Lucy

We've had a breakthrough with Lucy's bedtime chart!

She has been filling this chart out for some time now (maybe almost a year?) and at first she got a prize for getting all four stickers a night for three nights in a row.  A while back, I increased it to four nights in a row before getting a prize and pretty recently, I increased it again to five days.

The prizes in the prize bag she gets to choose from are little things I find on clearance for less than $5 - a Shopkins two pack, mini Monster High figures, Happy Meal prizes (sometimes I specifically get a Happy Meal for lunch when the kids aren't with me so I can stick the prize in the prize bag)...but I have been challenging her to fill out a whole sheet - two whole weeks worth of not arguing at bedtime and getting things done (brushing teeth, going potty, not arguing / going upstairs quietly, and not calling until morning).

She's come close several times with only one or two X's on a chart...but FINALLY!  She did it!  I'd been telling her she would get a "big prize" if she filled out a whole chart but never elaborated.  She finally did it and had the nerve to say, "I don't even need a chart anymore now that I'm five!" (she's been five since the end of March but didn't manage to get a complete chart until July...)

Hooray!!!!!

There was a Build-a-Bear gift card in a basket filled with random baby/kids items I got at an auction a few years ago that has been sitting on the shelf ever since...I figured building a bear and a trip to the mall would make for an excellent bedtime chart prize.

So the day after the final sticker was placed on her chart, I picked her up from school and we headed to the mall...she loved building & bathing her bear and picking out the perfect dress for her!

Next, we rode the carousel and ate dinner in the food court...she even stuck her new bear in a high chair to join us.

I had a coupon to Orange Leaf so after we wandered the mall a bit, we headed over for some frozen yogurt topped with 12 pounds of candy...yum!

That night, she did great at bedtime - no chart needed!  Dave and I were soooooo excited!
The very next night, however, evil Lucy returned with a vengeance - screaming, throwing things, arguing galore...we were so disappointed...I took the new bear away and told her she wouldn't get it back until she showed she deserved it.
Luckily, that demonic night was a one-time reprieve and she's since earned her bear back and has been good (for the most part) at bedtime (without the chart and promise of prizes!) ever since...she's growing up!


She and I recently got invited to spend the day at Coney Island with her BFF Ava and her mom.  We got there as soon as the pool opened and spent a few hours splashing around before eating lunch.  After lunch we headed over to the park for rides & games...such a fun day!  Lucy and I think Max would love it there, too, so we plan to try to take him before school starts and summer ends...

She wanted to ride the roller coaster!  Ava wasn't into it so I got to be her partner...she loved it and wanted to do it again!

She won these froggies!

She starts kindergarten next week and she's pretty nervous about it...I would never admit this to her, but I am super nervous about it myself!  I don't want her to grow up!  She's going to do great, though, and will love her new adventures - especially riding the school bus with Cleo or Dominic.  She has one friend from Kids & Cribs going to St. Joe's like her so please cross your fingers that she and Emma are in the same class - I know that would really help my girl feel a little more comfortable...