Day 1 Job Charts

The kids were really excited to get started on their job charts...Each chart is just magnet board and the kids picked their decoration at the top. We modge podged craft paper onto craft sticks and put magnets on the back. The sticks had everyday jobs (brush teeth, read, clean room etc...) printed on them. Then, we have a jar with extra jobs that are to be done whenever I need them done throughout each week. The extra jobs (feed dog, dust, take out garbage and my favorite - whatever mom needs etc...) only last for the week, then they pick three new jobs from the extra jar. The sticks are horizontal when they need to be done and then the kids turn them vertical when they are done. It was amazing how fast they wanted all their sticks to be turned and how quickly they got done. Even Alex was excited with his 4 little sticks!

Pedicures and Job Charts

So, its the second day of the kids Spring Break...and the week is already full up! We have so much going on between the have to's and the fun's that it hardly seems like a break at all.

I decided that I wanted to take a little time and go on a "mom-date" with each of the kids. I told them to think of an activity that they really wanted to do, just the two of us. To my surprise, McKaleigh picked going and getting a pedicure. This was a surprise because McKaleigh is not usually interested in anything related to shopping or beauty. I was excited about this one on one time with her, so off we went. It was nice and relaxing...and I got to hear all of the Junior High gossip (now I know how Brett feels when I launch into the neighborhood girl talk with him!:)). McKaleigh chose a light blue and I went with a gray/silver color - It was a great mother/daughter activity!

After the pedicures, we came home and made job charts. I have been scoping them out online and finally settled on what I wanted to do. McKaleigh helped me put them together and now we are officially in job business!

Spring Break - A Much Needed One!

I think we are all thrilled that this week is finally here. The kids are so very excited to stay up a little later, hang out with friends, sleep in and just lounge around. I am excited that I will be able to come and go and roam without extra children (my babysitting wards) - however, I did just swap two for two at home during the day (although I must say that having the older kids home will be fun and helpful). I want to journal our little Spring Break week and the goings on, so here it goes...Yesterday - the first official "no school" day we had dad at home and planned a fun outing downtown. To make it special, we rode TRAX downtown to the Planetarium and saw the 3-D movie "Under the Sea". One of the best 3-D's I have seen. It was actually so real that half way through it Alex started crying (poor guy) and took his glasses off because he was afraid of all of the fish, eels, and creatures "so close to him." It was pretty realistic. We had lunch down at the Gateway and headed back home. After some lounge time, we headed out for a long family walk and ended the night with everyone picking a movie to watch. It was a great first day - only 4 left though!

Hola!

I have to blog these things for the future...I hope you find some of these little moments as funny as I do!
So, Alex woke up and came directly up stairs and this is what he said:

"Mom, Roxy is in my room...and she is speaking SPANISH!"

Well, we do watch our fair share of Dora and Diego, and Alex does try to teach people that Hola means Hello, but I was unaware of the schooling that he has been giving Roxy!:)
Here is our little bed head and our Spanish speaking dog!

Colton's 10th

Our kids are growing up...Yesterday Colton turned 10 years old. A whole decade!

Every other year the kids get to have a friend party - the other years we have a family party. This was Colton's friend party year - and he made the most of it! Tomorrow we will go to Grandma Deb's and Grandpa's for his birthday dinner. He chose Spaghetti and meatballs, pineapple, garlic bread and for dessert - cookies and mint icecream.

For his party, Colton chose to invite just a few friends and get more bang for his buck than have alot of kids over. This is how the birthday afternoon went: 2:30 Mars Needs Mom's, 4:15 Nickelcade, 6:00 Pizza and gifts, 6:30 Nerf wars in the dark basement, basketball in his room with the door hoop, 8:00 kids went home! Every year Colton and one of his friends like to have their picture taken with Dracula teeth - they all bought some at the Nickelcade this year with their tickets.

Colton got some new rollerblades for his birthday - here is he in his pajamas stretching out getting ready to ride. We all love a good long family rollerblade!
Colton loves all things sports- he plays on basketball and baseball teams, but does not like watching sports on tv.
He loves to stay after school and shoot hoops with his friends.
Colton enjoys playing mind games on the computer and likes to figure out tough puzzles - He is great at games of strategy.
He is a great student.
He has 3 best friends and usually will only play with them. If they are not home, then he will read.
Colton has really gained a love of books this year and reads on the couch most evenings.
He is really good at all Wii games and usually beats everyone in the house but dad.
He is great at making brownies.
Loves Scouts and recently got his Bear.
He is such a joy to us and his siblings and we love him so much! Happy Day Colton!

So, It Begins...

Last night I returned home from dropping McKaleigh off at her choir concert to find my husband quickly trying to finish the last of his (drive thru) dinner in the driveway before going to watch the concert. We had a quick minute to exchange a few words before I jumped in the car to take Colton to his baseball practice - both going in different directions.

While at the baseball practice, and while Alex ate his McDonalds burger in the front seat with me - I had a few quiet moments as I watched the sun set over the baseball field. In that quiet moment, my youngest looked over at me and said "Mommy, I like sitting here in the car watching baseball with you - i'll give you a kiss." It brought a tear to my eye, and although life has its crazy moments, we all need to recognize and appreciate the quiet ones...wherever they may be!

Gearing Up

We are getting ready to head into Spring (although today it looks like the dead of Winter with @4 inches of fresh snow on the ground), and that means that we all turn into strangers, passing in the night! I think that this is our busiest sports season, and Brett and I do our best trying to make it all run smoothly.

Almost every night of the week we have at least two activities running at about the same time, and some nights we have all three kids at activities and are hurrying from one to another! During this time of year, our kids become really familiar with fast food sandwiches and salads, baseball park fare, and lots and lots of picnic lunches packed and eaten on the go. It's also a really fun time to sit back, play at all of the different venues we will be visiting and have some fun. So, Lets gear up and get ready to play ball, karate, swimming lessons, jr. tee ball, and try to fit some quality family time in there!

Bikini What?!

So, McKaleigh needs a new swimsuit and this was to become another episode of shopping wars (Let me add that it is darn hard to find a good price on a decent swimsuit). Anyway, She LOATHES shopping and I LOATHE shopping with her, especially if we have to find something specific. Its like a switch flips and she just turns straight cranky and I cannot deal because I love shopping!! Anyway...we went yesterday.

The first store we went to was Gap - they were too mom type, then over to Gap Kids - too babyish, Children's Place - not big enough. I suggested Justice (I thought we would hit the jackpot there). McKaleigh, who will not wear a tank top or short shorts or a dress above her knee, went straight to the bikinis!?! I was like...What? So she proceeds to tell me this year she wants to get a bikini. This conversation began quite calmly - despite its war like ending. I proceeded to tell her that this was not modest swimwear, and that those suits would not be an option. She countered by going straight to the bikinis and stating matteroffactly, "well, THESE (as she runs her fingers across all of the bikini hangers) are the ONLY ones I like". So, I calmly pointed toward the one piece and tankini section and said, "well, THESE, are your only options." We spoke about the YW values, and modesty, which in turn turned into an ugly conversation about body type. After a few more stores and some more ugly words about swimwear, body type, eating habits etc...I calmly told her to strip down to her bra and panties and go take a walk around the block - to which she was shocked - she would NEVER. "Well, that is what it would be like wearing a bikini, only less - so when you are ready to mow, help me weed, and play out front in your skivies, then we can talk bikini shop." CONVERSATION OVER - after placing a copy of the March New Era on her bed open to the article "How can I choose a Modest Swimming Suit?"!

Nothing Like A Good Book

This evening, after cleaning up from dinner (and noticing that the house was very quiet), I wandered into the front room to find this. It was such a great, proud moment!

Colton sitting and reading Star Wars history.
McKaleigh reading about Vampires, surprise...surprise.
And even our little Alex reading about the Clone Wars, from Star Wars, with his Anakin Skywalker mask on, sitting on his own double sided weapon.
We checked out every Star Wars book they had on his level from the library the other night. He just sits and pours over the pictures of his great loves...battles, weapons, weird and scary looking guys and his Ultimate Hero - Darth Vader (or Darth Beeder as he is known here).

How Many Years?

I was wondering today, as I opened the cupboard to the tupperware and then the pots and pans and the avalanche fell down on me (once again) how many years I was going to spend reorganizing these cupboards over and over. I have tried to organize these and many other places (toys, cleaning supplies, pens, pencils, crayons and markers, wrapping paper and supplies etc...the list really is endless) over and over and over- sometimes choosing one spot each day, to no avail! Am I the only one that has trouble with having a spot for everything and keeping everything in its spot?! My husband and I have a running joke that I can find anything in 3 moves. It may not be in the first two places I look, but will - FOR SURE- be in the third...I guess you just have to go with what works...and right now I need ideas!