Well, it finally happened.

Yesterday, Syd kept asking for my help with something.

And I (repeatedly) explained to her that I was busy and couldn't help her right then.

So she started tapping her foot and said, "I want you to help me right now."

and I said "no."

and she said, "One...two..."

and I cracked up laughing. And fortunately, I didn't get a time-out because then she got totally distracted with counting.

Did I mention she can count to 13? Then she starts skipping all around. And we're working on her ABCs....she does very well up until "H" and then wants to skip ahead to "now I know my ABCs..."

More about the Yellow Cards

So this weekend we were at the pool and we met another family who has a daughter in Sally's kindie class. Andy was relating the story about the yellow card and the dad seemed quite surprised.

He turned to his daughter and asked, "Megan, have you ever gotten a yellow card?"

She looked at him as much to say "duh" and replied, "Of course" in a very matter of fact tone.

Ha! I'm diggin' this school so far. Lotsa laughs...

Sally got her first "yellow card" today

Sally's class has a special "warning" system...everyone starts the day with a green card showing. If a child is being uncooperative (not listening, being whiny, being sassy, etc.) then they have to put their yellow card on display. If they get a red card, their parents get contacted.

Today Sally told us that she got a yellow card. Apparently "everyone else" got a Bison Bravo (a positive reinforcement tool where the kids get "caught" doing something good) except she didn't -- she got a yellow card instead.

Well, it was bound to happen, right? And hey, she nearly made it 2 weeks without getting sassy, I think that's a record!

Another Sydney-ism

Sally: "Hey, I know where milk comes from. Do you know where milk comes from?"

Sydney: "Mmmm-hmmm. The store."

Sally Starts Kindergarten Tomorrow!

I can hardly believe it, but our little Miss Sally starts kindergarten tomorrow.

This past Sunday we took the kids to Pirate's Cove -- a small waterpark about 20 mins from our house. We had a blast and (thankfully) nobody got sunburned. And what a great deal -- much less expensive than water parks I'm accustomed to in Florida and the South. (about $7 per kid, $8 per adult vs. the $20-$30 pp we've paid at other parks in years gone by)

Yesterday we went to Sally's school for her assessment with her teacher. We dropped off all her community school supplies and she also had her school photo taken, so we are waiting another day or two to be able to see those online and possibly order some.

Sally did a great job in her assessment (surprised? of course not) and her teacher told her she will be the smartest kid in her class. Maybe the teacher tells all the kids that, but either way, it made a good impression on Sally.

Sally loves her teacher, thinks she is super-nice, and Andy and I were impressed with her during the parent orientation Tuesday night.

Tomorrow's the big day! Wish us all luck!

Why Melissa Won "Next Food Network Star"

If you're a fan of the show, I'm sure you may have your own opinions about this, but I noticed something very interesting while we were watching last night's finale of "The Next Food Network Star."

About 5 minutes into the show I asked my husband to pause the TiVo.

"I think Melissa is going to win," I announced.

"Why's that?" asked hubby.

Simple. I noticed a few important factors that even creative editing can't hide:

1 - Jeffrey is massively ATTACHED. And we all know how attachment can wreak havoc on our ability to manifest.

2 - Melissa is always talking about how she's doing, how much fun she's having, and how she would LOVE to have her own show.

3 - On the other hand, Jeffrey is always talking about WINNING -- how he needs to win, how it will prove something to his family, and how he wants to win so bad he can taste it (pardon that pun)

By the last few minutes of the show, I was convinced I was right. Even as Melissa & Jeffrey sat waiting in anticipation to hear the announcement of the winner (and according to the judges, it truly was a real squeaker), Melissa further demonstrated her clear desire+detachment with a comment to the effect of "well, if I had to lose, I'm glad it would be to Jeffrey" whereas you could see the sheer NEED on Jeffrey's face

Better luck next time Jeffrey. Melissa eeked past ya this time. Which is kind of a bummer, 'cuz ingredient smuggler would have been a cool name for a show. I'm still trying to find harisa in my area. We'll see how Melissa's first show airs this weekend...