Raising Kids is a lot like Training a Dog

My parents have this super cute big puppy named Jack. He's just over a year (in human years) old. My mom, dad, and sister Mallory have spent a lot of time training him...teaching him not to chew things, how to sit, wait, roll over, uh-uh, etc. Somethings he's really good at, somethings he's not so good at. But if there's one thing I've learned about Jack, he'll do ANYTHING for a treat...much like my daughter.

If you've ever eaten anything around Savana, you've learned that you have to share. Savy will stare down anyone with food—family, friend, or stranger—and start licking her chops and grunting until she gets a piece of whatever you're having. Alesha can attest to this...I think Savana ate more of her mashed potatoes then Alesha did. And Savy loves to eat. I've yet to find a bottom to her belly.


Well, today I was trying to coach Savana to walk along the edge of her coffee table. Jack came to mind, as well as Savy's love for food, so I put the two thoughts together and made Savy earn her Cheerios. I laid Cheerios along the edge of the coffee table and showed her where they were. She made small, shaky steps along the side of the coffee table, and in the end, Savy got to all those Cheerios!