Want-y Bugs and Stuffed Rats

(Sorry...we've been down for a while. Back up!) Rodents and Insects have invaded my children's little lives.

Insects: Want-y Bugs. Robby sometimes gets into complaining. Can you imagine??? A five year old boy complaining? I know. Well, as it goes, one day I looked at him and said: "Oh my! You have Want-y bugs crawling all over you! You've got a case of the Wants! What are you going to do? I know! Don't fret. The cure: You must quickly name something you are thankful for. For each thankful idea, a bug is flung outside! Think. And now name a something you are thankful for."

He looked at me, smiled and said: "How many do I have?"

I debated about telling him 50.

But I decided on 5.

And with each thankful statement, we cracked up at where the bug landed in the back yard.

Distraction plus creativity plus humor equals complaining evaded. Whew. May the Want-y Bugs not land on you from our property....

Rodents: Robby requested to take home this silly little stuffed rat that he insisted was a mouse from Ikea. A cool $3.99. We splurged last month. He LOVES this "mouse" and has affectionately named it Squeaks after a main character of The Magic Tree House series. However, Olive has also really taken to it, for whatever reason, too. It's become an absolute favorite, point of contention, and means of practicing sharing. I keep giving her Pooh-bear and a monogramed elephant....nope.

You can lead a baby to a sweet bear but you can't make her like it. Weird rat, excuse me, mouse, for all. Sigh....