Writer's workshop--Kati got in trouble this week

The Prompts:

1.) Create a video for your blog (vlog) and participate in Tim's "vlogemotions" by talking about an emotion you've felt this week. You can link up here AND link up at Tim's place at Fort Thompson on Thursday. That's right...you have my permission to double dip.

UH, no thanks. That would mean I would actually have to get dressed and put on make up and yeah, even brush my hair and teeth. NO THANKS.

2.) Do you want a baby?

Yes. But the better question is--How many babies do you want? And the answer to that is maybe 10-12...I would love to adopt some.

3.) Who got in big trouble this week?

4.) Write a poem for your mother.

Mother, Mother dear

What a fun year

You text me all the time

So now you get a rhyme.

That's why I don't write poetry.


5.) Time for a trip? Where are you headed this summer?...Or where would you go if you COULD.

We will take a vacation this fall, when all the hoodlums...I mean kids, are back in school. When there are no lines and no crazy brats...I mean kids, and all the alcoholics...I mean adults are back at their jobs. I don't yet know where we are going. But I'm open to CHEAP suggestions. And I'll probably call my travel agent (I know, we are living the high life in OK) and she'll help me. Curing Cold Feet. Not only did she find us the BEST place in Branson last year but she's FUNNY. What's better than a funny travel agent? A free one. WHO KNEW travel agents were free?

--------------------------------------------------------

When you have a house full of kids there is bound to be at least ONE person in trouble. Usually there is always the ONE trouble maker though. It usually doesn't change from week to week. See if you recognize this face:
Yes, it's Katherine. She's our normal troublemaker. Meaning, any time of day or night (YES, the middle of the night even) you can find her being disobedient. I did pray for patience.

So Kati's goal is to earn a hamster and that was easy to help her with. If she goes a month without crying she earns the cage, one part at a time. Every time she cries she has to mark it off on the calendar and her month starts over. At first, that didn't matter at all. She was still crying a lot.

BUT THIS WEEK, and the last week or two before this, we have seen such a change in Kati. As I mentioned, disobedience follows her like a dark cloud over Eeyore. In fact, she's just like Eeyore. But these last few weeks she has gotten so much better. She has a great attitude. She's normally a girl who wants to sit in your lap and be near you and just do whatever you are doing, no matter what it is. She's usually smiling and loud and boisterous, but very negative and her mood changes like the weather in Oklahoma.

But now we are seeing her be more stable in her emotions. Plus she is showing so much more respect.

We've exchanged crying, fit throwing and disrespect for disobedience. Not exactly, because Kati disobeys a lot, but this week more than usual.

Here's a partial list:

watched a movie during rest time (big no-no to watch TV without permission)
played during rest time and did not do school work
read during rest time and did not do school work
lied about doing school work
had dessert when she wasn't suppose to
told her sister she would help her with her chores but then didn't
ate gum off the floor

I can guarantee there was more but I cannot think of more at this moment.

What about you? Can you relate to a child like this? Please tell me I'm not alone. EVEN BETTER tell me what magical thing you happened upon that worked so well that your disobedient child went to obedient in a day or two. A girl can dream, right?

Whew! Good things she's cute: