The business of the new year...
With the start of a new year, there are always those things that must be attended to:
Start thinking about tax filing...sheesh, not fun, but then there is the more fun and satisfying things such as...getting a new calendar updated with Spring dates and all the year's birthdays,
Christmas thank you notes...the kids and I have been working on this. They draw pictures and stamp their name...I do the rest.
Birthday party planning. I'm trying to decide if I want to do one or not for soon to be Mister-5-Year-Old.
Birthday card making. My grand plan this year is to make all of the birthday cards for family and friends now so I have them all ready to go throughout the year...so far so good.
I also made up one chore chart each for Elijah and Evelyn. I came up with a list of things that they could do daily and then a special chore for each day of the week. This will help them learn responsibility. They will also be receiving a small allowance as well. A portion of which they will save, a portion they will give, and a portion they will keep. I hope that this will start to teach them about money, how it works, how to manage it, and what can be done with it. The first week has gone very well. They are eager each day to do their chores and they are (so far) doing them cheerfully.
Each day they have to: Get dressed, make their beds, pick up their clothes, clean their rooms and brush their teeth. We were doing these already, but I think it helps them to stay on top of things when it is in black and white on a chart. The weekly things include: cleaning the bathroom sink, washing the glass on the backdoor, helping me wash dishes, and sweeping the kitchen floor. I am so impressed by the pride they are putting into each task and I am glad that they are beginning to learn what goes into keeping a home.
At the request of my Mid-wife I have been moving more...namely going for walks around the neighborhood. The weather has still been fairly warm, for January, so I am taking advantage and trying to get my butt moving. I am also trying to eat the best that I can. Aside from the gallon of chocolate ice cream that I begged David to buy for me (I didn't eat it all in one sitting), I have been doing pretty well. Things like brown rice, kale, and beans have been tasting pretty good. Going back to my former vegetarian ways is not such a bad idea. That combined with the exercise has been helping my sleep better and be more energetic.
These Winter days do not feel so wintery yet...I would like to make big pots of soup and bake like crazy, but it is amazing how warmish days sap the motivation for those sorts of things. I'm not even in the mood to knit or sew...however, I am certain that snowy days will come and I will find myself content to be tucked in doors baking and loving on my children. Spring and the new baby will be here before I can blink...so a few slow days wouldn't bother me a bit.
Oh, and lastly...is anyone else in love with Downton Abbey as I am? I am so tickled that season two has started. Love, love, love that show!
Start thinking about tax filing...sheesh, not fun, but then there is the more fun and satisfying things such as...getting a new calendar updated with Spring dates and all the year's birthdays,
Christmas thank you notes...the kids and I have been working on this. They draw pictures and stamp their name...I do the rest.
Birthday party planning. I'm trying to decide if I want to do one or not for soon to be Mister-5-Year-Old.
Birthday card making. My grand plan this year is to make all of the birthday cards for family and friends now so I have them all ready to go throughout the year...so far so good.
Stamps I made the kiddies
Thank you notes
The beginnings of Birthday Cards
Each day they have to: Get dressed, make their beds, pick up their clothes, clean their rooms and brush their teeth. We were doing these already, but I think it helps them to stay on top of things when it is in black and white on a chart. The weekly things include: cleaning the bathroom sink, washing the glass on the backdoor, helping me wash dishes, and sweeping the kitchen floor. I am so impressed by the pride they are putting into each task and I am glad that they are beginning to learn what goes into keeping a home.
At the request of my Mid-wife I have been moving more...namely going for walks around the neighborhood. The weather has still been fairly warm, for January, so I am taking advantage and trying to get my butt moving. I am also trying to eat the best that I can. Aside from the gallon of chocolate ice cream that I begged David to buy for me (I didn't eat it all in one sitting), I have been doing pretty well. Things like brown rice, kale, and beans have been tasting pretty good. Going back to my former vegetarian ways is not such a bad idea. That combined with the exercise has been helping my sleep better and be more energetic.
These Winter days do not feel so wintery yet...I would like to make big pots of soup and bake like crazy, but it is amazing how warmish days sap the motivation for those sorts of things. I'm not even in the mood to knit or sew...however, I am certain that snowy days will come and I will find myself content to be tucked in doors baking and loving on my children. Spring and the new baby will be here before I can blink...so a few slow days wouldn't bother me a bit.
Oh, and lastly...is anyone else in love with Downton Abbey as I am? I am so tickled that season two has started. Love, love, love that show!
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