"Parenting the Strong-Willed [Dog Whisperer]"

Reese and I just got back from a week long trip to Vegas. My parents house is like heaven for Reese with all the animals running around. Every morning when she'd wake up, the first thing out of her mouth was always "puppy, puppy, puppy..."

You've met Daisy.

We love Daisy.

But now meet Molly.

Molly's insane.
Children fear her.
Children's screams are heard throughout the house when she enters a room.
Children are knocked down onto their backs then licked relentlessly until rescued by an adult.

But Molly has now met her match...Reese, the dog whisperer. Sure, at first Reese lived in fear like all the rest. She was even armed with a squirt bottle to shield off Molly. But after a few days Reese decided she could handle Molly unarmed. She quickly learned all the commands. Her voice would deepen, her eyes would widen, and she would very sternly say...

"NO, MAW-EE (Molly)."
"DOWN."
"SIT."
"STOP IT."

And the crazy thing, Molly would listen. She even began to cower to Reese's commands. By the end of the week, the two were even found cuddling watching tv together. Any family member who knows Molly will understand the significance of this. (And I'm so sad, but I left my camera at home so I have no pictures. BAD BLOGGER!)

Apparently Reese has a new-found confidence with this control over Molly though because she's decided to try her new tricks on her parents. Since we've returned I can't even count how many times I've been told to "stop it" or to "sit." Like now when I change her diaper she very calmly and matter-of-factly looks me in the eye and tells me to "stop it." And I can't help but laugh.

So do you think it's a bad sign when my mom who has raised 7 children of her own saw this book and bought it for me because she immediately thought of Reese?

My main reason for heading to Vegas though was to hit up the ABC Kids' Expo with my mom to help her pick out stuff for her store, and also to try and find a little somethin' somethin' for Little Miss #2.

I did find a super cute new baby blanket and a snazzy new diaper bag, but my most exciting find was this play kitchen for Reese.

Tom and I have been trying to find a little kitchen for her birthday but have had no luck finding anything cute for a reasonable price. At the expo there was a kitchen I'd been eyeing all week that was selling wholesale for $99. Sometimes at the end of the expo the booths will sell their floor samples at a discounted price. I had asked multiple times about this floor sample kitchen that was supposedly being sold for about $85, but kept being told that somebody had already bought it. But at the very very close of the show my mom overheard a guy who worked for this particular company say that it was actually still available. We quickly asked how much and he said, "Oh, I don't know. $35." $35?!?! This same kitchen is sold all over ebay for no less than $125, then at least another $30 for shipping! I'm so excited. Probably more excited than Reese will even be.