Cracking down and getting crafty

Oh my, oh my.  It seems we've reached another one of those "tough spots" in our parenting journey.  About a year ago C really began testing the limits (right around the time hubby left, hmm, how convenient)  I needed to overhaul my whole discipline approach and found lots of inspiration in a book called Love and Logic.  I put in a few hard weeks worth of work.  And voila...my sanity returned. ;)  It was pretty smooth sailing after that up until a couple of months ago.  (Funny how the beginning of the Christmas season seemed to spark our little one's "gimmie, gimmie" attitude last year...I see a very bad trend here...one reason why I put the grandparents on restricted gift-giving status this year...but that's beside the point)  To make a long story short, bad habits have begun to slowly sneak back in.  Mainly on my (correction, our part, I'm not about to take all the blame!)  :)  You know, give a warning, and because you're in public and want to avoid a scene, you give another warning and another...and maybe you even throw in a threat or two...followed by bribery...it just gets ugly people.  And before you know it your kid is getting away with way more than he should because you've decided to take the easy route.  No more!  I am getting back to my Love and Logic ways and nipping this in the bud before I've got a ten year old screaming and kicking his feet while I try to drag him out of a store.  And it's actually surprisingly easier to tackle something like this while doing the single-parent thing.  The consistency level goes way up when you've only got one disciplinarian in the house. 

In other, more uplifting news, C has been sleeping in underwear at night for about a month now.  And he's only had a couple of accidents.  I probably kept him in pull-ups at bedtime longer than necessary, but I was just not too keen on the whole 'changing the sheets/bathing the child at two in the morning' thing...especially because C still often finds his way into our bed in the middle of the night.  Um, no thank you.  Towards the end of every package of pull-ups I would tell myself that I wouldn't buy a new one.  I finally faced my fears when C himself saw that there were only a few pull-ups left in the box and said, "They're almost gone and then I can start sleeping in my Batman underwear, right Mom?"  It's gone extremely well!

I've been getting crafty lately.  My friend Grace and I had a little wreath making session the other day.  I'm pretty pleased with my creation!

Out of respect for Grace's self esteem, I chose not to post a picture of her finished product.  Let's just say I'll be sweeping up glitter for the next month thanks to her.

And as always, when hubby leaves for an extended period of time, I can't help but make some kind of change in the house.  Usually it's just rearranging furniture, but this time I went all out.  I decided to re-do our bedroom.  In the past I've always selected bedding/curtains/etc. based on what I think he would like too.  And really, he doesn't care.  I mean he puts on a front (like the other night when I mentioned some of my plans and he crapped all over them) but after he gags a little bit the first time he sees the new space, he'll get over it.  So, this time I decided to do exactly what I wanted.  No second guessing myself or "hmm, I wonder if hubby will think this is stupid."  I created a bedroom that makes me happy!  Because that's what a girl all alone for the next few months needs!  It's pretty and pink and obnoxiously girly.  And I LOVE it!  And because I know he didn't read a word of that, I'm posting some teaser pics for the hubby.  And cue call from hubby, "What did you do!?!"

I am not the only one who's been getting crafty lately.  Check out C in his new apron, compliments of Nana.

 He drives me crazy sometimes, but oh how I love this child.  So incredibly grateful I am to have him in my life.