Surviving Birthday Parties and Solving Tantrums

The birthday party went well. I ended up scheduling a gymnastics party, due to weather. The thought of 8 children running around inside the house made me a bit wary. Since my son has a February birthday, we couldn’t go outside. Also, because the age range was from age 2 to age 5 (his sister is 2), I needed something that everyone would enjoy. It worked out well. They were exhausted afterwards, and they fell into bed while my husband and I watched the Superbowl.

The new book is starting to take shape. Honestly, until I get to the midpoint of the book, it’s this amorphous mass of semi-connected chapters. But it’s getting there.

I never told you how I solved the Screaming Tantrum Dilemma. Remember how my daughter threw a fit every day at daycare when I dropped her off? Yes, almost two weeks of throwing herself on the ground and crying (after she announced to me her intentions to throw aforementioned fit). You know what fixed it? A sticker. A My Little Pony sticker, left over from the doctor’s office. On the second to last day, I showed off the sticker.

“Wouldn’t you love to wear this sticker?” I asked.
Her little head bobs up and down.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Oh, yes, Mommy.” She smiles, her eyes wide.
“I’ll give it to Ms. Lorna and after I leave, she’ll let you wear it. But only if you don’t cry or throw a fit.”
“Okay, Mommy.”

So I handed the sticker over to Ms. Lorna, and Miss Skippy trotted over with nary a tear to be shed. She even smiled when I left. Little stinker. 8 FULL DAYS OF CRYING AND SCREAMING, AND SHE STOPPED FOR A FREAKING STICKER?

Why didn’t I try it sooner?