Best Friends

J&F met the first day of kindergarten and have been the best of friends ever since. It is a strong bond...they aren't in the same class this year but they still think of each other as best buddies because they spend time together in their afterschool hours.


There is a third good buddy in the group and I hope to get her in a shot another time.

Photo 9 - Day 29

All School Show

J's school had their annual performance this evening. The pictures are interesting. J was the first grader that gave a speech and even being in the front row I was too far from the too dimly lit mid-stage where she stood. She did a great job with her speech - she had some funny parts, made sure she mentioned her wiener dog "because people always laugh at the word wiener, mom". Her speech was well received by people she knew and those she didn't. I mentioned afterwords that I heard people laugh and she said, "I know...they laughed at parts that weren't even supposed to be funny, but they laughed and that's what matters most to me."

Before tonight's speech she said she was not doing one again next year. On the ride home she said, "I'll do a speech in 2nd grade and third grade but then that's all...I think that will be enough don't you?"

No photo of the speaker, but here is one of the loyal listeners.

Photo 8 - Day 29

Family Money

Not the good kind of family money, like the Rockefellers or the Gates. This family money is another attempt to stumble onto a system where my kids can get on task and I can get off nagging.

I lifted this idea from an email that I read and then tweaked it to suit me. At our house the kids have certain things they need to get done every morning and evening – routine things, like getting clothes set out for the next day. If they get them done, they get paid for it. If something goes undone or if I do it they don’t get paid.

They also have certain chores that are their responsibility – like putting away their own laundry. If they do it, great – if they would rather I do it, I charge them for it.

There are things they need to buy as well. If they want computer time (beyond any ‘free’ time on the computer that I give them) there is a charge for it - partly to reinforce ideas that money is used as a bartering tool and that you have to make choices and partly to keep a better eye on how much time they spend on the computer.

The family money is worth very little on the cash market – but they can accumulate and trade for that as well.

Early observations…
S is content to pay me to do her work
J thinks it is fun to hire S to do any little thing that crosses her mind
Helping mom on cleaning cabinets and the like is more attractive when money comes from it
Not doing a chore you find distasteful (“that’s no fun”) means you see that your sister gets paid and you do not
Computer time is so worth paying for – biggest draws right now are stardoll for S and for J - something where she can earn a monster truck game.

Photo 7 - Day 28

Here Wii are!

Taking a picture for a blog each day becomes more challenging as the weekend is over. We just don't do that much - get up, get ready, school/work, come home, eat dinner and kids off to bed...

Today I thought I would photograph the Miis we made for ourselves on the Wii. Check this out - in the first picture my Mii BLINKED!

Here we are as we really look on the Wii...Mom, J and S


We are enjoying the Wii. Unlike when J hibernates with the DS, the Wii invites interaction - sometimes gloating - and some movement. Last night we managed a tennis tournament (mom won), a boxing match (mom won), bowling (J won) and Dancing with the Stars - S's game of choice for sure!

Boxing is the hardest for me - having to punch one of my kid's Mii until they are knocked out...it's just too weird. But watching the kids box - that is a photo for another day as one wears her UofM warm up suit and one wears a princess costume complete with tiara and pearls!

Photo 6 - day 27

Frugal, Over the Top, or Good Family Fun?

At Christmastime when in Michigan, Lynn the bargain hunter (gift basket-eer extraordinaire) gave me a recipe for laundry detergent. Yes, you read that right-a recipe for laundry detergent. The stuff in many boxes and jugs in the grocery stores and super-centers. According to her this concoction costs $.01 a load.

So....S and I made some while J was busy earning a rock star outfit for her Club Penguin guy on the DS. Below you see the ingredients, the homemade detergent and some of the results. A mere tablespoon per load and honestly I haven't noticed any loss of cleaning power.

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
(found it at Kroger)

1 cup Borax


2 cups grated Ivory Soap (recipe called for Fels Naptha - but I was told that was hard to grate and S is only 5...)

So...some moms make cookies (that are sold in the grocery store), some make pickles (again...already jarred in the stores) and we made laundry detergent. It was fun.

Photo 5 - Day 26

Scootin-

The kids and I had a fun day of cleaning bathroom cabinets and grocery shopping, so, before dinner was ready, we hit a nearby park to use the Christmas scooters.

This shows both of them in one shot and actually scooter-ing. Often the older was too far ahead to be in a shot and the younger really thought she made better time when she walked it.

Photo 4 - Day 25

Happy New Year - 4707

Lunar New Year approaches - this year it is January 26 but today was the day we got together to celebrate.

Photo 3 - day 24

It's a trick...

It’s a trick and I fall for it alarmingly frequently…

Look at the silly giggly girls that first little while after they get into bed...they forget their differences from earlier in the day and become the best of friends bonding over that common enemy - sleep.

Or is that common enemy me? Have they figured out that which is my weakness? It's so hard to interrupt the warmth and bonding that exists in that bedtime hour...I listen to the soft giggles, the stories they act out with their favorite furry friends and I can occassionally peek in and see as big sister J holds S and reads a favorite story.

I enjoy that evening hour as I can sew, fold laundry, or catch up on email/blog reading while listening to my girls as they are building a sisterly bond that will last their whole lives...or at least it will last until 'someone touches my animal' or 'someone doesn't like the book I picked' or 'someone won't let me sleep'.

Hope springs eternal as I know the next night will be the same, I'll listen to my happy girls bond and inevitably wait a couple minutes too long before yelling "Bedtime means sleeping!"

curses, foiled again...........

Photo 2 - Day 23

What’s all the 365 talk???

Poking around on a few blogs of e-friends, I see a common theme – 365. Doesn’t take a large intellect to determine there is something brewing about everyday in 2009. Now, if we recall, my 2009 resolution was ‘no new projects’ so it can’t possibly be something that I will be getting involved in. Still, intriguing…

Something everyday…I smile to myself as I recall the New Year’s Resolution Ross Geller (Friends) had one year of trying one new thing every day. The ‘new thing’ leather pants did not work out well at all, as he found himself trying to get them back onto sweaty legs with both baby powder and lotion….but, I digress

Not really being a part of this 365 thing, I’ll just draw my own conclusions and make up the rest in my head – that can’t possibly get me in trouble. It’s about photos…a picture a day. Jan is one of the participants in the 365 circle and I love seeing her photos and reading her musings regularly. So…I am jumping on board – late – but jumping on board. Certainly a photo a day can’t be that hard to manage, although I am already 22 behind so mine will need to be a little accelerated.

As to my personal resolution of 365 days of no new projects…well, this isn’t really a new project is it? I said I wouldn’t start a new project…no new blog…I already have a camera…I won’t be buying anything new or starting anything new just to photograph something…I think I am clear to proceed…

Number 1 on Day 23…the happy birthday balloon that S got on the 10th and that I keep retrieving from the cathedral ceiling over the stove...

Obama-mania

This is not a political post...I am not looking to complicate my blog or my brain by going down that road. A new president is a new president. A chance to hope all the ills of the nation will be healed and an opportunity to watch an attractive new family in the White House.

That said - I do love the art that came from this campaign and by going to this site http://www.obamiconme.com/ you can bring that art to your life as well.

...Now to find how to get those tennis shoes made with my kids photos....

Homework...

S has homework in PreK. Usually not much, a single page reinforcing something they are studying at school - something to color....

This week is S is for seasons (and of course S). Last night while I was getting dinner, S was in a hurry to get her work done. A cute little sheet that had a child dressed for each of the 4 seasons in the left column. The other column of the page had something from the outfits and the kids were to match the child in column A to an item (or items) of their apparel in column B. The first was done for you. 'Winter' was wearing typical playing outside clothes and a line was drawn to a grouping with a hat coat and mittens.

Upon looking at her completed homework, things were not quite right...The child with overalls and a T-shirt had a line to a long sleeve shirt, the boy with a bathing suit had a line to both a swimsuit and a T-shirt...

Mom: "S, these aren't quite right. This child is wearing a T shirt and the line goes to the wrong shirt"

S: "Oh no, this shirt would look much better with that outfit and this boy needs to wear BOTH of these things...."

homework through the eye of the beholder....

What everyone loves at Christmas

Playing in the snow,

Making Christmas cookies,




...and the perfect new Christmas outfit!

Gift Basket a la Lynn...

Now isn't that a gorgeous gift basket? All sorts of stuff that a family needs - shampoos and conditioners (kid and adult), body washes and soaps (kid and adult), lotions, scented candles, a neat sheet, toothbrushes & toothpaste (kid and adult), nail clippers and a few other various HBA products. Check out the price tags - these are all full size items!

Here is what the hang tag said:

Total basket value.....One Hundred Seventy Four dollars

Total after sales, double coupons and rebates.....Zero dollars

A gift from me.....Priceless

Now, without those tags I, and several other recipients of similar baskets, could have been bowled over by her generosity - but then we wouldn't have been able to be in awe of her bargain shopping proficiency!

As 7 yr old J would say "Shopping is definitely Aunt Lynn's forte!" ...and forte is definitely J's new word of the day...

No new projects in 2009...

Since I am still wrapping up a couple of things that I am behind in from 2008 my biggest resolution for 2009 is "no new projects in 2009", that's my mantra "no new projects in 2009".

I am not starting any new blogs - I can still keep this one up.

I am not getting involved with any new charitable efforts - I have a couple that I work with that I can continue on.

I am not starting any new at home projects - I have SO many started, I am safely covered with continuing to have activity I can be involved in.

No new hobbies - I have enough.

I have enough to do...I don't need anything new.

There, I put it in writing, that means I can keep from overcommitting in 2009...right?