Excuse Me

We have been trying to teach Marin how to politely interrupt us when we are talking to each other. She typically just yells "stop talking." I have told her when she needs something and mommy and daddy are talking she needs to say excuse me. We were eating dinner one night and Marin yells, "Excuse me, stop talking." She was being ignored and did not like it. I told her that she could not interrupt us to tell us to stop talking and that she needs to have a question or a request for something. Twenty seconds later, Ed and I hear, "Excuse me". I ask Marin what she needs. I am positive she was going to tell us to stop talking, but you could see the switch go on in her head and all of a sudden we hear, "CANDY, please." Yes, we rewarded her with a piece of candy and laughter.

Doodlebops!

We are trying to grow out Marin's bangs and she was refusing to let me put anything in her hair to keep her bangs out of her eyes. Ed and I both tried on a regular basis and we might have gotten a barette in, but Marin took it right out. I was getting to the point where I thought we were going to have to cut the bangs. I then found hair binders from when I was a kid. There were ones with two round balls on the ends and my mom told me I called them "thing-a-ma-bobs". This then let to me telling Marin they were "doodlebops". The Doodlebops are a kid musical group that Marin likes. I told Marin that when she wears doodlebops in her hair she too is a member of the Doodlebops. We now have a little girl who will only wear doodlebops in her hair......barettes are still pulled right out.

Big Moments

We had our first poop on the toilet a couple weekends ago. Marin has be going potty on the toilet before baths, but really has not shown any real interest in potty training. She was slightly constipated and pooped a little in her diaper and we asked to put her on the toilet. She really did not want to go, but did, and pooped. I have since told her that she would get Lifesaver gummies (these are her favorite candy) when she goes on the toilet. Last weekend she pooped in her diaper and then asked to sit on the toilet. She told Ed, "making more poop on toilet." Ed told her that she just went and that she could try to go potty. After 45 minutes, 16 ounces of water, and running the bathtub she finally went! She has shown no real interst since.

An area that we are succeeding, is sleeping in a big girl bed at our house and grandma & grandpa's house. She has been in a full size bed for three weeks now. All of her furniture was moved into Lucky's room and all of the furniture in Lucky's room got moved into Marin's. We talked about Lucky needing a crib to sleep in and that Marin was going to be a big girl and get a new bed. For about a week we "visited her new bed" before bedtime while it was still in Lucky's room. We also told her she could have a cupcake party with her cousins if she slept in her big girl bed. She got to have her party! Either Ed and I have great parenting skills, or we are just very lucky (I think that this is the real answer), Marin has not gotten out of her bed once without permission and has been sleeping through the night. She still goes and visits her old bed in Lucky's room and tells us it is "Lucky's new bed."

Pa & Daddy are the Bosses

A few weeks ago, my mom was asking Marin to do something and Marin was not listening.

My Mom: Marin, I am the boss and you need to listen.
Marin: No, Pa and daddy are the bosses.

When I first heard this I was somewhat upset. Ed and I are not raising her in such a way to think that men are the bosses and women aren't! Ed told her that I was actually the boss. Marin told him "no". After much discussion with Marin, I have learned that no other men besides Pa and daddy can be the boss. I told Marin that she could be the boss and she told me "no". I will make sure that I remind her of that often.

Hide & Seek

Marin has been into playing hide & seek lately. We finally got blinds on our patio doors and she thinks they are the best place to hide. She will hear someone coming in from the garage and go running behind them to hide. Another good hiding place for Marin is to just cover her eyes. If she can't see you, you must not be able to see her either!

ER Visit

We made our first trip to the emergency room Monday night as freaked out parents. Marin had been fine all day and when I check on her at 10:30am before I went to bed her breathing was labored and it was all in her chest. Then at 12:30am she woke us up with a seal barking cough and her breathing was much more labored. I got her out of bed and talked to her and all she did was cry. I tried to give her water and she refused...I tried giving her a popsicle and she refused and continued to cry hysterically. Ed was on the line with the nurse and she told us if we were concerned we should bring her in. Concerned was a much calmer word than either one of us would have used.

We got to the emergency room and they put us right in a room. We saw a doctor pretty quick too. It turns out Marin has the Croup (we now take her outside or bring her into the bathroom with the shower on to help her breath). They gave her medication and we were home by 3:30am. She slept the rest of the night without a sound. While we were at the ER they brought in a VCR and movies. After Dumbo was over Marin looks at Ed and I and said "Watch movie together at doctor." We think that she thought this was the coolest thing. Plus she got a popsicle. She is still barking like a seal and now is running a fever, but is still her silly self and seems to be taking it all in stride.