Bronte & Pinkie Bucks

yiiiieeeeeee!!

AMEN!

Every once in a while, a Friday will roll around and we'll be on semi cruise control, as there's not always a lot of movement as the week closes out. Today was the absolute opposite, reflecting the four prior days that came and went at a very similar full throttle pace.

Elisa and I were charged with the lunch run, a task rewarded by the culinary wonders of Bronte Bistro in Rookwood. No complaints here!

salmon nicoise (: 

Our plates were cleared [well, for the most part] when we all parted ways for the next couple of days. I headed off to Milford to pick up Sydni, thus the birth of our next and newest project: Operation Pinkie Bucks.

pinkie bucks! ♥♥

You see, I learned today from Mindi that for the first time ever, Sydni intentionally acted out while she was there during the day. That might not phase most parents, but of the few people we have here who've known Sydni for as far back as Mindi has, it's more than unusual. On top of that, she's been digressing in her consistency with having potty accidents.

For all my fellow mommy friends out there: I already know by way of general survey that I'm not alone in facing many of the challenges of kiddos as they grow into and out of all the different stages of kiddo development. The milestones are different for every kid. I'm no clinical psychologist, but I don't need a magnifying glass to see that every human alive responds differently to stress. Sydni's situation [the new little half-sister, obviously on his side] is obviously a huge adjustment for any child to face.

Syd, I've learned [yenno, from hanging out with her for about I dunno, the 5 years & some change that she's been... well, alive..], it's that she has to know that whatever she's doing, that it has purpose and that she owns it. That's basic principle for most of us, but how do you tell a 5-year-old that she suddenly is expected to share everything she has, including her family, with this new baby - who for now cries a lot and steals the spotlight in many ways, without her feeling like somehow she's been sidelined? You don't. What I know I can do for her, is to give her some other purpose, even a temporary one, that is 100% hers. It's a small thing, really, but to her, it's something she can control.

So here's the deal, folks:

Sydni wants THIS:

my little pony | equestria girls
pinkie pie

[Yes, btw, My Little Pony now has people characters.] We're lookin' at a whopping 12ish bucks for this one, but I wanted to make this hers. So she's earning it. For each day that we avoid having accidents, she'll get a buck. That couples with no more of these minor behavioral glitches; if she's mindful of them both and intentional about her actions each day, she'll earn $1 towards buying it. Let me tell you this - we've been committed to this for about 5 hours now, and she's elated that she just earned her first Pinkie Buck. I'm excited for her. ♥

I think it's gonna be a great weekend. Tomorrow it's Mom & Dad [aka Nana & Pappy] and whatever else we find ourselves getting into.

Make it a great weekend, blogbots! ♥

xo | cmd