Working on our Listening Skills

You would never believe that this beautiful little girl has developed a listening problem. It has gotten worse over time and it is something that we are working very hard to correct. On a few different occassions over the last few weeks we have noticed that when we ask her to do something, or not to do something, she will do the complete opposite. We are working hard to break this and I think she is starting to realize that we mean business. It is so hard to be consistent but it is what she needs...she is very strong willed and will start running the show very quickly if your not careful. Actually as I type she is in her room in time out because she was standing in the chair that we constantly tell her not to stand in..I told her to please sit down and she said "no I just want to stand up" I calmy said to her "Kaylee you are not obeying, I asked you to sit down, remember If I say it..you obey it" She looked at me for a second and said "no I want to stand" so off to timeout she went!! After a few minutes I called her to come to me and she said "no Im just going to stay in my bed" my goodness when will she learn. I went and got her and told her when I call she needs to come..after we talked I sent her off to her bed again for not listening....when will she learn??? I sure hope this phase passes soon!!

Weight Loss Adventures

About 3 1/2 weeks ago John and I decided to go on a pretty hardcore diet. I have been talking about dieting and tried a couple of times especially within the last year and a half but just couldnt stick with it. After really talking about it we decided that losing weight was something that was very important to both of us and we were gonna do it together :) It has been much easier this time since we are both doing it!! We have both seen big results and that has made it easier for us to stick with it. I have lost 15 pounds since I started and he has lost the same or maybe even more (he isnt keeping track as closely as I am lol) We are basically just trying to eat a reasonable about of calories and work out as many days of the week as we can. When we first started we looked up the nutritional values for the resturants we usually eat at and we were SHOCKED to learn how many calories we were eating just at one meal. Since we really enjoy eating out, we made a list of places that we can go and still get a good low calorie meal. The first few times we went out it was VERY hard to stay away from the rolls and breads that places usually bring out before your meal..but we have stayed strong :) I have also completly cut out sweet tea and any soda...basically I only drink water now. I drink a lot anyways and without even realizing it I would drink a whole gallon of tea every day and not think twice about it. I thought it would be much harder to stick to it that it has been. I guess we both really want it this time :) I would like to lose about 35-40 more pounds so hopefully it will fall off fast :)

My Crazy 2 Year Old

So my 2 year old has this new obsession with sticking things up his nose. It happaned first a few weeks ago the night we got back from Disney World. We were sitting around and Kyle came to me pointing at his nose saying uh-oh...he had this funny look on his face but I didnt think much of it..I thought maybe he was coming down with a cold and his nose was stopped up. He kept saying uh-oh and pointing at his nose so i got him and looked up his nose and sure enough there was something up there but I couldnt tell what it was!! I was so glad John was home or I may have panicked lol. He layed him in his lap and I hold his head while John pulled a BEAD from his nose. He got into trouble and we didnt think we would have this issue anymore!! WRONG!!

Yesterday moning I was washing dishes and he came to me pointing at his nose saying uh-oh...I said "Son, there better not be anything up your nose" I got a flashlight and layed him on the bed and sure enough there was something up there. I couldnt tell what it was but it was pretty far up there and I didnt think I was going to be able to get it on my own without someone helping me hold him. I contemplated calling John at work but figured I would try to get it out myself first. Of course he wouldnt be still so I called over to my inlaws house (they live next door) and my brother in law was home so we headed over there so he could help me hold him down. Once I layed him down and started messing with his nose he started to sneeze..after a few sneezes he blew a balled up sticker out of his nose..WHEW!! I disciplined him and am really hoping we are not going to have this problem anymore. Everytime he sniffles the wrong way I immediately start thinking he has something else up there haha.. This boy sure keeps me on my toes lol

Craft Fair

Last Saturday I participated in my first craft fair and had a blast. Pretty Please Designs has taken off and I am loving every minute of it. This was my first craft fair so I wasnt sure exactly how things would go but it turned out great. I am looking forward to all the other craft fairs I have signed up for and continuing to get my name out there!!! Here is a Turkey Bow I made last week that has been a big hit. Check out my facebook page for more of my cute accessories...www.facebook.com/prettypleasedesignslk

Fall Festivals

We have really been enjoying getting out in the nice weather and taking the kids to as many fall festivals as we can find!! A few weeks ago we went to one at a church on the Southside that the kids really loved. It was a small festival but that was nice for the kids because they got to do more without being run over by big kids. We also decided we would take them to a festival on Halloween night instead of going trick-or-treating. Kaylee of course fell asleep on the way to the festival so she was in one of those moods when we got there...she was bring a grouch and didnt want to get any candy in her bucket so we let Kyle get it all and she was really regretting that for a few days after that lol. Kyle of course had a blast. We enjoyed all the Halloween festivities but I am glad its over so we can more onto Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS!!!

Meet Spot

So we decided to get another puppy..actually, Kaylee and I decided and John finally agreed. We havent had the best luck with past dogs for one reason or another but we decided to try again. The type of dogs John and I wanted were completly opposite so we have been tring to compromise for a while. I wanted (and still do) a big dog and he wanted no dog but was willing to settle for a small dog. I like small dogs but I think they are harder to train and also worry about the kids hurting them, but I figured for now a small dog was better than no dog!! So John found someone on craigslist giving away a little rat terrier/boston terrier mix and he thought it was adorable..he showed me and of course I agreed we should get him. So a week and a half ago we brought home Spot.

Spot was a few days shy of 7 weeks when we brought him home (he is 8 weeks today). Most puppies do not leave their mom until they are at lesat 8 weeks but Spots had to be seperated from his mom because she was trying to attack the puppies. We brought him home and he has really been doing great. I have been reading a lot about the correct ways to train a puppy and have found some really useful things on the internet.

Spot is doing great with his housetraining. He has only had 1 accident in the house since we got him..that is because he is only allowed to walk around the house when he has just went to the bathroom and I am still watching him like a hawk. We have decided to train him to go potty on puppy pads on the porch instead of going outside because it is getting cold and I am not a big fan of going outside in the middle of the night. He is doing great going pee on the puppy pad but will go poop anywhere on the porch he pleases (at least its on the porch and easy to clean up and not in the house)

I have read about how important it is to make your dog understand that you are the leader and he will learn what it is that you expect from him. Spot has already learned at his young age to sit, and stay until I tell him to come. He has also learned that he has to sit at the door and wait until I tell him he can come in from the porch.

Today i took Spot outside for the first time. I have been reading that it doesnt matter how much you play and exercise the dog that nothing will compare to the amount of physical and mental exercise the dog gets when going for a walk. I learned that the dog must learn to walk beside or behind you, never in front and never pulling on the leash. We went for 2 walks today and on the second walk Spot had no problem with walking behind me. I have noticed a big difference in Spot since he got to go out and walk today. He has been much calmer in the house and didnt whine at all when he had to go into his crate.

When its to cold for Spot to go be on the porch and I can't watch him closely in the house he goes into his crate. He also goes into his crate when we leave the house. He whined at first in the crate but each day he gets better and better with being it in. Tonight is the first night he is sleeping in the crate. I have been sleeping on the couch with him since we got him because I was afraid he would whine and wake the kids but I decided since he is doing better in his crate we will try it out tonight and see how he does. So far so good!

Kaylee absolutly LOVES Spot..she is constantly wanting to hold him and play with him and she hears me trying to trach him things and she wants to help me. She is very good with him but is a little rougher than I would like her to be. Sometimes she doesnt realize he is a real little puppy not a toy lol. Kyle started out scared of the dog..he would scream any time the dog would jump up on him (another thing we are working with Spot on) but not he loves the puppy too. The first thing he says when he wakes up is "dog dog" and goes looking for Spot.

Overall Spot has been a good little pup so far and I hope he will continue to do good and be a good dog so he can stick around for a while :)