Chocolate/Front Lean and Rest

Some of you may have noticed that from the time Vincent started talking, I have been training the boys to say "Yes, Ma'am" "No, Ma'am" "Yes, Sir" "No, Sir." They know to say it if I correct them, but usually they forget to do it the first time. So....I came up with a little "game" for Vince. I told him about it as if it were a new game, all excited and happy. So here's how the game works:
If Vincent says "Yes, Ma'am" or "No Ma'am" on the first response, he gets a piece of chocolate (one M&M or a little square from a Hershey bar...something like that). If he says, "Yeah" or "sure" or "no" or "NO!!!!" he has to do a Front Lean & Rest, which is the push up position. For several years I've been looking forward to the age when I can use Physical Fitness as a motivator, and it has arrived for Vince! I'm starting him out slow: he doesn't have to do the push up, but he has to get into position for 5 seconds. The only problem is, he enjoys doing that just as much as he enjoys the chocolate!!! He thinks it's fun! What a nut. He often catches it before I do, and jumps down into the Front Lean & Rest, and says, "Count, Mommy!" Then he gets back up and gives the answer the right way.
Now that we're in the South, everyone says "Yes, Ma'am" so I'm hoping it will catch on quickly. I told him the game counts even when we're talking to other people. Soon I will extend it to include being polite and not shying away from people when they talk to him. I find it rude for him to ignore adults when they're taking an interest in him, trying to engage him in conversation, and he chooses to "hide behind my skirt." It's one thing for a two year old, but Vince is past the age of this behavior being acceptable.
Anthony is not interested in the "game" at all. Well, I take that back: he wants the chocolate every time Vince earns one, but he refuses the Front Lean & Rest, so he doesn't get to participate.
Silas is still too cute for physical labor. :)

We've Moved!

We are all together in Columbus, GA! Dan is doing another year at Ft. Benning, so here we are! We now have two houses for sale (that's about 2 too many in my book!), and we are living in a lovely apartment off-Post. One of these days I will take some pictures. We are enjoying the weather, the scenery, our new home, and the peaches. I have eaten anywhere from one to three peaches each day so far. I can't get enough! We had a lizard in the house the first night we were here. That was a bit much. Other than that, we are adjusting well and having fun. While Dan was here the past year, he attended a local church, so we went there yesterday. We all felt very welcome and very blessed to be there! I am looking forward to participating in the book club (we'll be reading Same Kind of Different as Me, which I have started several times and haven't been able to find the time to read it all); there is also a MOPS nearby, as well as an Army Wives group at the church each week. Hopefully with those, plus preschool for the big boys, we will get plugged in quickly.

a little something I'm playing with

I'm still working on my settings on the little point and shoot camera I have, but I had this really sweet idea for a photo. It's not quite right yet, but it's close: