Sad Spot Chair

Keagan has entered his second year of life and even though he isn't two yet, it gives me grounds to classify his new ill-behavior as none other than "terrible two" behavior!  I know this will get worse and I can only hope that we can keep some control (and sanity!) as we dive deeper into this new stage of toddlerhood.  All-in-all, Keagan is a really good boy.  It's just this new independence and defiance that makes Josh and I stand in shock as Keagan shakes his head and says "no."  All semblances of our baby are gone.  We have a full-fledge child on our hands now!  Sooo...enter the Sad Spot Chair.  (for Keagan, not mommy and daddy)

When Keagan entered his new school I began noticing big-boy attitudes and behaviors at home that we hadn't had to deal with yet.  So I discussed this with his teachers and asked what they did to keep control.  They laughed at me and said that Keagan rarely needed reprimanding, to which I responded with a laugh.  "No, really. What do you do?" I asked.  They replied that other kids would sit in the Sad Spot (i.e. time out).  So we implemented a Sad Spot, and recently got a chair for Sad Spot.  And now I know Keagan knows what the Sad Spot is because if I threaten him to go sit there, he generally pipes down (thus, I think his teachers are lying to me!  but nice of them to feed me bull that my child is wonderful, charming, and perfect...because I really do think that of him!).

We don't have to use the Sad Spot Chair daily, but there are days when we use it time after time after time until he goes to bed.  Today was one of those days.  So, I took some pictures of him.  (the blog has been slow lately)  It's weird to grab the camera and start snapping pics when you are reprimanding your kid and trying to be all serious-like. 

Here's what you get when you combine:

1) Orange Chair (from The Container Store)

2) Little Piggy time-out Timer:

3) And a whiney child who refuses to mind or blatantly ignores you and might even throw a toy out of anger.  Said child might even hang onto your leg(s), follow you around the house crying as you try and separate yourself from him, and/or throw himself onto the floor and boo-hoo 'till tears spray from his eyes (I know, you are feeling bad for him aren't you?  That's what he wants you to feel.  Don't fall for it.)

Anyways, combine the above three ingredients and you get Sad Spot Chair: 

Pretty sad, isn't it?  Not really...I am not buying it.  I am a mean mommy, I guess.  But really.  Come live a day with us when he starts up his bad behavior.  You'll threaten and/or use Sad Spot Chair.  (and just so you don't turn me into CPS, this is an acceptable form of reprimanding.  I do 1 minute of time out because he is a year old.  Super Nanny uses it.)

Switching gears just a bit.  Have you wondered why I don't do monthly pictures anymore?  Well, a) it isn't as exciting as months 1-12, b) it took a ton of time, and c) Keagan REFUSES to sit still (unless he's on the Sad Spot Chair...and, well, you see how those pics turn out!). 

But the other day after church I wanted to take some "Thanksgiving" pics with Tom, our front porch turkey-pumpkin.  Keagan was in a good mood, so I assumed he'd do well...and Josh was home to help me get some smiles.  Um. Boy, was I wrong.  Here's what I got...

And since Tom the Turkey-Pumpkin was the only one to sit still, he got his picture taken.  (See why I don't do monthly pics anymore?  They'd all have the whiney face or running away look.)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So Wicked.

This past weekend was a Girls' Weekend in Nashville!  I haven't had a girls' weekend in a loooooooooong time...and they typically revolved around running and races.  So, Tassie and I drove down to Nashville and picked up my mom and Hannah, who flew in from Texas, and my Aunt Angie, who came from California.  My mom and Angie and I had been scheming since April about a girls' weekend to see the musical Wicked, and surprisingly we made it happen!  We had a blast...did lots of eating, drinking (except Hannah), shopping, laughing, and just enjoying a fun girlie weekend.  And on top of it all, Wicked is a FANTASTIC musical and everyone should see it!  For those who are unfamiliar with Wicked, it is the untold story of the witches of Oz (from the Wizard of Oz). 

  

A Hissy Fit

And other personalities...

Yesterday was a glorious fall day and I just received a parcel on my front porch containing new photography stuff....so I wanted to combine the two into wonderful autumn pictures of my big boy.  Ha!  Boy, was I seriously disappointed.  Keagan neither wanted to play in the leaves nor be photographed.  And he showed me one of his ugly sides.  I was assuming the photography session was a wash, but then I looked at the pics and laughed. 
I decided to blog the pics anyways, because this is my child.  And he isn't always an angel...in fact these days he is rarely an angel!  So to be fair to the times, I decided to showcase Keagan's multiple personalities... starting with the hissy fit he threw when we first started "playing" in the leaves, complete with throwing acorns and leaves.

Despite the hissy-fit, I did get two really cute pics... (oh and the boo-boo on his bottom lip?  He fell at school and skinned the outside and bit the inside...have I mentioned that we will be lucky if he makes it to 2 with all his teeth?)

Some playtime while we await Daddy's arrival home from work...

Oh My Goodness.  This boy LOVES his dad...it is so sweet.  When I told him daddy was coming home, he yelled into the air "Daa-da? Daa-da? Daa-da?" as if  calling to him would make him arrive quicker.  Kisses and snuggles for daddy...

 Exploring the corn in our backyard that was put out to attract critters :)