"Spank 'im! Spank 'im!"

So sometimes we let the boys trade beds (Ryan in the crib and Ben in Ryan's bed) because they think it's such a privilege. It's kind of funny because Ryan loves to sleep in the crib now! He couldn't wait to get out of it originally and now he loves any chance he gets to sleep in it. Anyway, the problem with allowing them to trade is that Ben will sometimes get out of bed because he can! (He hasn't yet figured out how to get himself safely out of the crib.)

After putting the boys in bed for the third time or so, Ben got out again. As I chased him back into the room I heard Ryan from the crib telling me, "Spank 'im! Spank 'im! Spank 'im, Mommy! Spank 'im!" It was so funny because there was a big smile in his voice as he said it! And since I hadn't spanked either of them the first, second, or third times, he really had no reason to think I would spank Ben this time. (.....I just kept threatening they'd have to sleep in their own beds again.) I asked Ryan why I should spank Ben and with a big wicked grin he explained something to the effect of because he got out of bed when you told him not to!

I don't really know why he thought it would be funny but I did notice a mischievious "older brother" look in his eye, trying to get his younger brother in trouble. I didn't spank Ben. I was laughing too hard on the inside because I could tell it wasn't really out of malice, just mischief. Of course on the outside I was letting him know it wasn't very nice to try and get his brother in trouble. I'm sure this is only the beginning so I'll have to be much smarter about how I discipline them both so that Ryan will be less desirous to see his brother punished!

Way to Go, Ben!

So since last year Paul & I have been taking the boys with us to the KSL Cougar Coach's call-in show that they broadcast live from various car dealerships in Utah valley. They usually have hamburgers & hot dogs and then you can win various prizes too! Until last night, Paul & I had always entered ourselves into the raffle but never our boys. However, after last week's show (where they raffled off several pairs of tickets to the first game) we determined that if our boys were old enough to have to buy a ticket to get into games, they should be old enough to win tickets to get into the games! I mean, they're already helping to pay for everything and we have, on average, already taken them to at least two games a year for the last 2 years! So last night, Ryan's & Ben's names got put in and Ben's name got picked! He won a really nice jersey! He was pretty excited about it!

Okay, so it's a little big...just give him a few years! Ben saying "Touchdown!"
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When I took Ben up there to claim his prize, the "Voice of the Cougars" Greg Wrubell, the host of the radio show, made a joke about how the winners need to be potty-trained to qualify. I could see they were slightly hesitant (only slightly) to let him win but I let them know, "Hey! He's old enough that we have to buy him a ticket to get into games!" And they laughed and said well okay, and just kind of laughed it all off, making the comment to everyone that being potty-trained was a requirement for all winners present.

Incidentally--this is the part I didn't tell everyone at the dealership--just five minutes prior to the drawing, Ben forced me to take him to the bathroom because, "I want to potty-train, Mommy!" No joke! Those were his exact words! And then he actually did go potty on the toilet! Maybe his timing was inspired! Funny, huh?

We've now got the jersey hanging on the wall in their room....We're kind of thinking maybe next year at the Cougar Kick-off we could get Max Hall (QB) to sign it since it's his number!

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