The Chronicles Continue

Oh me.  Well, today I discovered that the second type of door knob cover is no match for the J Man.  He sticks his wee little finger through the hole and turns the knob.  That little sneak.  He was opening the closet door as easily as he can pick up a ball.  Unfortunately, a door knob cover is the only thing keeping him from going down into the basement.  And putting him in the family room is of no use as he can easily hop the childproof gate.  So, Double O Daddy pulled out his trusty screwdriver and swapped the basement door knob with one that locks, putting the locking mechanism on the basement side of the door.  Now, we just need one of those little keys to get down there.  Whew.  Crisis averted.  Well, at least that crisis anyway.  Both kids are now proficient at climbing the steps, but only the J Man has any idea of how to get back down.  Do they make kid-sized hamster balls?

Well, here are two more things I never thought I'd say...
1.  Don't vacuum your sister's head!  (The J Man loves to pretend he's vacuuming.)
2.  Stop laughing and punish the boy!  (You know, it really is difficult to dole out any kind of effective punishment when your husband is laughing.)

Beauty Secrets

I suppose it's no secret that I think my kids are great. They're talented, cute, funny, sweet, intelligent, good looking... But of course, I'm a bit biased. :D When Pretty Girl started smiling and laughing (back at week 1 of her life), I told her that she was pretty and that smiling and laughing made her even prettier. I used to say that smiling added at least 10 pretty points and laughing added at least 50. She must have taken that to heart because she does both most of every day. Since she started eating in a high chair (instead of my lap) and eating something other than milk/formula, I've been picking up on her beauty secrets. They're good for just about anyone, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Pretty Girl's Beauty Secrets

1. Smile.  A smiling face is a lot more attractive than a non-smiling face.
2. Eat breakfast.  She is a good eater, and breakfast is no exception.
3. Eat fruit.  Fruit is good for you and helps keep you healthy while helping you maintain a healthy weight.  But Pretty Girl doesn't care about that.  She just likes the way it tastes, so she has it for breakfast and snacks throughout the day.
4. Eat your vegetables.  She wishes this weren't such an important beauty secret, especially when it comes to broccoli, green beans, and peas.
5. Eat whole grains.  They are often crunchy and feel good on the gums.
6. Drink your milk (if you can).  It's good for your bones and teeth.  She likes hers spiked with a touch of prune juice.
7. Get plenty of beauty sleep.  This not only helps the body by giving it time to repair itself, but it also puts you in a better mood.  And the better the mood, the more you smile.  The more you smile, the more pretty points you have.
8. Brush your teeth.  She loves to do this.  And she giggles whenever she flicks water in her face while playing with the bristles.
9. Clean up.  Being healthy and clean are two ways to look attractive in Pretty Girl's book.  Although I must admit, she doesn't like to see the mouth mop coming her direction after mealtime.
10. Exercise.  Fortunately for her she has the J Man to run after and keep her busy when I run out of steam.  They enjoy chasing each other around the house.  It's great.  They both giggle ferociously.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful kids!
11. Be kind, sweet, and loving.  I tell Pretty Girl that her sweet and affectionate attitude is the biggest factor in making her so pretty.  Pretty on the inside counts more than pretty on the outside. 

Well, there you have it.  Now you know all of Pretty Girl's beauty secrets.  May you be as attractive as she is.