Training Days

It is baby boot camp around here. The past couple of weeks both Ben and Clara have been in training with often times laughable results.

Clara loves mat time and wants to roll over, sit-up, scoot and basically wishes she was able to move like her big brother. Ben was always a slowpoke but this little lady is ready to move.

We introduced Ben to his potty (Leah is SO dreading this phase of parenthood) last week. The first few nights before his bath he was eager to give it a sit, read a book or two and beam proudly. Now he wants nothing to do with the thing...so we will wait and try again in a few months. Yes, our lives really are this exciting.

Another feeble attempt on our quest to be responsible parents is to get Clara on a sleep schedule. Maybe because she is our baby girl, dangerously cute and her first few months were in the midst of all of Leah's thyroid cancer treatment, well,...she is spoiled. She loves to cuddle and be held and wants nothing to do with the concept of falling asleep on her own.

Ben has always been a kid to choose fun times and happiness over being right, his tantrums are dramatic but swift. Clara for the most part is laid back and cheerful but we are also discovering she is stubborn, persistent and will not change her mind, very much like Mark in his pursuit of Leah back in the day! So to sum up our sleep training success, the past two nights she slept in our bed, but she had a cold!!

And lastly, we have introduced into Casa Watson the Naughty Chair. Ben either is excited to go to the Naughty Chair- as he is in the midst of misbehaving he will chant "Naughty Chair! Naughty Chair!" or he is distraught for the entire minute his bottom is in the chair and then stands up and says "OK" and all is well. How is a parent supposed to keep a stern, straight face when they are hauling their kid to the Naughty Chair while he pleads "No, thank you. No, thank you."

We will let you judge who is training who.