Hard To Swallow...

"You can't always get what you want..."

Or so says the popular song from the Rolling Stones. It does go on to say that "...if you try sometimes...you get what you need..." but I'd like to tweak their words just a tad to instead say, "if you CRY loud enough...you THINK you'll get what you need".

There...now you have life with a young child.

Needs vs. wants. A complicated concept that is largely misunderstood not only by children but our entire society today. Really it speaks loudly wherever you go as you see people living outside their means (including myself at times) who confuse their daily "needs" with their "wants". So how does one teach and explain this to a young child?

Recently there was a popular event, Walking With Dinosaurs, held in our city that had everyone talking. It was THE event to be seen by all. Tickets went on sale far in advance and at the time I didn't bite. I figured I would buy them later when we had the money but of course all that meant is that we never bought tickets. As the date of the show approached my son saw the commercials on TV and desperately wanted to see the amazing dinosaurs featured. (This was mostly because we had been telling him that dinosaurs were extinct and he just couldn't figure out HOW they could be coming to an arena near him!) Needless to say I had to break the news to him that we wouldn't be able to go.

Devin: "Mommy, I reawwy want to see dinosaurs. Can we go today?
Mommy: "Nope, we won't be able to go see the dinosaurs. Maybe we can read a book about dinosaurs instead."
Devin: "Why? Why can't we go? I WANT to go...I WANT to go see the dinosaurs!"
Mommy: "I know Devin, I know you want to see the dinosaurs but we don't have tickets and so we will have to do something else instead. I can tell that you're upset...how about we watch a dinosaur movie?"
Devin: (whining now and about to cry) "Mommy...I NEED to see the dinosaurs! I need to go to the show...you never take me anywhere...you are a mean mommy. Daddy...can I go to the dinosaurs? Mommy said yes..."

Sigh...

Again a case of needs vs. wants. Did my son NEED to see the extravagant show about dinosaurs? No of course not, but his four year old heart told him he wanted to see it therefor he needed to see it. What my son really needed was a big hug and to know that sometimes what we want and what we need are not the same things. This is a tough lesson we have all faced many times in our lives and as difficult as it is to grasp it always stings just a bit when the need and want are not synonymous. The needs in life are very basic: food, water, shelter and connections. I don't remember seeing dinosaurs on the list but according to my son they were right up there with the rest.

I read somewhere once that it is important to raise "self-reliant children in a self-indulgent world". This seems like a daunting task when "wants" are blasted from every radio, TV commercial, and shopping mall. So how do we teach our kids to filter these wants so that they can grow to be responsible and mature adults who don't rely on extrinsic stimuli?

Bit by bit and day by day through our own personal choices that we model for them.

Did my son survive without seeing the dinosaur show? Of course he did. In fact not even 20 minutes later he had forgotten all about the conversation over not going. I firmly believe that it is important for kids to sometimes feel the disappointment that comes with not always getting what you want. We have to understand how to navigate this disappointment in order to deal with the bazillions of moments in our lives when we will have to manage it. Life isn't always roses and we in fact do NOT always get what we want. By indulging my kids' every want I am not helping them in any way to learn this valuable lesson. Instead I am hindering their growth and giving them a false sense of what the world is really like.

But the song is right...if we do try sometimes we will get what we need. My children are well cared for, fed and loved beyond belief...and no dinosaur will ever change that.

Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting...

Sleeping in the same bed with a toddler can harmful to your health...especially if your child is a "kung-fu" sleeper.

When my husband and first started out pre-kids we had a very small bed. A full size that did us fine but that was definitely a tight squeeze and personally I loved it as it lent itself to cuddling. (Insert "Ahhh" now) Then came children. Yes of course I was that parent who said, "My kids will never sleep in our bed...". Okay, well those words didn't even last a month with a new baby. We didn't have the luxury of a co-sleeper so when round the clock nursing took its toll my sweet baby landed on the mattress next to me and my poor 6'4" husband landed on the couch. He chose that of course--he had to still get up to go to work in the mornings and let's be honest here...a newborn and two parents just really don't fit in a full size bed. It wasn't very pretty to say the least.

With just the two of us (a different two of us--Devin and I) a full size bed did just fine for a while. Then when each of my children finally reached about 4 months of age and started sleeping through the night we decided to move them back into their own rooms and to their cribs. I still remember the first night they each made it all the way through without waking once because despite the fact that I should have also been sleeping I wasn't. I was up every hour checking to see if all was okay. Oh and also pumping...because even though my child slept through the night my breasts hadn't figured it out yet. Sigh...

At this point in our lives, my husband (even though he was back in the room with me) decided that we needed a larger bed. We ended up with a king size mattress which seriously felt as though it was so big we each had our own time zone in there. Heaven for sure and even better now that kids were not in there with us.

Right.

Many a night I am awoken to heavy breathing on my face and the whisper of, "Mommy, can I fweep with you?".

Now I am just going to take a moment to insert this very quick statement here...why in the heck is it that they always come to MY side of the bed???? Why don't they ever pose these questions to their father????

Of course we allow them to scramble in and then the real fun begins. They snuggle their bodies in between my husband and I and cozy up under the covers and all would appear to be peaceful and calm. Meanwhile I am arming myself with pillows and stuffing blankets around myself because I am fully aware of what it about to go down...kung-fu sleeping. All of a sudden arms are being thrown and legs are kicking out of nowhere...elbows find chins and occasionally a finger even meets its mark. Yes, it is dangerous to have a 32 pound almost 3 year old in your bed and if you value your life, or at the very least your teeth you'd just say NO when they ask to climb in. Before you know it, it will be 4 am and you'll find yourself up writing a blog to document it all. Oh yes, my daughter and my husband are perfectly content and snoring in the very large city-sized bed now that I have retreated from it and landed on the couch myself.

Hmmmppph.

So what is it that I can be thankful for in this situation? Frankly I'm not really too sure. I'm going to bet that it will end up being coffee because with the very long day ahead of me I'll probably need gallons of it to keep myself going. I love my children dearly but firmly do believe that they have their own beds for a reason...mostly so no one gets hurt, but also because we all need that much needed break that nighttime brings. The refresh stage of the day is hard to manage when all you can think of is how to block the next unintended blow.

Maybe I'll invest in hockey pads...

Just A Bit Tight...

August is traditionally "beans and rice" month for my family.

Why you might ask? Well as a teacher we don't get paid until a month AFTER we go back to work. Now, for those who have managed their money wisely and planned ahead I'm sure it is most definitely not a "beans and rice" month for their families. But no matter how hard I try I never seem to make it work. So, therefore, we eat a lot of beans and rice til payday arrives because it is cheap and affordable and filling.

It's really not that different from when I was growing up. My mother was a teacher and I always remember her most creative meals came from back-to-school times when the pantry was almost empty and she had to really dig deep to provide for three growing kids. We used to joke that we were "Food Club" kids as that was the non-name brand that you could most often find on our shelves. Did it taste any different? Not at all but it was much easier on the pocketbook, that's for sure, and you can bet you'd find the same brands in my pantry today.

My son recently has shown interest in money and how it works. Now at four years of age, he is definitely a bit young to grasp the concept of our monetary system but believe me...he knows that it is important and that it does something.

Devin: "Mommy, maybe today you can take me to the store."
Mommy: "Why is that Devin? We went shopping for groceries yesterday so we don't need anything."
Devin: "I have money. I was thinking I could buy you something."
*note--the money that Devin is talking about consists of pennies and quarters that live in his piggy bank.
Mommy: "Oh that is so sweet of you but I don't need anything. You can just save your money to spend on yourself."
Devin: "Oh no mommy, I really think you need something. I was thinking that you could take me to Fred Meyers because you really need an elephant."
Mommy: "An elephant? Really? Now what would I do with an elephant?"
Devin: "You could ride it to work. Now come on and wet's go to the store..."

I'm not so sure an elephant could do 65 mph on the highway or what kind of gas mileage it gets but I'm almost positive that Fred Meyer's probably doesn't carry them.

Money is a tricky thing and with kids you can never have enough of it. The baby itself throws your budget for a loop with the birth and then there are diapers and maybe formula and doctors visits and deductibles to be met...and before you know it the ultimate cost with having a kid...DAYCARE. We pay more in daycare costs right now than some people pay on their mortgage. I cringe every month when I write the check but also know that you pay for what you get and believe me...I adore my daycare provider and would give her my left kidney if it was the only way my kids could stay with her. These costs are only the beginning...later there are sports fees and braces and hair cuts and school supplies...it is truly endless. We don't live an extravagant lifestyle but having two kids has definitely put a strain on our budget that wasn't there before.

So today I am thankful that I have beans and rice in my cupboard and that my mother was a great example of how to make a delicious something out of seemingly nothing. It may be tight at times but I know that with a little creativity we can always make it through the tough month of August and beyond.

And contrary to my son's belief, I don't see any elephants in my future.

And Away We Go...

Transitions are always a bit hard.

Today is the last day of my summer break which means my family is about to experience a huge one. My kids will go back to daycare full time and I will return to the world of teaching.

Talk about a shock to the system.

During the summer months my type A personality keeps us on sort of a schedule. (This is a nice way of saying that I try desperately to get my kids to sleep during nap each day so I can have a break.) We eat when we're hungry, we go outside when we feel like it, we go on outings that aren't limited to the evenings and weekends when I'm usually off and home. Because my husband works year round I also take on the laundry, cooking and most of the cleaning during my summers off because I'm home and it's not a big deal to tackle it during the day. But now as I am facing my last 24 hours of freedom the reality of the fall and winter are truly setting in. Earlier wake ups, lunches to be packed, kids to be dressed and out the door by a certain time and not to mention the fact that I will have to get my own butt out of bed just that much earlier so I can also be ready and presentable for a day of work. No more dirty hair in a ponytail and t-shirt with shorts to make it through a day at the park. Household chores will also have to be divvied up a little more equally between my husband and I. And then of course there are the kids and their understanding of what is about to happen.

Mommy: "This is the last week of mommy being home all the time with you and next week I have to go back to work."
Devin: "Well where are we going?"
Sienna: (said very stubbornly) "I no go anywhere!"
Mommy: "Well, you will start going to Ms. Becky's again...your school. Mommy has to teach the kids so you have to learn at Ms. Becky's. Aren't you excited?"
Devin: "No. I'm not going. Actuwawwy (Actually) I think I just want to stay home."
Sienna: "Me too! I stay home! I no go to Ms. Becky's...I stay in the car."
Mommy: "I know you want to be with mommy, but you can't stay home by yourself because it is not safe. You will have fun at Ms. Becky's with all of your friends."
Devin: "No, I don't think so. It's hard wistening at Ms. Becky's and I get tired so I'll just stay home."
Sienna: "Yes! Yes! Yes! Stay home! Stay home!"

Sigh. If only it were that easy...

I know it will be a tough switch into the school year but as much as I love spending time with my children I always welcome the change when August approaches. I know I miss a lot of time with my kids during my working months but for us a single income household isn't an option. And even if it was, I'm not sure I'd want that. I enjoy having the adult interaction that work brings for me and I crave having something...anything that is all my own. I know this about myself and I also know being a full time stay at home mommy isn't for me. Horrible? Nah...just honest. I just need both.

So today I am thankful for the extended amount of time I have been able to spend with my growing children over the last three months. Recently a friend shared a saying with me that helps to put it all in perspective when you're raising small kids: "The days are long but the years are short..." and it's true. Yes, we've have had our bumps and frustrations this summer and some very long days, but I also realize that before I know it my kids will be grown and these precious moments will be a thing of the past. My goal for now is to just soak it all up while I still can and try to appreciate that I am lucky enough to bare witness to it all.

Of course I am hoping for a smooth transition for my family in the upcoming weeks as we change the seasons. I know we will have some rough spots along the way but know we'll get through it together. This blog may not happen as frequently as it has in recent months but it has been an amazing way to reflect on my life with kids and the fun it brings.

Hopefully the future holds more laughs than tears...

One Berry, Two Berry, Three Berry, Four...

You can learn a lot about someone by the way they pick blueberries...

Oh I know, I'm sure you are wondering, "Now how in the heck is she going to make this connection?", but it's true. Today we had the luck of hitting up Hatcher's Pass with some friends for some early season berry picking. The weather was perfect (not too hot and not raining) and it was to be the first time my kids had ever gone in search of the perfect blueberry. We didn't have to go far. The bushes were thick with clumps of the tiny berries, so we quickly found our spot and started collecting.

Now I happen to be the type of berry picker that instantly starts picking any berry in her path with the mindset to "fill the pail" as fast as one can. Big berries, little berries...ripe berries, green berries...all of them into the bucket in the race to the top. Leaves, too, for if they are in my way they are getting tossed in. It is overwhelming to say the least when you look all around you and see nothing but berries just waiting to be picked! I found myself jumping from bush to bush to pick berries here and berries there and pretty much ended up walking in nothing but circles. I was grabbing berries left and right and in my haste actually dropped more on the ground than I had make it into the pail. Yes, I was the careless ADHD berry picker.

My husband, on the other hand, happens to be a "Virgo" berry picker. That is a very nice way of saying he is a perfectionist and very detail oriented. He'd never admit it, but I know he was checking circumference and color tone of every berry prior to plucking it from the branch. Do you think there were any leaves or twigs in his pail? Not on your life...only the most delectable and mouth watering blueberries on the hillside. All 10 of them. Yes, my husband was the anal berry picker.

And then there were the kids...my son was a champion berry picker and would've had the fullest pail of us all if any of them had even remotely made it into his pail instead of his stomach. He popped those tiny suckers into his mouth faster than any of us and then couldn't quite understand why it was that his pail was so empty. I would call him the smart berry picker.

Of course Sienna was along for the ride and for the first time her aversion to any fruit came in handy. We could count on her to NOT eat any of the berries. She did pick a few, but instead had fun insisting that we dump our berries into her bucket so she could also appear to have some. My daughter soon tired of anything berry related and settled down with the other kids there to play in the bushes and eat the "safe" snacks.

The dog? Well we couldn't leave him at home and I will just call him the annoying berry picker. Kula would plop his retired butt down in the middle of the bush I would be picking from and start plucking blueberries with his lips right out from under me! Stinker!

So despite our different methods, we were successful. We all had great fun and it was a wonderful way to pass an afternoon with friends. The conversation was light and the tone was exceptionally peaceful in the gorgeous valley thick with berries. My kids were introduced to a new experience and my son is already talking about how many berries he'll get the next time we go picking. I'm thankful that we live in a truly amazing place and I want my kids to soak up all that it has to offer.

Not only us but also our freezer. You can bet that we'll be enjoying these delightful little treats all through the dark winter months yet to come. Little bites of summer in a perfect blue package.

Yum.

Red or Blue?

Choices choices...

Good ones, bad ones, the ones that you know you should make but just can't bring yourself to actually commit to, "forced" or inevitable choices...life is definitely filled with them. We make a bazillion different choices by the hour each day without even realizing it and yet it is a skill that is learned and that we must teach our kids. How to make choices that will positively impact your life.

Notice that I didn't say "good" choices...there is a reason for that. Not all positive choices are in fact good.

For instance...a positive choice could be choosing to not eat all the cookies...but in my book I don't know if that is actually good. I would love nothing more than to eat all of the cookies despite the fact that doing so wouldn't positively impact my life.

Yes, you see my point now. It all depends on perspective...

With kids choices are essential. Instead of always telling my kids specifically what to do I try instead to frame it with two choices...which ultimately will get them to do what I want without them feeling like I was in charge. I know...it really is tricking them but still they are the person making the ultimate decision.

This doesn't always quite go as planned.

Mommy: "Devin, it is time to get dressed. Are you going to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt?"
Devin: "I don't wike getting dressed and I am not going to get dressed and today is a jammie day and you're not going to my birthday party!"
(Oh boy...we're on THAT trip again...his birthday isn't for another 11 months and he's already whipping that line out...)
Mommy: "Red shirt or blue shirt?"
Devin: "No!!"
Mommy: "Red or blue?" (said with more than a hint of aggravation...)
Devin: "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Mommy: "Devin Michael Himes...you can wear the red shirt or the blue shirt or the green shirt but you are going to wear a shirt. Now get dressed!"
Devin: (with arms crossed across his chest and a smug look on his face) "I want the black shirt."

Okay, so did he choose one of the items I offered him? No, of course not...but he did eventually put a shirt on which was my goal out of all of this, a dressed kid. Sometimes it is all about offering up several choices that all lead to what you want. Of course, then the kid will just fight you til the bitter end and do whatever they feel like doing so you are left wanting to shove the freaking shirt over their head and be done with it.

Not such a positive choice on my part...but good nonetheless.

So today I am thankful that there was a shirt in my son's drawer that he was willing to wear. I know that these small (frustrating!) moments are all learning experiences that will help him on his way towards making positive choices in his life. I won't always be there to talk through the repercussions of all the decisions he will have to make as he matures and hopefully this will prepare him for what lies ahead.

One shirt at a time...

That One Stung a Bit...

To spank or not to spank...that is the question...

Well to be honest, it's not something that we have chosen to use with our kids. I was raised with a spanking or two, but honestly, the idea that I might receive a spanking was worse than the actual swat I might have ended up with. There have been moments with my kids where I have thought about it, but really it's not a method that holds a lot of weight in my eyes. That doesn't mean that I hold judgement on those who choose to employ it, just that it doesn't work for me.

Sometimes I am not really sure what DOES work for me...but you know, it's all a learning curve with small kids.

When my son was in the thick of his trying terrible two's, he was a biter. He would bare those pearly white teeth of his and sink them into any flesh available. And he didn't just nip you...he would bite and then PULL with his teeth attached to your arm, hand, leg, etc. which often left huge teeth marks surrounded by purplish bruises and hurt like the dickens. Bottom line--it was awful and a very hard habit to break. We worked with teaching him other ways to show his frustration and anger but in the end he had to outgrow it, and we had the battle scars to remember it by.

There was one particular time where it was the end of a long day and we were both at the end of our ropes. I was trying to get him into the bath (from the great outdoors where he had been running around naked) when I finally picked him up to carry him into the house. This did not sit well with HIS plans so he sunk his teeth into my shoulder and locked down. This was no normal bite, this was one of his spectacular "leave an imprint of every tooth bite" and it HURT. I was so shocked by the pain that I did what instinctively came to my brain: I cried out, "OUCH!" and hit back.

Ugggg.

Now I didn't hit hard, but instead a swat on his bare behind that when I finally dared to look had left a red outline of my hand on his tiny little butt. Instantly I felt horrified and guilty and like the worst mother in the world. The crushed look on my son's face reinforced all of these awful feelings and the tears began to pour forth from both of us. I quickly scooped him up into my arms and just held him tight. I felt like throwing up. What kind of mother was I to hit my own defenseless child? I knew instantly that spanking was not for me and that no matter what there had to be a better way.

I have to admit, that incident has stuck with me for a long time. The hand print on his butt faded but the memory of it has been enough to remind me that when and how I react to my kids' upset I am in fact teaching them how to handle their own. If I hit my son when he does something wrong I am teaching him that violence will get him what he wants...and then I might see him use that same method on his sister. Which he, as the big brother, does quite frequently but we are working on that. Does this mean that I never raise my voice? Or feel the frustration bubble up inside of me to the point where it almost boils over? No, in fact these emotions happen daily. All it means is that I try my best to take a deep breath and remember to calm myself first before I can help in the situation rather than make it worse.

Of course this is a personal decision that each parent has to make for themselves as we all do whatever we can to get by and survive the days with very young kids. I believe the true beauty in this lesson lies in the fact that despite all of the "incidents" we are constantly learning with each other and growing together. Does my son still bite? Nope...but back in those days I thought we would never get through it. So, today I am thankful for the chance to learn with my kids as they dance through each age and stage and for the knowledge that no matter what, we will survive.

Hopefully without too many battle scars.

Who Am I?

This morning at breakfast I received a lesson on my standing in the household according to Sienna:

Sienna: "Daddy is mines best friend."
Mommy: "Hmmm, nice of you Sienna. Who else?"
Sienna: "Devin is mines best friend, too."
Mommy: "And who else, sweetest girl?"
Sienna: "Aiden and Payton and Kuwa and 'Berta and Miss Becky and Gama and Gampa and 'Arwey and Kuwa and Daddy and Devin and Gama and Gampa and...oooooohhh, I wuuuuuuuvvvvv Kuwa..."
Mommy: "You have a lot of friends! What about Mommy?"
Sienna: "You not mines friend...you are the mommy..."

Hummmph.

I questioned her even more about it and sure enough, she wouldn't budge an inch on her stance. I was most definitely, in Sienna's eyes, NOT her friend but only "the mommy".

I'll be honest here...I'm not too sure how I feel about that.

This statement came from the child who screamed non-stop from the time she was born til she was 3 months old and still I loved her. The child who has tested me daily with my ability to stay calm in the face of her 2 1/2 year old nature and still I have loved her. The child who has refused to eat any fruit or vegetable or anything for that matter that isn't a hot dog...and STILL I have loved her. The child who will not go to her father when she is upset, despite the fact that I'm usually the one who made her upset...and still I have loved her.

Yet, I am only "the mommy". So, what exactly does that mean?

I understand my role in this thing called motherhood...to love and care and guide my children through life and that being their "friend" is not necessary. I'm sure there will be times where they will hate me, want to trade me in for a new model or even be embarrassed by me or my dancing abilities. I'm positive that being friends the entire way is probably not realistic and that often you hurt the ones you love the most because you feel the safety within that relationship to do so. Yada yada yada...I get it. But still...it stung a bit. I wanted to at least be up there with the dog, for pete's sake!

Yet today when I was putting her down for her nap (after our usual battle had worn itself out) she took my face in her hands and said, "Mommy, pay attention. You are mines special mommy and I wuv you so very much."

Ahhhhhh...insert swelling of the heart here.

Enough said.

I may not be on the same page as the dog in her book, but she will always be my special girl. I'm confident we will have our moments throughout our time together in this life, but for now I am thankful to be just "the mommy."

Why? Why? Why?

"Mommy, what do sharks eat?"
"Where does the moon go?"
"How do boogers get in my nose and why are they crunchy?"

Ewwwwww...

Yes, questions. Just a few of the 3 million that I answer daily for my 4 year old son. They are endless and they cover every topic imaginable and most of the time I have no idea how to respond to them. Recently there was an article in Newsweek magazine about creativity in children and how it appears to on the decline. It stated that preschool aged children asked on average about 100 questions a day, but that by the time these same kids reached middle school the questioning stopped. Creativity, school performances and overall motivation also plummeted. The connection was that these students didn't do poorly because they lost interest, but in fact they lost interest because they stopped asking questions.

What??

I find this to be very interesting. Of course, I currently live in the realm of questions. "Why???" is a constant in my life with two young children. In fact...everything I say or do is "questioned" on an hourly basis. And let me make this very clear...it drives me insane. But after reading this article it also scares me to think that eventually kids will just stop asking...and then what happens? Sometimes I think that for myself it is tough when I don't have the answers or that I can't definitively say yes or no to what my kids need to know. I would guess that it is easier to just brush off the question instead of openly admitting that I just don't know. I'm the parent for god sakes...I'm SUPPOSED to know.

But that's just it...we don't. And really...that is just fine.

So today I am thankful for the fact that my son is curious and wants to know things. I'm thinking that in the future I might just give the simple response of, "I"m not sure but how about we find out together?" to the plethora of questions posed by him. Because truly I would rather be willing to dig a little deeper than to run the risk of my son checking out and losing interest completely.

Although, I'm not so sure about researching the "crunchy booger" question...I might just leave that for his dad.

Note: The article mentioned above can be found at http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.print.html

A Little Fun...

There is just something special about getting away.

This past weekend was the beginning of a new tradition in our family: the annual Moulton/Himes camping trip. Even though we were not a complete group (one of my brothers and his family were unable to join us) it was a great start and one that will be hard to live up to for sure. It took some discussion, but we finally decided for our first adventure that we'd head to Seward, Alaska for an extended weekend of fishing, eating and of course massive sleep deprivation.

It was amazing.

The best part about the weekend was of course the kids. They were everywhere all at once and into everything and it was just perfect. Marshmallows for dinner? No problem. Boycotting naps? No biggie. Lack of showers and baths? Divine in the eyes of any child. They rallied nonstop from the minute they opened their eyes til the second they collapsed into their sleeping bags and it was almost exhausting just watching them.

Of course it was also exhausting for them as well and the trip was not without a few snags. One of them involved my sweet Sienna and hit at about 8:30 pm on the last night of our stay. Let me set the stage here quite clearly: Sienna had averaged about 7 hours of sleep each night when she normally gets at least 10 and had had minimal naps. Add this to the fact that she had lived on cookies and junk food all weekend and you have all the ingredients for an absolutely spectacular meltdown. Oh yes...it was about to really go down and so I decided that instead of watching her disintegrate before my eyes we would be proactive and get her to bed. Now, this was easier said than done and ended up requiring some bribing, pleading, begging and minor yelling on my part (hey--you can't always remain calm right??) before I finally got her into her pj's and ready to head towards the tent. As we were gathering our stuff she tells me she wants some milk before bed.

Sienna: "Mommy, I need some milk."
Mommy: "Okay, Sienna, you can have a little bit of milk so you can sleep."
Sienna: "Noooo Mommy! I want a wot of milk!! No wittle milk! Big milk!!"
Mommy: "Sienna, you can have a little milk so that you can sleep without having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or you can have no milk. You choose.
Sienna: "I choose big milk!
*note--this is where my father decided to be helpful and join in as Sienna was growing increasingly agitated and Grandpas can just not allow this to happen to their granddaughters...
Grandpa: "Sienna, how about you have a... half cup of milk?"
Sienna (not knowing anything about capacity, thought that this was a great suggestion): "Yeah! A hav cup! I want a hav cup of milk!"
Grandpa (who now was going to have a little fun with this): "Sienna, well how about a quarter cup of milk?"
Sienna (clapping with glee): "Yes yes! I want a cord cup of milk!"
Grandpa: "Oh Sienna, I know...how about a tablespoon of milk?"
Sienna: "YES YES YES! I want a tabawpoon of milk! A tabawpoon is the best! I wuv you Ba-Pa!!!"

Oh boy.

In the end, but not before at least one more major crying fit, Sienna did get her cup of warm milk and I found my thing to be thankful for: my father. His humor and patience helped to circumvent a potentially difficult situation...for at least 7 minutes. It is interactions just like this that solidify the heartwarming bond that lives between grandfathers and granddaughters. It's also extremely fun for me to watch my dad with my daughter as he melts like butter under the gaze of her chocolate brown eyes. Today though, he got to have a little fun with her and we were able to share a laugh as well. He's a great dad.

Now, we will just have to work a bit on her awareness of capacity. Or maybe not...this could work to my advantage in the future.

And God knows with her...I'll need any help I can get.