Responsibility Charts…

We just started a new system around here last week. We are always tweaking our systems, trying to make them better. We’re still using the point system (you can see that here), but we have added a few elements.

I’ve been wanting to add a chore chart for the boys as well as reinstate an allowance around here, so we came up with a way to put all of those things together.

The boys are able to earn 2 points a day. They earn their points by getting stars on their responsibility charts.

Daniel’s responsibilities are: make bed, daily chore, pick up room, dinner job, homework, Go folder (bringing his school folder home- this is a big problem around here) and staying on green at school with a happy attitude at home.

He has two days off from his daily chore and obviously a couple of days off from homework and the Go folder.

Luke’s responsibilities are: make bed, daily chore, pick up room, dinner job, and a happy attitude. He is totally getting this system and is all about earning “A nuder star.”

The boys can still spend their points through the week on various things {candy bar @ convenience store: 3 points, icecream & playplace: 6 points, sleep over: 8 points, etc.}. At the end of the week they can trade in up to 7 points for money. We’re fairly cheapo with how much the points are worth, but it’s what we can do and the boys enjoy what money they can get.

We just started Luke on money jars like Daniel, so we’ll see how that goes. He can tell you what they are {church, save, toys ;) }, but I’m sure it will take a little while to really comprehend them.

And what’s the Dinner Job you may ask? Oh, only my favorite thing ever! I got the idea for dinner jobs here. I have 3 jobs on our chart: Dishes, Clean table, Clean counters/put up food. I have our faces/names on pieces of Velcro and we rotate them every day. I am soooo glad I found this idea! I really hope this lasts, because our kitchen is completely clean so much earlier in the evening now.

We had a successful first week with our new additions, so I’m hoping the momentum will continue!!

Summer at Home: Week 5…

It’s our fifth week at home with no trips or camps going on. I was a little worried about this week after our week of arguing last week and Daniel’s library program being done (which was wonderful, by the way). But we managed to have some summer fun. The kids chose the cards from the Summer Vacation Chart.

Monday we headed to the park. It was so insanely hot, but we stayed about 45 minutes to an hour. Luke swung for the longest time. He just loved it. Poor Daniel got too hot and it made him feel really rotten. We were drinking water the whole time, but it’s just too darn hot!

Tuesday we made a marshmallow catapult. It was a fun little activity.

Here are our supplies ready for us:

Dan saw us working on it and decided he could make it better. And he really did.

He used a ruler (with the ends predrilled- for the rubber band) instead of the second pencil as the catapult. Then we didn’t even need the little cap to hold the marshmallow, it just layed on the ruler.

The kids got a big kick out of it (and I did too to tell you the truth).

They stood there trying to fling marshmallows into each other’s mouths for a while.

Wednesday brought on waterballoons. Whose idea was this?

It took me forever to get into a water balloon filling groove, so the kids played in the pool while waiting on me.


Then they had fun throwing balloons at each other for approximately one minute.

It takes a heck of a lot longer to fill the balloons than it does to pop them… but they had fun.

Thursday was Watermelon Day. It was supposed to be last week, but uhmm… it didn’t happen. It was a pretty low key themed day. I took all my ideas from right here.

We colored half a paper plate to look like a watermelon.

Can you tell whose is whose?

I also made an icecream snack that looked like a watermelon.

Here’s the link of how to make one and it is so much cuter than my pitiful little teeny tiny version, but we enjoyed ours!

Luke wouldn’t eat it! He was too freaked out about the seeds, even though we kept telling him they were really chocolate chips.

The last thing we were going to do for watermelon day was bob for watermelon. Daniel got a big headache though so we skipped out. I think we’re going to be headed to the doctor with him. He has been having headaches and sneezing his little head off.

I guess it was a mini watermelon theme, but another fun summer week. We are getting closer and closer to being ready for the routine that the school year brings!

 

Summer at Home: Week 4

It’s not our 4th week of summer, but it is the 4th week of our Summer Vacation Chart. Each of the previous weeks I have said something along the lines of  ‘we survived another week of summer vacation’, but I’ll tell you the truth- this week the survival was by the skin of our teeth.

I think we have officially entered into the time in the summer where we have been together a lot, our schedules are completely different- staying up late and sleeping in and the boys are starting to act up.  Lots of fussing and fits and time outs this week.

The kids pulled their cards for this week.  They pull from a stack, so they are surprised with the card they choose.

Monday we took a mental health day and stayed in our jammies most of the day.

Tuesday the kiddos picked the card to make cupcakes.  Much to Luke’s delight.

After the kids argued over cake mixes and frosting at the grocery store (our theme of the week- arguing, that is) we decided on good old Funfetti vanilla cake and chocolate frosting.  There were only two crying episodes (and neither were mine) during the making of the cupcakes, so it was semi-successful. :-)

Wednesday was the day to hand wash the car.  Much to my delight this time.  My car was filthy.

There was only one rather large time out involved during the washing of the car, so another semi-successful activity.  Ha!

Thursday was to be Watermelon Day, but the kids behaved so terribly on Wednesday that they lost the treat.  Guess we’ll have to see how that will go another day!

Well, there’s the short version of our week.  You never know what you might get at our house!  Hopefully next week will be filled with much more agreeable family members.  :-)

Lego sorting…

I’m taking bets on how long this will last.

We went through all of Daniel’s legos yesterday and sorted them. Every. Single. One.

He has a ridiculous amount of legos.

He’s been wanting an easier way to sift through them to build something, so I went and got some storage containers and we went to town.

Now if he dumps these containers or starts mixing legos I think I might cry.

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, though. So, I’m wondering how long this organization shall last?

A week? A day? A month? We shall see…

Summer at Home: Week 3…

We’ve actually been on summer break longer than 3 weeks, but this is the third full week of staying at home… and surviving.

So…. The kids got to pull their cards from their Summer Vacation Chart.

Monday brought us a trip to the park. First thing in the morning Daniel had a dentist appointment for a teeth cleaning. And can I just say that I don’t like going to the dentist, even when I’m just taking my child. I always feel so judged if his teeth aren’t perfect, which they never are, but that’s just me and my hang ups.

So, after the dentist appointment we headed over to the park in the ninety degree temps and the kids ran around and played. Them and one other child. Apparently everyone else in town was smart enough to stay indoors with air conditioning. But the kids, as usual, had a ball.

The boys wanted to walk over to the covered bridge…. which involved walking across a creek by stepping on some rocks. I don’t have any pictures of that, I was busy trying to make sure Luke and I survived. J

We made it across without anyone falling in! It was quite the success.

The boys wanted a silly picture:


Tuesday the boys chose the Make a Paper Pizza card. Easy enough.

We got together our ingredients.

We used lunch bags as our pizza crust. I cut the sides to a point at the bottom and rolled the tops over to look like crust.

I think they turned out pretty cute.

Wednesday was to be slip & slide and sprinklers day, but it rained. This brought about much whining and gnashing of teeth… and boisterous playing indoors.

Thursday was Pajama Day!  I was looking forward to this one.  :)   I could handle a day staying in jamas as Luke calls them.

First we made pajama friends.  They are little paper dolls with paper pajamas.  I really wasn’t sure that the boys would be into the “paper dolls” but they seemed to enjoy it. I forgot to take a picture of the final products, I’ll have to post a picture later.

http://ashallann.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/1000_14569_32020_pancakes.jpg

We ate pancakes and scrambled eggs for lunch.  The boys devoured the food, so I think that was a hit.

http://dressingthepart.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/james_and_giant_peach.jpg

The last thing we did for pajama day was lay sleeping bags out on the floor of the den and watch James and the Giant Peach and eat some popcorn.

We’ve been staying pretty busy this summer and this Summer Vacation Chart is making some of the “downtime” a little more structured.  I would say it’s a success.

Now off to celebrate the fourth at the lake!

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