These Guys

These guys are definitely in some stages. With Bradley, we've resorted to bribery to stop the in-class tantrums with surprising effectiveness. We made a chart. He gets a smiley for the day with no crying or whining and an X if he cries or whines. If he gets all smileys for the week, he gets a toy. He has managed two weeks without a meltdown. The teacher loves him but this is a challenge because he is the youngest in class. Some kids are over a year older than him.

Abby, meanwhile, has started Wild Kingdom 2 year-old stage. She says she doesn't want something, then she wants it, then she only wants Daddy to give it to her, then she throws it and then she sits and cries. Hopefully, these past few days of that are just a blip. She is generally sweet, but when she's hungry, watch out. The worst thing is she gets too mad to eat and then it's tough to resolve. Could be worse, we're sure.
We are in Nanny Scramble 2013 as we wait for their new nanny to start and we try to get in what work we can. TV has been our friend these past two weeks!

When not having a tantrum, Abby is very sweet. She gives things to her brother and she also plays doctor. She tells us to come to her office and she'll give us a checkup. She'll tell Bradley, as they're watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates, "it's okay, Bradley, it's only pirates," while rubbing his back. A very determined girl, she insists on doing everything for herself. Everything.