Cole Family News....

Things happen so fast these days that I just can't keep up with it all!  Jenna is growing like a weed, JP and I are slammed, as: JP is now working three jobs (training at BodyTech early in the morning, counseling at Palmetto Health during the day, and now working in Needs Assessment at Three Rivers on evenings and weekends) I am working two (RPP and teaching a class in the MSW program at USC, which is time intensive for now since it is my first class) In addition to growing and enriching our marriage (Imago therapy - it's amazing...ask me if you want to know more) Raising Jenna Meetings and service Trying to spend time with friends and family (sadly lacking, I have to admit) And lately we have been on the road a good bit (headed to the beach for a wedding this weekend, headed to Asheville for training next week and Spartanburg for next weekend)  And in the midst of all of this, I decided to learn how to make tutu's and tutu dresses so I could make Jenna's H...

Lol.  This afternoon JP and I realized Jenna was counting while in her high chair having a snack.  I was blown away when she counted from 1-14.  Everyone and their brother counts with her, including us, but I did not know she could count, too.  I thought for sure there would be no way she would do it for the camera, but positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator for an 19 month old.  If you watch this video, you will get the title of the post. :)

It's an age old behavioral principle that children learn to model their behavior on the people they are around the most.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the validity of this theory, especially when you have a child around who literally mimcks everything you say and do. It's like carrying around a mirror. Lol. Here are some of Jenna's modeling moments...   Hmmmm??  She walked in to the bathroom the other day, pointed at the toilet, and said, "Daddy's potty seat."  I wonder where she may have learned this...??? Reading the mornign paper... More reading the morning paper... Finally, a literal walk in my shoes...ok...backwards and a little unsteady, but a walk in my shoes, nonetheless...   I know there are many more pictures and videos of her copying people, but this is all I had quick access to...:) 

Teehee!  We literally did this forever yesterday...and this was into the evening when the Dad's were home and someone could actually videotape it. :)  Needless to say...Jenna slept like a rock last night, even though she was a bit more reserved that Aiden was!

Ha!  Not so much. That title kept coming to mind, since it is so much our instinct to want to do this with our children.  For example, JP and I make a concerted effort not to curse around Jenna.  Yeah, don't judge.  Any and ever one who knows us knows this area leaves a lot of improvement for both of us.  Should we slip up and Jenna start repeating it, as she does (she doesn't miss one word or phrase...ever), what is the est  course of action?  If we act shocked, it encourages the behavior.  If we laugh same thing.  If we tell her that's a bad word, what is that telling her, since she learned it from Mommy or Daddy?  At the end of the day, this has already happened, and we have learned the best course of action is no reaction.  When we don't react, she says it a couple of times in quick succession, and then moves on to something else.  But these things are the obvious things.  The things she models immediately. ...