Thumbguard for the Thumb-sucker

Kingfisher was a thumb-sucker from the beginning. Give him his blanket and lay him down and he'd magically put himself to sleep until he was about 4 1/2 years. I LOVED his sleeping habits, but started to stress about the thumb-sucking dental damage.

I tried distraction, stealing the blanket, socks on the hand, etc. and it was getting me nowhere.

This is what worked for him to stop sucking his thumb:

We got a thumbguard

He only sucked his thumb when he had his blanket, which we allowed only at sleeping time. So we got a thumbguard about the time his naps started tapering off. It's not cheap, but less than a dental plate that insurance won't cover or extra orthodontics later. The company has excellent customer service and if you buy from them you can exchange thumbguards for different sizes--which we had to do. It didn't initially work  because he could still get suction. When we got the bigger size he said, "Hey this doesn't fit right-I can't suck my thumb!" (perfect-o). Sorry little guy, "Doctor's orders."
FYI, I've heard you can buy replacement bands at party stores.

We made a rewards chart for 30 nights of wearing it.

The grand reward; a Star Wars jet plane. But after less than a week with the proper fit Kingfisher decided he didn't need his blanket anymore (and it's been hidden ever since...). It just didn't hold the appeal without being able to suck his thumb.

It was a relatively smooth, non-invasive, no-fight transition and he soon stopped needing the thumbguard all together.

Now we do these speech exercises from Mommy Speech Therapy

As a result, Kingfisher has an interdental lisp. Using the downloads from this website we are practicing saying our "s" not "th". This is a great site for speech questions, I found it so helpful.

and hopefully that will be the end of our thumb-sucking story.

Nature Study Gone Awry

I love Nature Study, I just don't always have the forethought to go about it sensibly.

Like the time I gave the OK for some ants to live in a jar in our house and thought to myself "they might need air holes..."

Last week Bowery Bird and her friend came upstairs to get a box for a "cute little garter snake". I think this is the 3rd year in a row kids have come to me looking for a box for snakes--Do I have a sign on my door or something? Do I Look like a Snake Lady? So, I gave them a box.

They brought it up to show me and, good homeschooling mom I am, with a wave of my hand I shouted out, "Bring it in--Let's draw it!" So we drew it, and made it a habitat, and learned they bear their young live, and named it, and left its box open while we ate dinner.

Mr. Owl came home during dinner, only to be told about said snake moments before observing, "it's gone". Welcome home, Dear! Put up your feet. Relax! There's a snake loose in the house...

Granted, they aren't going to kill you, but might bite, and I did have a baby sleeping in a crib--as we had all hoped to be soon (asleep--not in the crib). My husband called animal control; closed. So for the next 2 hours we tore apart our living room and kitchen; hoping beyond hope that was as far as it had gone. Now the floor under my stove, refrigerator, two couches (with the bottoms ripped off), three bookshelves, and coffee table are clean--and that's saying something. As a family we were getting ready to pray for the third time when Bowery bird shouted "I see him!". And this time it wasn't a toy frog, TV cable, or someone being smart--it was him. ("Tangled," if you must know.)

Because I was the one who gave permission for him to come it, it was decided I would be the one to catch him. I didn't decide it, but I didn't question it either. First attempt, he was curled up under a bookshelf and as I gently prodded the docile thing it turned all Hyde on me and JUMPED over the wall I'd made. (I obviously haven't watched enough Nature Channel because I had NO idea it could do that...) Verry ready to have this over with I caught him in a box at the next bookshelf. Slapping a wooden puzzle on it like a lid I started shouting "OPEN the DOOR--OPEN the DOOR!" while my children sat on overturned furniture telling each other knock knock jokes. I whirled around only to  realized I couldn't even GET to the front door for all the books and furniture and stuff en mass.

But with certain motivation, one can fly.

I took it outside and dropped it, and kicked it, and left it, heaving.

Then I looked at myself. Rainbow striped wellies? An apron over my skirt and orange rubber gloves with floral cuffs? A headlamp (still on)? and let's not forget the dazed/shocked expression.
Was this my idea of "snake-proof"?

It was over, who cares.
I am now more willing to support the "No Nature in the House" rule, that comes up more often than you might think.

 

And the next morning my husband still said he loved me (sigh)...

2010-2011 Field Trips

Field Trips in 2010-2011 school year

 

Reluctant Dragon: SCERA play

Silver Reef Mining Ghost Town Museum

Brigham Young's Summer Home; St. George

Jacob Hamblin Home; St. George

St. George Temple Visitor Center

SLC Temple Square-Christmas

BYU Chemistry Week Show

This is the Place Heritage Village; SLC

Thanksgiving Gardens & Museum of Ancient Life

Bean Museum

The Aquarium

Taming of the Shrew: BYU children's play

BYU MoA

Theater Adds Drama

One morning Mockingbird started dramatically gushing "Oh Happy Dagger!" and fake-stabbing herself as she fell. She is 5 and too cute for such angst to be worrisome. But still I had no idea where she got it from.

Then the play got more involved and I could tell I was really missing something.
"From Shakespeare mom! Don't you remember Romeo and Juliet!" Bowery Bird  explained to me, exasperated.

Oh. And it went on from there. Kingfisher was being posed on the floor while Mockingbird (as Puck) poured drops in his eyes then danced around impishly, and a few other scenes I couldn't remember then and so obviously, don't recall now--although it was all reenacted and explained to me, repeatedly.

 "Oh happy dagger!" remained a favorite into lunchtime and beyond.I wonder what afternoon kindergarten was like that day...

2009-2010 Field Trips

Field Trips in 2009-2010 school year:

 

LDS Motion Picture Studio; Provo

Timpanogos storytelling festival; Orem

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

Discovery Museum

UoU MoA; SLC

Aviary; SLC

Zoo; SLC

Wheeler Farm

Thanksgiving Point Corn Maze

Go Dogs Go; BYU Children's theater