Parenting Works...yesss!

Today two significant events occurred which caused me to notice a very positive milestone in the life of my sweet Loralei. You all have been such wonderful cheerleaders over the years that I wanted to share with you. This morning the off-limits playroom we are currently painting lime green was broken into by Loralei. She dipped her hands and the paint brush into the can of lime green paint and proceeded to paint the ladder, her hair, her hands, the chalk board table, the tarp on the floor and her sister BUT there was not a drop of green paint on her clothes. In the hysteria of the moment this important detail eluded me. Later this afternoon I walked into the living room and found Loralei methodically spreading Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge all over the coffee table. In the .00005 seconds it took me to run through the kitchen and do a roll dive over the toys, puppies and vacuum cleaner before reaching her I noticed something fascinating. She was being VERY particularly careful not to get it on her clothes. I saw her eyes look from her chocolate covered hands to the chocolate covered table and then to her shirt. She carefully scooted her belly an inch to the left so she could continue to rub and eat the chocolate without it touching her clothes. Finally, after almost three years of me instructing her "Don't wipe your hands on your clothes" it has sunk in! The sky is the limit now my friends - PARENTING WORKS!!! I'm thinking of taking the whole family to dinner!