Now My Kids Like to Clean Their Room

Whoa, I bet you think I'm lying, don't you? Well, anything can be done with the proper motivation. Our Chore Chart motivator is toys. Without motivation my children are basically slugs when it comes to cleaning. That's why we are starting to use the PAYjr allowance system.

PAYjr, the leading online allowance and chore program for kids, has launched a new partnership with Target. Now, allowances can be loaded directly, electronically, and automatically to a free and reloadable Target Gift Card. The perfect program to teach kids 12 and under how to manage money.

We have set up an online Chore Chart for each child, which was easy to do. When each kid completes an assigned chore, we review it and approve payment which will be allocated to that child's Target Card. We have always found it difficult to keep a regular chore chart going and slipped up with tracking - this solves all the problems and makes rewarding them easier.

The children love Target, and they are looking forward to earning more to pay for their toy purchases.

I Used to Make Fun of Soccer Moms....

Really, I did! That was in the days that media was touting the soccer mom as being the "typical mom" of the day, driving her Chrysler minivan, with 2.5 kids to every soccer game and working for the PTO, maybe working, maybe not. Fast forward ten years and where am I? At a soccer game every weekend watching the little one play. We did drive a van for a few years, but really it was terrible - bad motor! Now I still have an SUV (bought one month before the gas prices soared) bad move...but I use it to tote the children around to their various events: soccer, dance classes, yearbook meetings, girl scouts, Odyssey of the Mind is starting, volunteering at school....Yes, it's me!

Keep in mind that I spent fifteen years as a single, corporate, do-nothing- but-work-woman. I really didn't have extracurricular activities outside of my work friends..well, maybe my cat (but that's another story). I really do enjoy having the children as the main focus of my life at this time. I am blessed to have two very brilliant, loving girls, who are enjoying childhood.

Who could want more...I'm off to soccer this morning!

Mom Saves Daughter from Drowning in Plane Wreck

I was going to call it a day for my posting of news bites, but then I saw this - YOU GO MOM! If this doesn't show that Moms have true grit, I don't know what will. This mom, after being in a plane wreck and escaping it, grabbed a rescuer's goggles, swam down and saved her own child, after the rescuer couldn't do it!

Mom's Rule!

The Summer is Long...Keep Kids Busy!

School starts later this year, like August 24th, instead of the usual first week of August. I really don't mind the kids getting a longer summer this year - but they are getting bored. We just sent them off to camp again. DD2 is at a free bible camp that she really enjoys - you really can't beat them for free entertainment and learning, no matter what your values might be. DD1 is at a free Marine Science camp for the week. We got her a scholarship based on her academic abilities and our low income as of right now.

We really appreciate having this opportunity for her. I believe in the pay it forward philosophy, so when we can, we will financially support such endeavors for others. Still no job opps for me - they seem to only want experienced teachers in our district, despite the high need projected everywhere. Never mind my 25 years of real world experience - vs. the new college graduate - that doesn't seem to matter.

Modern-day Scarlett Letter

I'm sure there will be a huge outcry, starting with my wife a bunch of other people, about this humiliating and scarring this kid.

I think it's great. Wish I'd thought of it first.

Mom makes daughter wear her offenses

MEMPHIS, Tennessee - A Tennessee mother fed up with her daughter's misbehavior took an unusual tack in for latest punishment, making her stand on a busy street corner with an attention-getting sign.

Tashara Wilkins, 13, held a sign Sunday reading, "I don't obey my parents, I'm a liar. I steal from my mom. I have a bad attitude."

Mom must be a Nathaniel Hawthorne fan.

Readers are Leaders!

Readers are Leaders! Our school principal likes to drive us all crazy with that little phrase, but she is right. We do have to work hard to keep the little buggers from having minds of mush over the summer of TV! I'm doing my part today to take them to our library's summer program kickoff! They do a little show and have an incentive program to get the kids to read each week. So off we'll go...what will you do?

Arghhhh! Abandon hope, all ye who enter...

Ok, it's my turn!

Here's something I picked up off of one of my RSS feeds:



Too Cool! I can't wait to check this puppy out!

If you want more info, here's the Pirate Parenting website.

Summer Babies Poor Test Scores???

A recent article says that depending on when your baby is conceived affects how smart they are. Something about summer time creating more exposure to pesticides/chemicals in the mom-to-be's food/water. All I can tell you is that my oldest child was conceived in June and she is off the charts gifted with a tested IQ above 150. Does this mean she would be higher if conceived in lets say January? I don't know - but I think they tested people in Indiana ;)

Sick Sick Sick Kid

Our youngest daughter has been sick for a week now with some mysterious viral illness. Wouldn't it have been nice if the preschool had told us that it was going around? When I reported that she was deathly sick with a 104 fever last week, they nonchalantly said "oh there are three out now". Her preschool graduation is tonight - how much fun will that be with a kid standing (or possibly laying) there with snot running down her face in a lovely white cap and gown? ;) What joy! In our family sickness seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Everyone says they will outgrow it, but our second grader still gets sick almost as often as she did when she was small. It is frustrating because we've been to the doctor twice now and they don't give us anything. I am looking at my kid now and she has the darkest circles under her eyes and ashen complexion that I have ever seen. However, as of this a.m. her temp seems finally to have dropped in the normal range for the first time this week. And they say Bird Flu is bad - heck, we can't even manage a regular kid illness! Until next time - hope you and yours stay healthy. P. S. My kids think this photo is funny, so I had to put it on, it is NOT representative of my child's looks ;)