Audubon Entertainment

We've been spending a lot of our weekends at either Audubon Zoo or aquarium. 

While Nana was visiting for our vacation, we took a trip to the zoo, rode the train, and cooled off at the Cool Zoo.

Last Sunday, Cassidy took her first streetcar ride.  We drove into mid-city to have brunch at the Ruby Slipper.  Unfortunately it was closed for summer vacation.  So we stuck with our original plan and caught the canal streetcar into downtown where we made our way to the new Ruby Slipper location in the CBD.

After brunch, we walked over to the aquarium for the rest of the morning.

My favorite part, as always, was Parakeet Point where we fed the free-flying birds. 

Cassidy liked the birds better this time, but still not as much as Mama.

She Napped!

Saturday
Cassidy napped in her big girl bed today!  She went to sleep all on her own within the first 15 minutes of my leaving the room!

She also asked not to wear a diaper for nap time.  I agreed.

She woke up at 1.5 hours on the dot (we could seriously set a clock by her).

Unfortunately she woke up crying hysterically because she had pooed and peed in her underwear.... in her bed (I think while she was sleeping because even her shirt was wet like she was laying down when it happened.)

Oh well ... at least her new flat sheets had been delivered earlier this week and I had just bought some new pillowcases for her today so we had bedding to put on after stripping the bed down.

Sunday
Another successful nap day!  And clean and dry without diapers too!  Yeah Cassidy!

Cassidy's Cooperation Board

We've started using some rewards for good behavior around here.  Cassidy's been challenging us and testing her boundaries more and more lately.  So Cassidy and I created her cooperation board together (complete with glitter which is everywhere) and hung it up in her room.  When we find her to be especially cooperative or helpful at something, she gets a sticker which she puts up on the board in one of the numbered boxes.  When she gets her fifth sticker, she gets to choose a prize from the prize basket! 

After the first five stickers and prize, she caught on.  Now she counts the boxes she still needs to put a sticker in, and gets SO excited when we say she's done really well at something and gets a sticker!  She'll run and tell the world "I did a supergreatjob (all one word)!" 

It's a fine line we're walking here, between rewards for good behavior and bribing her for the behavior we want.  We are sure never to tell her she'll get a sticker if she cooperates, and only give the stickers for really great cooperation completely initiated by her.  We've had some tears when she thought she would get a prize and didn't, and some tears when she wanted a sticker but didn't earn one.  Overall though, I think this is really working well.  She seems to be grasping the concept of working towards a goal and testing us less.