Book Recommendations

I have read a few books lately that I just HAVE to recommend to y'all!  So, so good!  Okay, here they are...

I read both of these books and thought, "Wow!  I've go to do this!"  So, the Dave Ramsey book talks about teaching your kids about money.  They go over paying your kids for chores (teaching them the correlation between work and money), paying tithing (the importance of giving), saving money, and keeping a budget.  Every week the Ramsey family would have a "pay day" where they would get paid for the chores they did at home (keep in mind that some chores were not paid for but just required for being part of the family). If they didn't do their chores they didn't get paid!  I really liked this idea!  Only I couldn't see spending $5/week per child for chores!  Yikes!  I'd go broke!  He does, however, talk about doing what you can afford.  That was just what they did with their kids and you do what works for you.

Which brings me to book #2... The Parenting Breakthrough.  This book has so many great ideas for teaching your kids independence.  The whole idea is that you want your children to be completely self sufficient BEFORE they graduate from high school.  So she talks a lot about having a plan and an outline for getting your kids independent.  This book is written through an LDS perspective but of course would be great for anyone!  She covers chores, finances, faith, family unity, you name it!  Just a bunch of really good stuff for creating a hard working and tightly knit family.  This lady, however, has a different perspective on paying your children.  She believes that they should get an allowance (age = allowance/month, ex: 6 yr old gets $6/month) but just be required to do chores (no correlation between the 2).

After reading both of these books (and LOVING both of them), Brock and I created our own little plan.  We liked the idea of having the kids do chores and getting paid for them, but we didn't want to break the bank in the process.  So we combined both of the books and did chores but are paying them according to their age.  For example: Brek gets $7/month which breaks down to $1.75/week.  Then if she misses a chore she gets deducted $.05/chore.  We have pay day on Saturday where they get their money and immediately set aside their tithing money.

Can I just say that I AM LOVING THIS!!!  Before I would go around cleaning up after everyone all day every day!!!  Now I only clean up after one little crazy monster (Brucey Poo).  It has been such a life changer in our family.  Brek is the best!  (probably since she's old enough to really understand)  And the great part is that if you aren't in the nagging mood to get chores done, then don't.  They won't get paid.  They change their attitude real quick once they realize that they won't get money!  Also, it has been nice to have them help pay (or pay completely) for things that they are wanting.  This chore method has been working GREAT for my 7 and 6 year olds.  My 4 year old needs lots of prodding (I try to help him a bit more just since he is still pretty young) but he still loves it and gets it for the most part.  I would not recommend it for any younger (unless you have a very mature 3 year old!).

Here is a sample of our chore chart...

One more book that I have to mention is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  Definitely a favorite and another life changer!  I'm still working on my process, but I am loving the transformation (see photo below)!  I won't go into detail about this book (it's fabulous for changing your mindset on what is important in your life), but the one thing that applies to my children and chores is the folding of their shirts.  I have changed how I fold their shirts (and mine!), and it's a miracle!  The shirts stay in the drawer instead of all over the room from trying to find that one shirt!

So there you go!  I would LOVE to talk to any of you about any of these books.  They really are amazing and worth the read!

January Happenings

 Tyce all dressed up ready for church

Bruce making a mess eating...

But isn't he just the cutest?

Bed time for the boys is play time for the boys.  They play and play until they finally give out or we make Luke go lay down in our bed.      

Dress up clothes time

So sweet

I love this picture for so many reasons.  2 reasons are...1.They really do love each other.  2. Brek is reading all on her own (she's really good at it, she just won't ever do it unless I make her)

The Demise of our Trampoline...
My dear husband hopped up on the trampoline to play with the kids one day and jumped a little too close to the springs and POP! 3 or 4 came off.  Oops.  I noticed after that that the kids were actually playing MORE on the trampoline now that it was busted than before.  It made for a nice little slide, and they could get Bruce up on it by themselves now.

Slowly but surely a few more springs popped off...

Now the trampoline became even more fun with flips on the pole.

But then one fateful day the whole thing came down.  Oh no!  Did this stop the children from having fun?  Goodness no!  (Pete the Cat anyone?)  They just spread it out and had a nice little play area!

I love that my kids don't need a bunch of toys or fancy stuff to be entertained.  Their imagination constantly amazes me.

One day, Luke slipped on the step getting out of the suburban.  I thought nothing of it until that afternoon when he was running home from the mailbox limping the entire way.  I had Brock look at it that night and it was pretty swollen and bruised.  I took him into the ER the next day where we found out he had broken his little pinky toe on his left foot.

My sweet Luke waiting for the diagnosis 

And in case you are wondering, this is what you do for a broken pinky toe. :)  I felt kind of like an idiot for taking him in.  They reassured me though that you never know and that it was good that I brought him in!

Luke got a sweet Get Well card from Nana and Papa and Kacy

Tyce came home one day with pink eye!  Yay.  We battled that a couple more times with him during the month (they must've just been passing it around and around in his class).  Luckily, Luke was the only other one in our family to get it. 

 This picture represents the many many mornings I have struggled with my dearest daughter Brek.  I love that girl to death and she can be the absolute sweetest thing in the world, but most mornings are a struggle.  No clothes or shoes are ever good enough (They don't feel good!), her hair is not working for her (I want a DEEP side part like Kacy!), and every morning I hear this phrase at least once... I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!!!!  Followed by a slamming bedroom door.  

This particular tag on the shirt was a fun one.  There was a beautiful little bow right on top of the tag.  Brek wanted me to cut the tag off.  I cut it off but the bow was still bothering her.  I cut it off and it still didn't feel good.  I had to get the seem ripper out and luckily it came off (it took some effort).

I have read a lot of books recently trying to figure out how I can help her (and myself!) to not have such dramatic mornings.  The Highly Sensitive Child and The Child Whisperer have really helped me a lot.  Since reading those I have acknowledged that yes, maybe those shoes actually don't feel good to you (Before I was telling her to get over it and deal with it).  I also gave her an alarm clock so that she could feel like she could have more control over her mornings.  It has been amazing!  Other than the one time that she slept through her alarm (that morning was TERRIBLE), it has been a miracle worker!  She has been so much better!

 Best buds in the grocery store!

 The little boys and I went with some friends last week to the Thinkery (like a Children's Museum).  The boys had so much fun!

 Luke and Bruce discovering the power of air

Luke loved tagging along with the big boys! 

Bruce didn't quite get the water fun.  He just stood there with his hand in the water like this the whole time! :) 

Luke knew what to do! 

Here Luke is in the ER entertaining himself.  He had no idea I was filming him.

Bruce has been talking a lot lately!  Here he is saying Momma and please.

New Year's

We finally made it to Childress after being stuck in the blizzard and was welcomed with no electricity!  The ice that they had in Childress from the blizzard had broken some power lines.  Nana and Papa were without electricity for 3 days!  2 of those days we were there.  Kenney and Elizabeth were without power in Wellington so Elizabeth and the kids came over for the fire at Nana and Papa's.  And of course the fun company! :)  So the kids and Elizabeth all slept in the living room next to the fire on Monday night.  The power came back on for Elizabeth's family so they went back home on Tuesday.  We spent lots of the day at Kevin and Kerry's trying to stay warm over there!  They were up in Utah.  Thanks for letting us crash your place!

Playing around at Kevin and Kerry's

Watching fun movies with Nana at Kevin and Kerry's

They watched Sword in the Stone and while watching the wizard duel when Merlin turns into a turtle, Tyce said, "Really?  A turtle."  Nana thought that was pretty funny.

We got home from eating dinner at Kevin's to put the kids to bed in front of the fire again.  Right as we had gotten them all laid down the power came on!  Yay!  It was so nice to feel warm again!

The next day we went and played in Wellington with Elizabeth and the kids.  We loved their huge house and are quite jealous! :)

Brek loved holding Bentley

For New Year's we hung out, ate lots of food, and played games with Nana and Papa and Kenney and Elizabeth.  The kids had so much fun playing Just Dance.  It was pretty amazing.  No messes, no fights.  Why have we not discovered this game earlier??

The kids playing Just Dance

Brek and Radley

Photobombing Kacy, Tyce, and Damon

Of course we always have to round up as many girls as possible for Brek to play with while we're in Childress!  She loves girl time!

Brek with cousins Malia and Tesema

Rockstars

Bruce loved his little cousin Bentley

She was quite a hit with Brek and Bruce.  Maybe it's a "B" name thing.