Countdown

Just a couple of weeks until school.

We have the uniforms; we have many of the supplies.

We're trying to remember to fill in reading logs and do some math.

Now, we're trying to get the house in fall order.  I know people spring clean; we school clean.

This year, that includes a new armoire for Sis (whose room doesn't have a closet.)  The small, three-drawer dresser we got for the nursery just doesn't work anymore.  And so we're moving things around to accommodate it.  The nursery dresser is nice, but we're not sure where to put it now.

Soon, we'll tackle some items in Bud's room, to give him more space--see, he has a closet, but it is filled with stuff from Mama and me.  Which means purging and relocating.

Fun, fun, fun.

We'll be having some fun, too, these last two weeks, but our minds are already half on school.

Job Board

We have a new chores system, well, more of an addendum.

In addition to their regular chart of chores--including feeding the cats, taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher, rotated by odd or even dates--for which they are unpaid because we see it as part of their family responsibility, they can now pick up "jobs for hire," which I'll post on sticky notes.  These vary week to week, season to season--shovel snow, water the garden, take out the recycling, fold the clothes, whatever I can come up with--and are paid in tickets.  These tickets are redeemable for screen time OR for cash equalling about $2.50 to purchase books, toys, souvenirs, music, whatever.  Which means we're also going to start having them pay for more things (though, no doubt we'll still purchase or go halves on things.)  There can also be surprise reward tickets; also, we won't be taking any tickets away as punishment (though, we can delay the use of screentime as a consequence.)

They are so excited!  Bud earned six tickets just yesterday, for taking out the recycling and folding and distributing 5 loads of laundry.  This morning, he and Sis unloaded the dishwasher TOGETHER, working as a TEAM, for which I gave them a surprise ticket each.  Sis is planning to water the garden soon and regularly.  Plus all those tickets they got for the cursing at the Memorial Day party!

We'll see how it all goes, but it seems promising.

Isn't it Ironic?

I have lost the book I was reading . . . about cleaning house!

It was Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her House of Youth Entitlement  by Kay Wills Wyma.  It's certainly not my usual read, though I have been reading some self-improvement, parenting, non-fiction books in the last few years.

But I don't think I've ever read one that has a blurb from Focus on the Family on the cover.  Or that was written by a person who worked in the Bush White House.  A woman who decries the socialism of our current government and the entitlement of the welfare state, all while exploring why her youngsters don't pick up after themselves and she had let them get away with it.

Yeah, that's equivalent:  food stamps and unemployment vs. kids thinking it's their mom's job to clean the house.  Why do I think no kid in public housing would ever say that to his or her mom??

So, right away, my spine is up about the author's politics.  I just wanted to read why and how she went about encouraging older kids to be more pro-active in household chores.

And I'll admit, Republican Tea-Partyism aside (and I feel quite proud of myself that I can read a book from across the aisle, so to speak!), I liked her idea about the $30 jar.  Essentially, kids are giving a jar with 30-$1 (or 31 or 28) bills in it at the beginning of each month.  Everyday that they do their assigned clean-up in their rooms, they get to keep their dollar; however, in the event that they leave clothes, toothbrushes, toys out and about, they lose the dollar.

I have a pile of ones ready for April.

I was curious to see what she did the other months--each month was a new household chore like laundry, cooking, gardening, etc.  I wonder what 12 chores I'd want to train the kids in--opening cat food cans and scooping the litter box?  taking the recycling out?  dusting?  washing windows?  They already unload the silverware (they can't reach any of the dish or glass cabinets), "shark" the kitchen floor, and help with feeding the cats and with laundry.  With no remuneration because we firmly believe it's part of their responsibility as members of the family.  But we also realize that the time has come for a bit of an allowance, which they can earn.  We're also prepping them to take care of their own spaces as we get ready to put them in separate rooms this summer (which will involve moving about 1000 books, dressers, a bed, etc, and has repercussions across 2 floors and the basement.)

She also wrote about how, while she was taught responsibility and had chores (though, she admits not many because she had sports and studying, and, speaking of entitlement, she got a BMW for her Sweet 16), she hadn't required any of that of her four kids.  I'm particularly interested in this because I had no chores or responsibilities as a child:  I did not help with dishes, laundry, the yard, garbage, feeding the pets.  Nothing.  My mom had me mow a row of grass once but decided she didn't like how I did it and thought it would be easier to do herself.  I figure I got out of all the work that way.  Otherwise, I  kept my room impeccably clean because I liked it that way.  I did my homework and made As because that was my only job (but I'm not even sure how expected that was; I never really talked about grades with my parents, probably because I had good ones.  They certainly never inquired about much less looked at my homework.)  But I left for college never having handled money because I had no allowance (but had perfected begging and borrowing to buy whatever), never having done my own laundry, etc etc etc.  And when I had my own apartment, I scrubbed toilets and tubs for the first time, unsure how to do any of it.

My kids aren't going to be that lucky.  Though, in retrospect, I'm not sure that's what you call it.

A Funny Thing Happened . . .

 . . . at the doctor's office today (no worries, just my annual gyn.)

I was a new patient and therefore being asked all these questions.

Level of education?  Ph.D.

Working or homemaker?  Homemaker

I whispered to Mama that I should just call myself "Dr. Homemaker!"  Really, I can't believe that term is still in use officially.

(At least I'm no longer a "spinster" because I'm legally married in CT.)

Besides, I think of myself as more of a professional volunteer, between Girl Scouts, the historical house, and now hospice.

Think "professional volunteer" is a category on LinkedIn?!

Grocery Challenge Update

Piggybacking on Beauty that Moves's grocery challenge, I've been examining the way our family shops, cooks, and eats.  And eats out.  We've been meal planning for a bit now and find that it helps in numerous ways.  After talking with Mama, we're revamping a few things.  First, we're splitting up shopping--I'm hoping to do the staples during the week, with Driver or another friend, while she picks up the organic produce and meats from WF, since our local stores are lacking, on weekends.  We're also altering the categories of our entrees to include two new ones:  Slow-Cooker Sunday (to work around church now being at 4:30 pm) and "Family Recipe Night," which will feature a Gommie or Ma/Gong favorite recipe from our childhoods for the kids to try (we figure it we say a grandma made it that the kids are more likely to give it a chance!).  So our categories are now:

• Slow-Cooker Sunday
• Family Recipe Night (the new dish)
• Pasta
• Baked or sauteed dish
• Soup/Stew
• Breakfast for dinner
• Leftovers/Take-out

And even while we ate out a lot last week--well, Mama and I did for lunch because it was date week--we managed to cook through everything we bought without wasting anything.  This is progress.  We're also accepting that, especially now, we won't be processed-free, as much as we might aspire to it (like the family of 100 Days of Real Foods).   But we're buying the organic, natural (read "expensive") versions--meatballs, soup, breakfast waffles, macaroni and cheese--to supplement our homemade things.  And each week we make progress.  Like, we now usually have 2-3 nights meat-free, instead of just Mondays (and sometimes, it's not Mondays).  Tonight is Pumpkin Penne, I think.  Or breakfast for dinner.

Next week, we'll focus on the financial side of meal planning.