Busy Girl

My girl has been working hard!  She’s doing everything she can find to help out around here so that she can earn stickers on her reward chart.

As promised, once she reached her goal of 50 stickers, we took her to the Mall of America to ride everything she wanted as many times as she wanted.  (We started at 10 stickers, and we increase the number of stickers required by 10 for the next prize.)  She had the best time!

Their first ride:

Then she rode:

Next up:

Claire with her favorite Backyardigan, Tasha

Then it was time for the coaster.  She actually rode this twice.

Then we rode the carousel, and Cale got to ride too.

Claire had the best time!  So did we!!

Claire got new “Fancy Fancy” jammies.  (Fancy Nancy is one of Claire’s favorite characters.  She fell in love with these Fancy Nancy jammies when we found them.)  She also got Hello Kitty slippers.

Claire started a new dance class this month.  (She also got a new black leotard.)

She loves to draw.  Here’s her latest masterpiece:

Claire’s becoming such a great swimmer!  Steve is now working with her on her form.  She’s doing so well!  (And she got a new swimsuit!)

Claire reached her 60-sticker goal this week.  She really wanted a copy of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on DVD, but it’s not going to be released until October 1st.  We asked her if she wanted something else or if she wanted to wait.  At first she wanted to wait, and then she decided that she wanted a Little Mermaid costume.  Fortunately, with Halloween right around the corner, the stores are stocked with them and all of the accessories.  Claire decided against the wig, but she chose a dress, a wand and “glass” slippers.

I love this girl!  And I love that she is so well behaved and so talented!  She makes me proud to be her mama!

My Gorgeous Girly!

Claire is growing more beautiful everyday.  She is such a delight!

She wanted her picture taken by her garden.

We have started a new rewards program in our house.  Claire is learning to take on some responsibilities and earns stickers for each task completed.  Once she reaches certain levels, she gets a prize.  Her chores include cleaning the playroom, clearing the table, obeying Mommy and Daddy, having a good attitude, helping out with special things (so far she’s helped Daddy wash the car, she picked up branches in the yard after a storm, she helped cook, she cleaned her room and made her bed, she vacuumed, she folded and put away laundry, etc.) and a special category that allows her to get stickers for accomplishments, i.e. swimming, riding her bike, learning new skills, etc.  Claire usually receives 4 stickers a day.  The most she has received in a single day is 10.  She received her first prize after receiving 10 stickers.  It took her almost a full week to get her prize.  The next prize she received after earning 20 more stickers, which only took her five days to earn.  She is currently working on 50 stickers (a total of 150), at which point we are taking her, at her request, to The Mall of America to ride rides and play games.  She’s already said that after she reaches her next goal of 60 stickers (a total of 210), she wants to get The Little Mermaid movie, which is being released on DVD and Blu-Ray this October.  (We may switch things up a bit and take her to Tulsa for a sleepover with Analise and Allie when she reaches 210 and save the movie for when she gets 280 stickers.  Won’t she be surprised?!)  She is so positively motivated.  She’s really so sweet and so helpful.  I love being able to reward good behavior!

Claire really wants to go to school.  We have decided to start school at home this year.  She is so smart.  I’m really looking forward to seeing her come alive with new knowledge and skills.  We have already started working on a few things, and she’s such a quick learner.  In one day, she learned to read a brand new book.  Here’s a video of Claire reading her very first book to her daddy when he got home from work today.

I do believe that this will earn her another sticker!  Great job, Sweets!