Oh, there is something to be said about moments when the cards are on the table and the time has come when you need to practice what you preach. So, for a behavior analyst with a website promoting better parenting for better behavior, this often comes in the form of birthday parties, days at the pool or, like this past 3 days, an entire weekend with the kids…alone.  Top that off with the fact that said behavior analyst has been nursing a cold/sinus infection for a week that irritated more than just my throat. Perfect line-up for a bit of “product testing.”  So here is a list of things you might have seen me doing this weekend:

1. “Soccer practice” at the local middle school – dad running around kicking a ball with son running in opposite direction and daughter pushing her own stroller through the dirt.  Desired time: 1 hr.  Actual time @30 minutes.
2. Weekly trip to grocery store: thank you Publix for the cart with the bench seat (like an extended cab of grocery carts).  3 yr old on the bench facing 17 month old in cart facing me.  Deli first = slice of turkey for each kid.  Cookie section next.  2 aisle conversation about pancakes vs. waffles (distraction only).  1 aisle lesson about how plantains are not bananas (geographic and culinary).  Counting to 30 at the check out (pure distraction) and long discussion about what song we are going to sing when we get to the car (hail Mary, but successful).  Several high-fives and high-10s when the high-fives did not distract enough.
3. Long naps (for the kids)
4. A few well timed episodes of Dora (morning coffee time) and Thomas (nightly routine) 
5. First trip in about a year to the huge city park.  Novelty matters…but so does 4 different play areas, 5 swing sets and a crazy amount of slides.  1.5 hrs – sweet.
6. Lunch at Wendy’s – chocolate milk and chicken nuggets (alright, thats sort of cheating, but it was celebratory for a good park experience).
7. Afternoon and dinner at close friend’s house for a bit of kid entertainment and non-Thomas the Train conversation.
8. A half gallon of whole milk, several hot dogs, couple cups of yogurt, sticks of cheese, a few juice boxes, re-heated pizza slices and about 6 packs of gummy snacks.

The boy got a little more “boy,” the girl might have gotten a little less “girl,” College GameDay on ESPN went on with 1 less viewer (me) and bedtime for daddy was a little earlier than usual.

You might say, “what’s 3 days, mister?”  Not much.  I just thought of you guys (my readers) this weekend and figured I would re-cap things for you…we love you mommy.