under the magnolia tree

I knew Magnolia sucked her thumb the minute I studied those first few pictures that were sent to us on Referral Day.  Her reports claimed she didn't but that little thumb just looked awfully red to me and I was almost certain she did.  Sure enough on Gotcha Day, just a few minutes after she was handed to us, she put that little thumb in her mouth and I just remember squealing and laughing.  She really was the cutest thing when she sucked her thumb.  

Fast forward six years and the unimaginable happened... Magnolia gave up sucking her thumb!  For someone who sucked it all night, we just never knew how she would stop.  Oh, but this little girl has willpower.  At the start of the year she said she wanted to stop but didn't know how.  Recently, we went to her dentist who told her if she made a chart and stopped sucking her thumb for three weeks she would earn a trophy.  A trophy!  If they only knew how long Magnolia has wanted something as simple as a trophy!  (I also bought a terrible tasting nail polish to put on at bedtime so she would be sure not to suck it in the middle of the night).  It all worked.  Worked because she really wanted to give it up.  She wasn't allowed to suck it during school and she went to Kindergarten from 8:05am until 3:05pm so she was already so close!  A girl in her class saw her suck her thumb when I picked her up from school and said, "ew!" which not only devastated Magnolia but also gave her the incentive she needed.  We told her at the end of three weeks we too would give her a reward.  So, here she is.  Waiting.  Waiting very excitedly for her reward...

Daddy brings it home from work...

A scooter!  A pink scooter!  And a very special card from daddy.

She loves that card.  We keep it tucked in her mirror in her bedroom.  It tells her how proud we are of her.

And here she is riding her new scooter.  She rode it to and from school at the end of the year and pretty much rides it anywhere we go.

A couple of months later we finally get in to the dentist to receive her well earned trophy.  They made it very special by doing a song and dance and filling the trophy with fun prizes.  Magnolia just beamed and beamed.

Way to go, Magnolia!  We are SO proud of you!