Owen's Whale Bird and Sticker Chart

Thanks to the Little Kids National Geographic magazine Grandma and Grandpa Meyer send Owen, we had been taking about whales this week.  I realized though I hadn't thoroughly explained the large fish when we were swimming yesterday.  Owen started frantically waving his hands at some birds resting on our fence and in hushed excitement said, "Look, Mom, whale birds!" 
"Whale birds?  What's a whale bird, Owen?"  I asked.
He looked at me with the "you're the dumbest person ever" expression and replied, "A really big bird."

Owen had been having lots of trouble staying dry at night all of sudden.  Sick of doing laundry, I thought I'd give a sticker chart a try.  I know sticker charts are popular, stupid I thought, but many people use them so what do I have to lose except stinky laundry?  I wasn't prepared for the amount of ambition a silly sticker chart would give a little boy.  Each and every morning he woke up dry to earn that sticker and ultimately his "special prize."  He decided about halfway through the chart he wanted a backhoe loader from the "Red Store" (Target).  He was so cute looking at all the toys.  He and Chloie played and played, and I thought for sure he would change his mind and ask for something different.  But he found his little set of digger toys (only 5.99 too!), and was ecstatic about it.  He kept looking and getting so excited about all the other toys, I was sure a fit was going to ensue when it was time to go.  Finally, the fateful "it's time to go" started, and to my utmost surprise all Owen said was, "Thanks, Mom, for this nice prize!"  What an amazing little sticker chart!