Little Workers

Sometimes I come here, and just have guilt.  Well, maybe it's just that I have one more thing to keep up, and I'm not doing such a hot job.  I now have four kids and diabetes turned eight this year!  I have to get this redesigned.  I'll add it to my things to do... along with changing out the kids' old pictures, updating my prayer list..  Ha!  This all comes after cleaning their undies, making dinner, and making sure their teeth are brushed. ; )  Oh, and having a meaningful conversation with their daddy that lasts more than five minutes, and doesn't only involve their names! : )

We've survived the surgery, and Carter went back for a post-op appointment on Friday.  He's healing well, and we don't go back for a month.  He'll be dismissed after that as long as everything looks good at that point.  He got to go back to tub baths again, thank goodness!  And, I seriously have to say that he's really doing better.  I don't know if we crossed some critical time barrier or if it was the hernia, but he has a much better attitude/disposition.  He can now just SiT with us, and be o-k-a-y.  No shushing, jiggling, walking, patting him.  He's just content (and maybe out of pain?!).  It's really fun to be around him now!  He just smiles, and babbles, and today he laughed-twice!  Precious.  This is how babies should be. : )

I took Mary Claire (just the two of us!) to get some school clothes today.  She was so excited!  And...she'll be the turquoise girl this year.  She's been dying to get these new shoes that are all the rage here (Tom's), and we got her some turquoise glitter ones.  She's saving them for school (per our agreement) ; ) but had to get lots of things to go with them!  I think she only got one outfit that wasn't turquoise.  What happened to pink?
This was the first year I've let her pick out her clothes.  Well, she's been shopping with me before, but this time she chose what to try on.  Normally, I just bring home clothes and she tells me if she'll wear them or not, and rarely objects to anything!  But, she's getting older and her body is changing, and I wanted her to try some jeans on for a better fit.  I can't believe she's ten.  This is my girl I still remember rocking to sleep.  Time sure flies.

She's asking to carry a purse.  Separate from the purse for her meter.  I'm not sure how to deal with it.  I mean, she has lots of little purses (basically ones she used to have her meter in-like little glittery, sequined ones), but do I have her combine her meter with her "Girl Stuff" or let her carry two separate bags?  I'm just not sure.  She didn't want to combine her little Vera Bradley meter purse with her girly stuff, but who wants to carry two purses?  And school is getting ready to start, so we have to get it figured out.  She's not just carrying lip gloss and a note pad anymore in there anymore. ; )  Ideas?

We decided not to just give the kids Trip Money (for our summer vacation to the shore) this year.  We told them they'd have to earn the money they wanted to spend.  And..it's kinda worked out.  We have a long list of chores/jobs they can do (like skimming the pool, unloading the dishwasher, helping Ethan practice writing his letters, folding laundry, etc.) and the pay for each job.  Let me just say that Ches is really generous, and I'm cheap.  I foresaw the future of my enterprising kids, and apparently..so did they!  We agreed on prices together (like .50 for taking out the recycling or .25 for setting the table...we paid less for jobs they like and more for the drudgery).  Then we used a huge white board with their names, and they keep a tally each day of what they've done.  In the first day, Clay earned over $21.00-I knew they were opportunists!
Mary Claire is very intelligent too.  She decided what she wanted from American Girl, made a list, added it up, and divided by the number of days till our trip.  She figured out that she had to make about $5.50/day to get what she wanted.  No reason to overwork. ; )  Ethan isn't too terribly motivated, he earns about $1-2 a day.  Not bad, but certainly not ambitious.  He'll figure it out when we don't just buy him stuff this year.  I guess we teach the hard way. ; )  Only 'cause we love them.


I should go-getting to bed at one a.m. isn't doing me any favors!  Hope you are having a great summer..and your kids are helping you.  (but maybe you shouldn't implement a pay-as-you-go chart.  Just sayin'.)