Paper Chain Count Down

We are going to New Hampshire to visit my family next month. Thanks to my mother who misses us (well, misses the girls anyway) and to Southwest Airlines for having their 50% off deal. It will be nice to escape the heat and humidity and to spend time with family.

As soon as the tickets were purchased, I told the Big One that we were going to Grammie's house. In her 3 year old's mind that means we're loading up and heading out within the hour. Every 30 minutes for the rest of the day, we had a conversation that went something like this:

TBO: Mommy?
Me: Yes?
TBO: Are we going to Grammie's house now?
Me: No, Big One. We are going to Grammies house next month.
TBO: Tomorrow?

I seriously will be insane if this is the conversation we have several times a day for over 30 days. So I came up with this:

A paper chain to countdown the days!
As we made this I explained to the Big One that we were adding one strip of paper (link) for every day we had to wait to go to Grammie's house.
Every night we cut one link off the chain and we are one day closer to getting on that plane.

We have been doing this for three nights and it has been wonderful! We have hung it in the kitchen under the calendar and it gives the Big One something she can see, hold and count, rather than just squares on a piece of paper. Now instead of asking if we are leaving for Grammie's house she asks "Is it time to cut the paper?"

Oh well, you can't have everything!