A childhood right of passage!

Yesterday, Ace went on a field trip to the Capital! This is a Michigan child's right of passage! Needless to say, he was THRILLED and prepared the last 2 yrs for this day!!!

He had an awesome time and learned lots!!!!!!!

Too much cuteness going on!

Tonight Tank had his Preschool Christmas Program and it was toooo cute! All the little 3 and 4 year olds up on stage dressed up and waving! So cute! He knew all his songs and all the hand motions and animated!

 There he comes in the red sweater with a white collar!!

 Not a nose pick but an eye pick!!

 After with his best bud J!

 Tank and A(Q's girl) and J's little sister!

 My little boys are getting so big!!!

 Some treats for a job well done!!!

 And because he's the little brother!!

 Then add J who is J and A's cousin.........

 and then A again...and it is a 5 ring circus!!!!!!! They loved it!

 "I love A.....mommy"

 "seeeeeeeee>......................"

 "gonna go for it....."

 "TOLD YOU I DO LOVE HER"

A great night and a wonderful tradition that is now 4 years long....next year will be Q's turn...can it be????

A good bribe!

Well, I for one, am  not a parent that is against a bribe, or a few! I firmly and whole hearted believe in them! I don't know about you but, why not? The ideas flow freely from my mind! Like today  I was having Tank get dressed for school and he was in a mood. He was going at a slow slow pace. I was getting frustrated and announced "hey, get done by the time I reach 10 and you can have some pop"! Yes, I know it was 8:45 in the morning but so what! I needed to get him to preschool by 9. It worked! Then on the way out from dropping him off Q needed some bribes to stay in his car seat. "wanna go get a cookie and ride "Bullseye" at Meijer?, then sit nicely and I will take you??" It worked too! I then picked up the big kids and was at it again. "Boomer finish your homework without tears and you can watch a movie on my bed before dinner, by yourself!!" Worked again. And finally, I asked Ace to put away his laundry and if he did it fast correctly and nicely, he could get DSI time. And that worked too. My house is ALWAYS wild, so full of noise and running and laughter,that I enjoy....... but, hey honestly, at times I need quiet  and I need it now. I must have some sanity ,oh and some caffeine so I use it in full force once again...."next one to run or scream will go to bed early, sit on the naughty step and lose dessert and the quietest can have a BIG long bedtime story and the naughty ones dessert too" That works, almost, most of the time, and the times it does not well....I find a new one to work ! my favorite still is the quiet game for a big bribe like McDonalds or a dollar. Tv time and the all time favorite of One on One time!
Truthfully, I make a million bribes a day between the four of them...and I say it works. I know I will have to up my bribes as they grow and I am OK with it if it means some sanity on my part. After all, it is usually 4 against me over here and I need those bribes! So if you see me at the store or out and about and you hear me spew 30 bribes that are crazier than the next, smile and know if I don't, I would be the crazy lady running and chasing 4 crazy kids around with reckless abandon and now complience. Santa is coming and I am his number one fan....he can call and set them straighter than an arrow in 10 sec flat.. wish I had those magical powers!!!!! Do you bribe??? About what??