Kids in the Kitchen

Part of the boys' chore (err... "teamwork") responsibility is to put away the clean dishes.  We aren't (or haven't been) super strict on daily jobs but whenever things need to be done and the boys are around, they are expected to help out.   Porter's job is to empty the dishwasher and put them away, while Hudson's part of the job is to put away the silverware.  Uhm... so it's not uncommon for our cabinets and drawers to look a little... ehhhh... discombobulated HAHA!  It cracks me up to open the cabinets to get a cup or a plate and to find a sight like this.  

And you know what cracks me up even more?  Is finding Hotwheels Cars in random places.  I found this van in the fridge one afternoon and by evening I found it in the freezer.  Weird kids.  

July Fly By

I absolutely can NOT believe today is the LAST day of July.  WHERE did it go?  WHERE is summer going?   I have not been very good at updating our recent events.  Boo!  I have meant to blog but everytime I get on the computer it seems I get sucked into something else (ahem... Facebook...ahemmmm... pinterest.... ahemmmm....).  I need someone to block those sites for me and maybe I'll be more productive?

So lately... let's see.

My mom and Mike came to visit for a week.  We really didn't see too much of my mom while she was here... we did have a big family cookout on that Saturday (the... uh... 16th?) and that was so nice to see our extended family. Sadly, I took oh about 2 pictures.  EEEP!  Ok, I did take more than that but not much variety.  We took a boat ride on Wednesday when they got into town and then I took a whopping ONE picture on the Saturday we had a cookout.  

• Our lawn mower blew up a few weeks ago.  Or maybe a few months ago... I'm not sure.  Anyhow, we've been push mowing our lawn ALL summer.  Our lawn isn't huge but it still takes a good 2 hours to push mow.  GAH!  Ryan got a surprise bonus from work that was quite a bit more than their normal piddly bonuses so he bought a new riding lawnmower.  It is a beast!  He loves it.  He mowed our lawn today and it so did not even need to be mowed.  I think he told me about 15 times today that he loves his new mower :) 
• The boys had a sleepover at my mom's (err... grandpa's) the Sunday before she went back to NC.  Aubri and Addi stayed the night as well.  The boys were SO excited to go!

• A couple weeks ago I took the boys to ride Lacey.  This has become a summer tradition for us (2009 and 2010) and I wish wish wish I would be more diligent in taking them more often.   After we rode we spent some time in Barbie's pool, Porter got to watch Cole shoot his gun, the boys played on the trampoline, ate ice cream and Barbie and I got to catch up and chat for a bit!

• We have had TERRIBLE luck with our monarchs this summer.  In May and early June we had 3 caterpillars.  1 escaped out of our loose screen and the other 2 formed chrysalids.  1 "hatched' and was deformed or something and died... the other never hatched.  We then found 2 caterpillars at Barbies house the day we went riding.  Hudson squished them a bit but they seemed okay and lived for a few more days and then both died.  We THEN found a little egg, which hatched and then the little caterpillar died the next day.... never began eating.  What the hell!  So right now we have one large caterpillar (that was found as about a 1/2" caterpillar on our neighbors milkweed), 1 teensy tiny just hatched caterpillar and one egg (that is darkening and looks ready to hatch).  I'm HOPING they will all make it to butterflies! 
• The boys went to Vacation Bible School at the church where Porter attends Awanas.  Last year Hudson really wanted to go to Cubbies with Porter but he was too young.  This was Hudson's first class/activity type thing he had done on his own without Ryan or I being there.  I wasn't sure how it'd go but he did great!  I stayed for about 20 minutes to make sure he got settled and then snuck out.  Oddly, Porter seemed to have a harder time with staying on his own than Hudson. When I picked them up they were both so excited and had had so much fun.  Unfortunately we only attended 2 nights of VBS (it was actually 5 days) as I hadn't found out about it until the end of the week.  I feel good about sending Hudson to Cubbies this fall (errr... in a few weeks!).  He will finally be old enough for Awanas and wil be in Cubbies.  Porter will move up and be in Sparks.  Ryan and I will get a 2 hour weekly date night on Sunday!  WOO HOO! 
  
  
  
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• We have really been enjoying our bikes.   We rode quite a bit the first few weeks after I got my bike and Hudson got his little kiddy seat.  Then we had a streak of HOT weather... like "real feel" temp of over 100*.  Ouch.  So we kind of hoarded up inside and didn't take any rides.  Bummer.  However, it has cooled down a bit and we have been riding a bit more.  The boys and I rode up to the gas station last week and got donuts and OJ and then took it to the boat dock to watch (and feed) the ducks.  We have also rode up to DQ (YUMM and so addicting!) as well :)

What else have we been doing this month?  We used our new art easel (which I had purchased about 3 years ago... just never took it out of the box!).  So far it has found a home in the dining room and that might just be where it stays.  

I've been doing TONS of laundry.  Ugh.  I swear to goodness it breeds in our closets and in the basement.  WHERE does all the laundry come from?!?  Hudson helps me out by driving the wet laundry out to the clothes line with the gator.  That gator sure comes in handy!

One of our "rainy day" activities was to build a marble run out of a pool noodle.  Cut it in half and voila!  It kept the boys entertained for a bit and it even turned into a great learning tool.  Porter discovered that heavier marbles go faster down the track.  This boy... he's so observant and is always trying to figure out how things work, and he is always thinking of things to invent.  The other day he found one of those plastic hooks that are on socks when you buy them at the store.  He brought it to me with a length of string and asked me to tie it to the string so he could make a fishing pole. 

Speaking of Porter... this boy cracks me up.  In the winter he'll run outside in a t-shirt with no worries of being cold.  In the summer?  Well, of COURSE he's running around in jeans (literally... ALL SUMMER he has worn jeans!) and long sleeve shirts.  This day in particular?  He found this sweater and thought it was new... so why not wear it on an 85* day? 

We also made rock candy this month.  Holy sugar overload!  To make this amount of rock candy (which was quite a bit more than planned)... took 5 cups of sugar!  Ick!

And just a few randoms......
Porter vacuuming.  He loves this job. 

Hudson and I.  Love this kid.

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Chore Charts

I finally decided on a chore/job method for around this house.  I wrote about this before.... wanting my kids to have responsibility around the house and to "work" as a part of this household (thus, learning to do things out of desire to help/commitment to family and home) but also have the experience of earning, saving and spending money as well.  I decided on a weekly job chart with a set amount of chores they MUST do as well as some additional chores that they can earn money for.  

Their "Must Do" chores:

Pick up toys

Brush teeth

Make Bed

Feed rats (Porter)

Clean Room

Take care of dirty laundry

Their "Allowance" Chores:

(Per age- Porter has 5 and Hudson has 3)

Porter:

Set and clear table

empty dishwasher/put away dishes

feed dogs

put away laundry 

vacuum

Porter also wanted to be the "Trash Boy" and added Empty Garbage to his list as well.  

Hudson (which we're not being too strict on him doing these just yet, but he is helping us while we do them)

Dust

Empty Garbage

Sort silverware

Porter especially is so excited about his jobs.  We just started this yesterday (although P has been doing many of his same jobs this week and last... I just didn't get a chart made until yesterday).   He loves vacuuming, emptying the garbage and putting away the dishes.   

To make my charts I created the little labels (added icons and text) and created the grid on a landscape sized paper.  I printed two grids for each kiddo, combined them together on a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper.   I was thinking of putting the downloadable/printable grid and labels in my Etsy shop for those who want to make their own but not do the work of making labels/grids.  Would anyone be interested?