So about that bribery...

It totally worked. My sweet Holden is no longer the vicious biter he was a week ago.

I really had no idea if it would really work or if he would 'get it' but he did. He asks for a ball every day after school and his teachers are now saying he is having awesome days instead of a biting report.




We capped his 'winnings' at three new balls and we just keep one of the balls in the car & he gets to hold it on the way home if he didn't bite. It seems to be enough for him!!

I am so proud of him! & so glad we don't have to be constantly worried about his biting & if it's going to stop.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from H3!!!



I must say...Valentine's Day is so much more fun when you have kids. Henry is finally at the age where he 'gets' holidays so of course I am eating that up & taking every chance I can to make it special for them.

So last night I pureed some strawberries to make heart shaped strawberry pancakes. I got them all packed and ready to go with them to school this morning.



I saw all sorts of super cute Valentine ideas on Pinterest but I just didn't have it in me to go crazy so I bought pretzel packs [my sister has officially named me that mom who doesn't give candy :)] & slapped a printed label and called it a day.




& for their teachers I got a variety of pink & red nail polish and bundled them up. I thought they would appreciate something other than candy :)




Now for gifts...Ryan & I had originally said that we weren't doing gifts but then he decided he was going to get me something. So last Friday he had given me the cutie heart TOMS & I thought that was it. Well late last night as I was working, he came down with a Tiffany's box. Yeah I have never, ever gotten anything from there so I was SHOCKED! Inside was a beautiful bracelet that he had picked out all by himself.



I'm a pretty lucky girl! I did get the kids some pretty neat blankets but I'm saving those pictures for a different post.

Oh & you'll never guess what I got for Ryan......windshield wiper blades. It could likely get the prize for the worst Valentine's Day gift ever but like one of my friends said, "Nothing says love like safety!"

Tonight my sister and her friend are coming over to watch the kids while Ryan & I go out to dinner. We originally weren't going to go out but they literally begged us to let them watch the kids so who can say no to that?!?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Timberwolves.

Henry is pretty much a sports nut and most recently he has become slightly obsessed with the Timberwoves basketball team. And in particular he loves Ricky Rubio.

He has already been to a couple games but I have yet to be there with him so I decided that Saturday was the perfect night for a mommy-auntie-Henry date.











We all had a really great time. Henry has the cutest little wolf call and loves cheering & clapping along to the chants.

I think Ryan was a bit jealous as I was sending him pictures throughout the game so I am guessing Henry will be going to another game pretty soon :)

Bribery.

Holden is a biter. My sweet, dimple smiled Holden will come at you with his cute, little teeth and take a munch when you aren't looking.

He has recently gotten much better at home and really only bites when him and Henry are wrestling but daycare is another story.

I get a report just about every day that he has bit at least one other kid. I dread picking him up because I just don't want to hear about the kids that he bit during the day.

Anyways so we & his teachers have tried literally everything. Ignoring the behavior, time outs, redirecting, giving him a vibrating teether when he bites, giving him an ice teether when he bites, reminding him that biting hurts...you name it, we've tried it. Well I refuse to bite my own child to show him how it feels so we didn't try that but everything aside from physically biting or harming him, we've tried.

My last resort...bribery!

I asked Holden yesterday morning if he would like to go to Target and get a new ball. He shook his head like crazy with a huge smile. I then told him that if he doesn't bite any kids at school, we would go to Target and he could pick out any ball he wanted.

I had no idea if it would work but we are desperate to have him stop biting the other kids. So I walk into daycare last night and he looks at me and starts saying, "ball! ball! ball!"...so I asked his teacher if he bit anyone. Nope! Not one bite.

I hugged him extra tight and off to Target we went.








He picked a snazzy new football. I told Ryan I will buy him 100 new balls if it means he will stop biting.

We'll see how today goes :)

Children's Museum

My aunt sent my kids some money for Christmas so we decided a few weeks ago that we were going to buy a year long family pass to the Children's Museum.

And thank goodness we did. It's the perfect place to take the kids for a couple hours to get all their willies out. Holden is finally at the age where he can really get into the different things it has to offer but we still have to keep a very close eye on him- he's a runner and darts from room to room pretty darn fast!

Wordless Wednesday.