swim team, and have no schedule whatsoever (although that part has taken a toll on my very structured 10 year old... Who btw today the girls discovered she had armpit hair and they thought it was HILARIOUS!!! I almost peeded a little at the fact they were cracking up so much over it).

Currently we are at the cabin ENJOYING THE RAIN AND COOLER weather, whilst daddy is in Austin working hard (more like hardly working). It's been fun to leave the valley and just be with the girls.

We have been on walks, to the playground, prepared delicious food (M found a recipe book), working in our workbooks, doing our exercises, watching movies, staying up late, and of course visiting the cabin store ;). Best of all, I come to a clean cabin and clean it when I leave, with not much in between... Though we must keep up tiny objects bc little S has been rolling and turning all over the floor and putting said tiny objects in her mouth... Oh dear what have I done?!?! I've started OVER!!!!

Speaking of little S, she is sure a gem. Love her.

Oh dear... Baby crying. Guess I'll get back to this later but I'm SO stoked I can do this from my phone!!!

Not sure where these pictures will land but here are a few for your enjoyment.