Watch it happen

I get mocked pretty frequently for the amount of pictures I post. First off, it's my blog, I can post as many as I want. Secondly, if you had Picasa and could email as many as you wanted directly to blogger, you might be more tempted (altho even Picasa still has the audacity to ask me "Email 38 files?"). Thirdly, I never know which ones are the real winners. Based on the baby pictures people send out, we don't always agree on what "cute" is. So, I like to give you options.

Today's post is no different- maybe even more pics than usual...and not because they're all so darn cute but because they are all pieces in a some process or bigger whole from the day.

For example: "Eating your first Nutrigrain bar"

or "Becoming enchanted by the beetle"

or "Being part of a team"

or "Watching a UK TV" (the ONLY good thing about a front-loading washer the size of a thimble)

or "Playing at the park with my dad"

(and my mom)

or "The end of summer"

Sidenote:

You may not have recognized that pretty little girl in the photos. That's because she no longer is a thumb-sucker. The day at the park was her reward (of her own choosing) for ceasing to mutilate her thumb. I am amazed at what Mavala Stop (great tip, Carrie!) and a little bribery can accomplish in one day.

If you'd like more details:

Rebekah has been an avid thumb-sucker since 4 months old. It has not for one second hindered her ability to speak endlessly with multi-syllabic words, but it is a habit I felt needed breaking by 3. My friend and mentor Carrie suggested Mavala Stop- it is a clear nail polish-like product for this very purpose.

So, I had the right product, but I needed her buy-in. Fortunately for us, our elder child is very susceptible to positive thinking, pride, and bribery. Positive thinking: You can choose to stop sucking you thumb! Pride: Do you want to be a big girl? and Bribery: You can choose whatever you want for quitting sucking your thumb. Rebekah was all in from day 1- she even helped me paint it on, and while it lasts for days (based on my test thumb which still is awful when I use my fingers to eat something), she asks for it to be reapplied at least daily.

She openly admitted that she sucked her thumb a little bit that first night ("I just wanted to see what it tasted like- it was yucky."). She did not do it again. I know, as all mothers do, what my kids do (or don't do) by the tell-tale signs on their persons. In this case, there were no wrinkles on her thumb. Additionally, no sightings during the day, when resting, or when reading books.

Mission accomplished. Thank you, Lord, for another easy win where I expected a drawn-out battle.