Sure enjoying having Camille, Olivia and Sam here!

The other day, we got some fresh snow...nice wet, heavy, stick together snowman snow! So Olivia and I went out to play!





Olivia has been having some jealousy issues the past few days and has been kind of a little stinker to her mom. I try to step back and let her handle things. Camille is a real good mom! Really patient...but I think Liv pushed her over the edge when she said in a real scary voice "You better come here right now mommy or I'm going to count to three!...one...two...
Ha ! Camille asked me if she had given me fits when she was little like Olivia does. I remember going through the very same thing with her! She was a very strong willed child and seemed to want to disagree with pretty much everything I said. It would drive me crazy! I remember getting so frustrated and mad I would break down and cry! (I'm not a very good fighter or screamer)
That's when the kids would take notice and be like "oh now were going to get it...."
The kids have very rarely been disrespectful or rude or talked back to me. This is a result of not perfect parenting or being given angelic children. But from fear of their dad! He will tolerate a lot of things, but being disrespectful to their mom was not one of them.
He wouldn't ever smack them or anything, but there was consequences to pay...much stricter consequences than I would have ever dreamed of. And he would always follow through.
I used to cringe when he lowered the boom, and sometimes I wouldn't even tell him stuff that had happened because I knew what he would do and didn't think they deserved it.
I guess that's just the mom in me....not ever wanting to see them sad or hurting.
But it definitely nipped the disrespect in the bud...and the kids all turned out to be pretty wonderful people, very loving and respectful to him and to me... so to Camille I would give this advice...just keep doing what you are doing.. ( she really is such a good girl ...you have taught her really well how to behave!)and she wants so much to please you . Try not to let little things make you crazy, and realize that before you know it, she will have grown into a delightful, amazing young woman ...just like her mom.