Kids Routines

For a year now the kids (ages 6 and 5) have been completing chores in order to earn money plus build responsibility.  The logistics of the chore chart have evolved over the last year and surprisingly last month the kids approached me about ADDING more chores (not money).  I was excited.  They had seen their cousins completing more challenging tasks and they wanted the opportunity to do more.  I'm very proud of them.
My kids chores still include basic hygiene because I want that to be habit and right now it needs to be practiced over and over.  My kids chores include:
1. Putting away dishes after meals.
2. Making their beds.
3. Brushing their teeth.
4. Getting dressed.
5. Watering the plants.
6. Feeding and watering the animals.
7. Washing the windows.
8. Picking the garden.

Accounting for chores being finished was problematic.  We started with paper charts then moved to magnetic charts because I would forget to print off the charts.  The magnetic chart was easier because it was always there but the kids were unmotivated to move their magnets to show chores completed.  A friend of mine sent me an email with a how-to of creating a chore chart with red and green cards.  Green meaning "finished" and red meaning "not finished".  We have been using the chart for a couple of days and my kids want to reset the chart at the end of each day.  I'm super pumped about that!

To complete the chart, I used the frame of my magnetic chart and simply looked in my scrapbook bag for fun paper.  I made the pockets from scrapbook paper as well. Like I said, the kids really like it.

Come and Get It!

I like to observe, read about, and listen to others in areas they are good at.  I get my kicks from seeing something new to me and trying to implement it in my life if I believe it will be a benefit. 
Supper.  The one meal I'm always trying to work on. I have come to the understanding that the grandma's of this world that are amazing cooks were in all probability not born with this ability to whip something together but I gotta tell ya, if I'm gonna be one of those grandma's I've got a ways to go.
I really believe there should be some award out there for the amount of effort I put in to creating a good tasting meal and still coming up with "blah".  While tasting tonight's bland meal, an idea hit me.  I need to get a recipe box and start listing out the meals that I know I can cook and that my family enjoys.  Then I can look at branching out from there. 

When the Sun Goes Down...

Technically I've messed up on my 30 days of blogging since it is after midnight; however, due to me not having gone to bed this still counts as day 3:)  Post number four will come later when the sun is actually up.
There are certain tasks that I would like to have completed every day. Reading a book from the Five in a Row book list to the kids, having the kids read to me, violin practice, kids chores completed - not to mention household tasks I would like marked off.  And everyday starts out much the same: morning cleaning routine, concentrated task on one specific area of the house, a nitty gritty task in another area of the house, laundry, etc.  However, it never fails that as the sun fades in the sky so does my willingness and determination to lay the groundwork for a successful tomorrow.  Now I don't mean that figuratively.  I mean that literally.  There are things that I could be doing at night to prepare for the next day or would help to keep the house clean.  Instead the couch calls my name or I'm on my last patient Mommy Moment before I explode and so I just stop and veg out. 
 Grant it tonight all but the clean laundry is good to go.  The house is clean. The dishes are washing in the dishwasher and it actually looks like a presentable house.  Normally, when the sun goes down so do I.  I have had numerous conversations with myself as to what amount of time would make my nightly routine successful.  You know what that number is?  30 minutes.  Thirty minutes would have my tomorrow in order.  Heck, I could do that on commercial breaks if I had to.  Thirty minutes to pick up what is lying around, lay out my clothes, decide what will be for supper tomorrow.  No big deal and yet 95% of the time I do nothing.  Well, I can count the one task of pumping breast milk one last time before bed.  I feel any woman worth her salt would celebrate that accomplishment.  I mean how many men would really hook a machine up to their chest for thirty minutes at a time?  Maybe that question shouldn't be answered:)

Violin

Being the Duggar groupie that I am it will come as no surprise that I have wanted my kiddos to play the violin.  Therefore this year, Dos started violin lessons with an amazing teacher.  He adores her and she is SO good with him.  He enjoys the lessons.  Practicing, well...practicing is another issue entirely.

I have read and reread all the Suzuki materials that emphasize practice should not be negative or dreaded.  And I get the concept; however, I do not get how to have a successful practice.  Some days are great but others Dos wants to do minimal and call it quits.  Does he want to quit violin?  No, (I've asked him) he just doesn't want to put the time in to practice.  Any pointers?  How do you engage a six year old into practicing pieces over and over? 

Summer Reading

Numero Uno and I have joined a summer small group (which is a group from church that meets to discuss a book, like a book club).  In this group we have fostered the discussion of hopes and dreams.  One of my dreams is to write a book; however, I will be the first to let you in on the secret that I have no clue what I will one day write about.  Nevertheless, one day I will write a book...maybe.
One of my possible themes for composure - consistency.  To see how far this baby goes I'm going to blog for 30 days.  That's it.  That's all. Thirty days of blogging.  Today is day 1.
For the past couple of summers I have taken the book lists from the program "Five In A Row" and read them to Dos and Tres.  We are doing this again this summer but in addition they are reading from beginner readers to me daily.  I am really concerned about making sure Dos is right on track for first grade.  How much reading skills should a potential first grader possess?  I hope the daily reading will put him on the right track for when school begins.  As always, I welcome input.

Ongoing List

There are several things that seem to always be on my life's "To Do" list.  Probably at the top is losing weight.  So, again tomorrow I will attempt to watch what I eat and work out.  Am I enthused?  No.  Doubtful?  Yes.  I came across heandsheeatclean.com and liked what I saw.  So, here is what I propose.  For six days a week I will eat "clean" or as close to it as I can.  Then for one day I will eat whatever my heart's desire.  We'll see how it goes.  The number of 45 pounds seems so daunting to me.  However, the journey of a thousand miles...
I do believe one day I will get this right.  One day I will have this issue of weight tackled.  Maybe tomorrow's that day...

My Happiness

Just reading this title makes me think "Am I being selfish?"  After hearing some close friends discuss this book "The Happiness Project" I am now in the midst of reading it.  It's May so I'm "learning how to have fun".  Who knew I would have to learn?  But after reading the book, I've realised I have systematically removed fun from my life.  Maybe "learn" is not the precise word I'm looking for but "reintroduce" would fit better.  I am a list maker, obviously by the title of this blog and therefore a majority if not all that makes my daily list are tasks that must be accomplished in the course of the day to keep my family going.  Any "frivolous" pursuits never even make the list.  So today, I made a new kind of list titled "Fun Things". 
1.  Walk the dog.
I don't necessarily think "ooh, walking the dog will be fun" but I do get a great sense of enjoyment when I do it.
2. Scrapbook.
As nerdy as it sounds, I really like scrapbooking.  I've just not done it in a long time due to my idea of it will not be done right.  "Done right" to me means everything up to date.  That's just not gonna happen.  My oldest, my stepson's, scrapbook I believe is at his kindergarten year - he will be entering middle school in the fall!  Oh well, I'll jump in where I am.  I will still find fun in this endeavor however old the photos.
3.  Go to a museum.
Aaah, this one has never made any list and you wanna know why?  My man would not go.  Why have I put off something I enjoy because my man is not up for it?  Since when did I think he and I have the same exact likes?  I'll admit I'm scared to go something alone but I believe it will be worth it.  Admittedly it will be a little bit of a pain in the butt arranging childcare but I believe it will be worth it.
4.  Wear dresses daily.
I would love this.  Something about the feel of a dress automatically makes me feel more like a woman and when I feel more like a woman, I'm happy.  Now, will I really wear a dress daily? No but putting this on my list means I will put more of an effort:)  In fact, I bought a new dress Thursday and I love it!  I really love the 50's when women wore dresses just about everyday with a set of pearls.  I need some pearls but honestly, I would feel awkward wearing them.  Do you know a woman who just fits the part of wearing pearls and she does wear them?  I have a friend like that. She just looks the part of "little Miss Betty Homemaker" and she is!  Her house has great little crafts made by her while her children are clothed in clothes made by her.  When she smiles, I swear I see the shiny gleam and hear a "ting" come from her teeth!  Maybe a dress will do all this for me- maybe.
5. Journal
I love it.  Journaling is therapeutic.  As cliche' as that sounds, it's true.  I need it and I can look back and see when my life is frazzled, I have not journaled in a while.  The whole point of this blog was to journal, to get my emotions and life happenings down on a page all the while possibly connecting with others who feel or experience the same.  What has held me back or contributed to long gaps between postings?  Fear.  And stress.  Fear over what will people think of me?  I have tried somewhat to keep a spirit of anonymity for this blog. I do not state my name or my family members names but honestly it wouldn't be hard to figure it out.  So, I keep to safe topics or superficial topics but where does my true happiness come from as related to journaling?  My raw words and emotions on a page.  When I'm mad or even happy and can write freely, I get the most relief. 
I like to read.  I would not call myself an avid reader but I like to read.  And mostly fiction does not often make my list.  It's usually self-help or the story of some one's struggle and success.  Why?  Because I can identify with the author, I can connect.  And I want the same with my journaling.  So where do I draw the line?  What is enough or not enough to put on a blog?  I'm not sure but I am willing to find out.
Five fun things.  Will they bring happiness to my life?  We'll see.  I'm off to see if I can get 1st grade down on a scrapbook page:)