Out of the Mouths of My Babes

Noah, yelling downstairs from upstairs: MOOOOM, Ben said he was gonna poop on my head!!
Ben, also yelling from upstairs: NO I DIDN'T! I said I was gonna SIT on your head!
Noah: MOOOOOM, BEN SAID HE IS GONNA SIT ON MY HEAD!!!!
(I cannot contain the giggling with these kids)

Ben, drawing a picture: Mom, how many legs do dogs have?
Never considered I'd have to answer that question in my life!

Noah: MOM, I have a GREAT IDEA!!! Let's get a CAT!
Ben: No, Cats are for GIIIRLS!

Grace has been dog-sitting for a neighbor. She feeds him, plays with him, and then takes him back to his house. She is doing such a great job! Tonight, I left the kids with Nate and walked the dog home. On the way back, I stopped to talk with some of our neighbors.
   When I returned (it was probably 15 minutes), Ben and Grace ran up to me and hugged me. Ben said, "Mom! Where WERE you! I thought we were ORPHANS!"


Whenever it storms, Noah says the cutest things. "Mommy, do you hear that WUMBLE?" and, "I'm scared of the FUNDER, Mommy"




I'm working in the vegetable garden while the children play outside. Noah runs to me, all flustered and excited, "MOM! Mom! The TORNADOES are turning RED!!" I have no idea what on earth he is talking about until he takes me over to the "tornado plants" that are just starting to change color. What a cutie!

TV Time

We are trying, trying, trying to get back into a normal routine after the holidays. I had hoped we could continue with school everyday since we were home, but that just did not happen. I think we all enjoyed the break, though. My biggest concern now is the back stepping I see happening in Grace's math skills since the break. I'm hoping we can work through those and continue moving forward.

Today I wanted to post something we've been working on for about two months now. It's our TV access guide. There really is no reason why the children should be watching television after they've played in (and not picked up) every room in the house (and yes, this includes the bathroom!).  TV time is an earned privilege, and I'm hoping they will eventually develop a practice of independently completing their responsibilities before pursuing entertaining venues. There's no hard, fast rule here, but this works for us! It really helps the kids stay motivated to work through the daily school schedule as well.  The children basically have a list of tasks they should complete before they can ask to have TV time. Sometimes they can access two 30 minute TV times a day, and sometimes they will get none at all, depending on our schedule for the day and on their own desire to complete the tasks. So far, it's gone very well (when enforced).

We posted a simple sign in front of the television:

Want to watch the television (T.V.)?
1. Did you finish your breakfast?
2. Are your dishes in the sink?
3. Is your bedroom clean?
4. Are you dressed?
5. Are your teeth brushed?
6. Did you read your Bible this morning?
7. Did you empty the dishwasher?
8. Did you finish one subject of school work? (Grace and Ben)

If you answered “NO” to any of these questions, complete the task and try again. If you can answer yes to every question, then you may ask your mother for permission to watch 30 minutes of television.

Want to watch the television (T.V) again?
1. Is it after 5pm?
2. Are you in your pajamas?
3. Did you brush your teeth?
4. Did you empty the dishwasher?
5. Have you completed all of your school work?
6. Is the kitchen floor swept and mopped?
7. Are all the bathrooms clean?
8. Is your bedroom and play room clean?

If you answered “NO” to any of these questions, complete the task and try again. If you can answer “YES” to every question, then you may ask your mother for permission to watch 30 minutes of television.






What works for your family?