An Up And Down Day

What a day! It was like living with two Gracie's today as she showed the very best and very worst sides of herself.

The day started off with a "whimper," and then a temper tantrum and then a time out. Gracie has had time outs before, but they were few and far between and they usually involved sitting in her daddy's lap with the TV off--the punishment being having to sit still with out anything to look at.

Now that she is growing, it is time for big girl "time outs." The morning was rough, but the time out happened around noon when Gracie was mad because she couldn't get the lid off her magnet container and threw some books off the shelf in the kitchen. I asked Gracie to help pick up the books (she is too little to understand "you made the mess, you clean it up). When she refused, I walked her back over to the pile of books on the floor and asked her again to help me. When she smacked my hand, I warned her that we don't hit in this house and that she needed to help me clean up. This time she kicked the books, she got a second warning (I think she is too little for just one warning, so I give her one more so she really understands) and was asked to help me pick up the books, again. This time she shoved me. That was it. I turned the rocking chair in our living room around to face the wall. She wailed and wailed. This time though, my honry little tyke decided she would see how far she could push me. She got out of the chair and smirked at me. I stayed calm, put her back in the chair and told her she had 2 minutes left in time out. She got out of the chair 3 more times before she knew I meant business. I remained calm during the time out and then turned the chair around to face me while she was still sitting, and told her why she was being punished. I gave her a hug and wiped her nose and we went on with the day.

Now, you would think that was the end of that...but, no. 30 minutes later I asked her if she wanted to color, she did. I got out the crayons. We colored for a few minutes and then she started to throw crayons. I warned her twice and then took the crayons away. She threw a temper-tantrum. Since she was sitting and fussing, and I had already punished her by taking the crayons away, I didn't think another time out was warranted. It took about 3 minutes, but she calmed down and ate the lunch I fixed her. Believe it or not, besides a few whining incidents later in the day, Gracie was an angel. I think she really got the message that mommy may be the "easier parent," but I am no fool!

Not long after the coloring incident, I decided to see if she would try to potty. She sat and we read and wouldn't you know it--but she pottied. It has been months since the last time she went piddle in the potty, but she remembered she was supposed to get a potty sticker. We celebrated the accomplishment and then settled in for a nap. Mommy's reward was a baby fast asleep in about 15 minutes!

We spent a good rest of the day coloring with chalk on the deck, playing "egg hunt," (she had so much fun yesterday finding the eggs, that I hid them again while she was down for nap and we searched all over the house for them again, she loved it--but was disappointed a little that there wasn't anything inside the eggs) and reading books.

All in in all it was a up and down day. The picture of Gracie in the rocking chair was from her "time out" today, don't worry she didn't see me take it.

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