Team work & be grateful.

Sometimes I wonder how grateful a little one can be. Do they fully understand some consequences right away or does it take a few times? With Heidi this week, we have been really working on the potty training and so far it's going.....well...ok. She still has some accidents which is completely fine for me to handle but I think it's a little harder on daddy when she has a accident. When Heidi is watching cartoons and she see's something advertised that she likes, she always says "mommy, I like. I need or want."   So I keep repeating to her that she can have something if she works harder on her potty training. It's alot of repeatingm but I think it's been working. Over the weekend, Heidi found some cowboy boots in her size that are really cute! They are brown boots with the Toy Story characters on them and they also light up. Oh boy are they fun. She also found a kids grocery cart that has princess labeled food items in it. So each time she says she needs something. I take a picture of it with my phone and tell her I will save a picture of it and if she does better on the potty training, I will think about getting one of them. So on the days she puts up a little fight about going to use the potty, I just take my phone out and show her the pictures on the phone. It seems to be working. I don't know if it's all toddlers, but she has to have a visual of what's on the line if she doesn't use the potty. I told her that Santa might be extra good to her this year if she no longer wears diapers. She's excited to say the least. She asks about santa constantly now. I really want to get her those boots so bad, because I even liked them, but I know she won't learn from always getting something she wants.
      This week we have also been working on the no screaming, hitting, or kicking when she has her 'meltdowns'. She can really be awful when she doesn't get her way. My little drama queen. Thankfully it only comes around once in a awhile and not all the time. Most of the time it's when she's tired and she's been told no. Yikes. My little angel can be a little devil on those days  Anyway, I have been repeating myself endlessly about this sort of behavior and the other day it really worked! I couldn't believe how much grocery's I got done and other errands I had to do without her fussing once.  So on our stop to walmart yesturday, Heidi really wanted her McQueen car that is a bubble bath container. It's a nice sized car and she already has Mater. The conversation went this way:
Heidi:"mommy can i get McQueen?"
Me: "No, not today honey."
Heidi: "Mater at home, misses McQueen. They good friends. He needs him"
Me: (well speechless)
Heidi: "Pweeeaassse mommy? No hitting, no scream, no throw."
Me: "You have to be good and use the potty also. Or he goes back to the store for another kid to play with."
Heidi: "ok mommy. Thank you! I good. I listen."

Today Heidi is playing non stop with her Mcqueen car and Mater car. Looks like the best buds are together and Heidi seems very thankful I got it for her. I told her that I like the Mcqueen car and she said "ya, I good. I no scream, hit or kick mommy."   So I guess sometimes toddlers do understand and they can be thankful or grateful for the things they get if they work hard for it. Just have to be a team like McQueen and Mater.