Cracking the Whip...in a little cuter & more efficient sort of way

another stolen idea from the blogosphere...


Years ago, we started out with a chore chart...one I printed on the computer. Recently, we tried the daily-list-on-a-post-it method. That was going just fine. But I came across this idea on someone's blog. And just had to give it a try. Each chore I have the children do is listed on a card, with step-by-step instructions. Each card is assigned a point value, and each child needs a certain amount of points each week in order to collect their full allowance. The children pick their jobs (of the ones I place in the upper pockets on any given day).

So far, I'm loving three things about this method:
1. It's cuter than the others :)
2. The kids get a voice in what their chores will be. They rarely complain now (so far, anyway...we've only been doing this a couple weeks.) But, seriously, I think it's ingenious to let them have a say in what they'll clean!
3. The cards make it so they can check to see if the job is actually complete. I have laminated them now, so they can be carried around while cleaning.

Father/Son Campout - Part 2 - The Picture Part

Because this is the state of affairs...

The spinach is coming in full force right now, so I've been using it every way I can. And then freezing some so that the yummy goodness can last all year-round. The other night, I tried this recipe. Never would have thought to put it all together myself, but I have to say we all really enjoyed it. So if you're looking for new ways to dish up your spinach, here you go:

1-lb ground beef
1-onion -chopped
1-garlic- chopped (i just took a scoop out of my jar of minced garlic i keep in the fridge door)
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 bag spinach (I used about half of the spinach from the colander pictured in the sink)-coarsely chopped
6 eggs- beaten (i only used 4 because our hens lay really huge ones for some reason)
4 oz cheese (I'm sure any kind will taste great; I had cheddar jack on hand so I used it)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, then add the ground beef and cooked until no longer pink. Next add the spinach and sautee until wilted about 5 mins. Finally, pour in the eggs and cook until set (like scrambled eggs) about 5 mins, salt and pepper to taste, grate the cheese on top. It was fast, simple, and all in one pan which is always nice! I served it with toast and cantaloupe, but it would also be yummy served as breakfast burritos!

The Count

Years ago, when I took Micah to the pediatrician for his two-year check-up, he was diagnosed with expressive speech delay. Basically, he understood everything we said. But he followed his own timetable when it came to talking. And, while he can talk your ear off when given the rare opportunity (he's sandwiched between two very verbal siblings), his strongest gifts lie in other areas.

When he was four, I took him to be assessed for speech. I was trying to get him enrolled in the preschool speech program through the elementary school. He was given a very long and thorough assessment. During one portion, the evaluators went through a large book, filled with pictures. They would ask him to point things out, name them, or just answer questions about what he saw. He was very serious throughout the evaluation and did his best to respond correctly. At one point, he was shown a picture of six fruits. The tester asked how many was half. He answered, "Three." This was unexpected. They further prodded him to point out half of the fruits. He pointed to three of them (and looked at the ladies like they were ridiculous). The comment was made, "Well, I guess we know what his strength is!"

It wasn't the first time I noticed a love of numbers in this son. As we dropped Jonah off at kindergarten each day, Micah began to point out the bus numbers. He repeatedly asked me to name the numbers until, eventually, he could name them all by himself. He memorized the three or four bus numbers we routinely passed by and knew just when and where to expect them. He was three.

Now, this translates into a fascination with patterns and arithmetic. Towards the end of the school year, he was taught to tally. Recently, I have found him silently marking during rainstorms, or as he lies on the grass looking overhead, or while digging in the garden. Some people scribble their life's happenings in blogs or journals. My boy tallies. And I couldn't be happier that he has discovered his gift so early on!

Father/Son Campout

Every year, Clint and the boys go on an overnight camp-out with the other men/boys we go to church with. Gabe was once again left behind...maybe he'll be out of diapers next year! If dirt is any indicator of the good times enjoyed by my boys, I think they had a blast!!

In their absence, the girls set up a tent, too. Ours was conveniently located in the living room.

Gabe & Autumn enjoyed a couple movies tent-side, before G was whisked away to his crib.

That left time for me and my baby girl to snuggle and watch another show.

In the morning, we ate and bathed, then hurried off to a Pioneer monument dedication. The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of our Church, Boyd K. Packer, came to dedicate it. It was a nice ceremony.

Autumn captured how at least half of the meeting really went down for me, chasing G who thinks it is hilarious to bolt away (the giggling only increases when he heads for the street.)


(As a side note, we were sitting pretty close, and there were only 100 or 200 people there. Anyway, Sister Packer was sitting on the front row watching and I saw her look over at me and smile a couple of times. She has 10 children, so she must understand... that's what I perceived, anyway. I love being around seasoned, virtuous mothers. I can only hope their strength and goodness is just a little bit contagious!!)

Snack time

G is getting very resourceful. Yesterday morning, he apparently got the munchies. Finding no appetizing food on the floor, he hauled the bathroom stool into the kitchen. Strategically placing it next to the counter gave him easy access to the breakfast condiments I had foolishly left out. As I was getting dressed, J & M came downstairs and began loudly scolding him in between side-splitting laughter. And this was the crime scene as I walked into it:

This was taken AFTER i washed half the syrup bottle off his shirt and shorts...and after i told him it was yucky (but then let him keep at it when i realized i had to get a picture of it. BAD mommy!!)

First Day of Summer

We've sort of been laying low around here...chores in the morning, playing all day long. On the first day of summer break, we were all outside. A was swinging, and I kept tossing a big bouncy ball at her feet. She giggled as she sent it flying. Soon, J took over ball-tossing/fetching duty, and the other boys grabbed a swing. Which gave me the chance to snap a few pictures. I love spending these long summer days with you cuties!!

Occer Ame

This is what we heard Gabe say almost every day for the past 7 weeks. Sitting on the sidelines while A, M & J played their games was torture at first; he wanted to kick the ball and score a goal, too! After a few weeks of games, he began finding Autumn's soccer jersey at home (plus a random pair of cleats.) He would bring them to me, saying, "Occer ame?". I would dress him, and this is how happy he became each time:


What a stinking cutie!!

The Graduate

Micah did so well in kindergarten this year! The school the boys switched over to this year takes a much more traditional approach to teaching. One of the things that means is a lot of seat work. Clint and I were apprehensive. Micah loves to play, play, play (indoors & out), so we weren't sure how he'd handle the expectations. We decided it would either be the best thing for him, or the worst. We committed to give it one year, and then switch him if it was awful. Thankfully, it was the best thing for him! I was amazed to see him sitting still, following directions, and just plain LEARNING every time I stepped into his classroom. Of course, he had lots of fun on the playground and at his specialty classes, too. And his teacher was so great about getting them up to wiggle their little bodies in between stretches of seat work. Anyhow, here are some pictures we took of him during his kindergarten graduation last Thursday. Good job, Micah!! We're really happy to see you learning and growing!

BFF's

The charter school the boys went to this year required that I volunteer four hours a month. Mostly, I just dropped in their classrooms to help out however I was told. This happened while Autumn was in preschool, which meant that I had to find something to do with Gabe. Luckily, one of the women I go to church with was willing to make a swap. Once a week, Gabe got to play with Sam. They amazed us both with how well they got along. Here is a snapshot of their last playdate together:

Crazy Hair Day

On their second-to-last day of school, J & M enjoyed a combined field/crazy hair day. Since they wore uniforms to their charter school all year long, the chance to wear t-shirts and wacked-out 'dos was a special treat.

Jonah picked a mohawk/side spikes hairdo

While Micah decorated a wig with snowflakes. He won "best crazy hair" for kindergarten, I guess.

...silly boys!