Small Successes

Danielle Bean of Faith & Family Live has recently started a blog series on Small Successes to help us moms recognize that each little accomplishment is important, too! Here are mine for the week:

1) I made pork schnitzel for dinner Tues. night, even though I didn't have much time before I had to leave for work.
2) I'm working on reflections for our church's March bulletins & have completed 3 out of 5 so far.

3) I cleaned out & organized our coat closet this week - now the door will shut w/out any resistance!

Go to www.faithandfamilylive.com to see Small Successes of other mothers.

"Mom, Can I Scrub the Toilet?"

"Can I mop the floor?"

"What else can I do?"

"When can I shovel the driveway?"

"I like scrubbing the toilet!" (exclaimed by The Archangel just a few minutes ago)

These are some of the comments we've been hearing around here lately. "Have all your munchkins been taken over by aliens?" you ask. Nope, we've finally found some motivation to get them to help out around the house more.

We have been selling stuff on ebay lately. Casinodad happened to see that Lego figures (not sets, just the people/characters) were going for some incredible prices. He took a little of his Christmas money to buy a bunch of Star Wars Lego sets. He lumped about 20 figures together to put on ebay & almost doubled his investment, & still has more figures to put on!

"What are you going to do w/ the rest of those sets?" I asked.

He wasn't sure at first, but suddenly it came to him - get the munchkins to do some housework to earn the sets! So, we sat down & brainstormed household tasks that were doable for their ages. Each task was assigned a certain amount of money (not real money, just credit that we would run a tab on). Once they reach a particular level, they earn the Lego set of their choice. To get a set, they have to pay 1 1/2 times the amount of the retail price. For example, they can get a $9.99 set for $15.00. For The Princess, who isn't as into Legos, I found some dolls that were mine when I was a little girl & assigned a price to each.

They still have regular chores that they don't "get paid" for doing - making their beds, cleaning up their toys/rooms, etc. This is just a little motivation to help out more around the house. They won't always get stuff for doing these things. As they get older, we'll change to an allowance type program, but for now it's nice to hear "Why does he always get to vacuum? When do I get to do it?"

PS - For some reason, no matter how many spaces I put between each paragraph, Blogger is not accepting them. Sorry all the paragraphs are jumbled together. If you know how to fix it, please let me know.

The Saint is Now Six Months Old

Wow! I can't believe six months have gone by already! He's been such a joy in our house & the other munchkins are still thrilled to have him. The Archangel repeatedly tells us how nice it is that God gave us a baby. Every morning, when I bring him downstairs, all three of them come running to see him & gush over him, especially The Princess. She's such a little mother to him. The Prophet enjoys carrying him around. This has been a tremendous help to me, so that I can prepare meals or get something done.

Six months must be the magic age for him. We started him on rice cereal, his first tooth just broke the surface yesterday, & he's rolled over from his tummy to his back. Pretty soon he'll be crawling & we won't be able to keep up w/him!

He loved his cereal. For quite a while now, he's watched us like a hawk when we eat, sitting on our laps & observing as our utensils went from plate to mouth. For his first bite of cereal, he grabbed my hand & pulled it right to his mouth. Smart little guy, don't you think?

Oh, & he's reading, too! Check out the intense look on his face as he relaxes on the floor w/ a good book!

Happy "Half" Birthday, Little Man!

Snip, Snip!

Our family has not paid for a haircut in at least two years. I bought one of those trimmer sets & started cutting the boys' hair. (It paid for itself in just three haircuts!) Casinodad decided to be brave one day & let me use them on his hair. Since then none of them have been back to a barber shop (w/ the exception of a gift certificate Casinodad got & used while I was on bedrest). For me, my mom has cut my hair for many years & she's done a great job. Thanks Mom!

My hair has always been a source of frustration for me. I've gotten compliments on the curls my whole life, but up until a couple years ago, I fought them & usually lost! Then I came across the book Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey. She says that shampoo is not good for curly hair because it strips the hair of its natural oils that help keep the curls in shape. Just use an ample amount of condition & try to avoid touching the curls throughout the day. I gave it a shot & have probably used shampoo only a couple dozen times in the last 2 1/2 years.

With my very curly hair, I really don't need it cut every 4-6 weeks like most people. I usually just call Mom when I feel the need for a trim. I've been trying to grow it out for years & just have her trim the ends. Well, I've been starting to feel guilty for taking up her time, so I researched cutting my own hair. One lady said that she just bends over so her hair is hanging down, puts it in a ponytail on top of her head, moves the holder down to where she wants to cut, & snips it off right there. Voila - instant layers! How hard could it be? So, yesterday I gave it a shot. Whaddya think?

(photos curtesy of The Prophet & The Archangel)

Random Tidbits from Munchkinland - Updated!

Just a bunch of random stuff from around here:

• Casinodad is home sick again today. He went to the doctor yesterday & has a sinus infection & conjunctivitus.
• The Saint has another sinus infection & conjunctivitus.
• The Archangel has a sinus infection, conjunctivitus, AND a double ear infection.
• The Prophet, The Princess, & I are battling sinus stuff, but not bad enough for a trip to the doctor.
• I'm wondering if the household will ever be well again!
• Speaking of the house, I think we have one under the piles of clutter & dirt!
• My nephew got his temps yesterday. I'm still in denial!
• Did I mention that I can't find my living room floor?
• It's been snowing all day & it was 17 degrees at 1pm.
• Thanks for 75% off at Target. I got a grater, a basting brush, measuring spoons, an apple corer, & a pair of girls' sweatpants - all for under $10!
• Hydrogen Peroxide performs miracles on breastmilk poop stains!

So, if you're wondering why you haven't heard from us in a while or why I haven't posted much lately...now you know! Hope you're having a better start to your new year!

The Secret is Out!

The Archangel: "Prophet, when you were a baby in Mommy's tummy, did you hear her say 'Oh good, now I have someone to help me clean!'"

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just thought I'd drop in to my own blog for a minute. Things have been crazy busy around here. We had a wonderful Christmas. I can't believe it's been a week already. I plan to post a holiday update soon, but in the meantime, I wish you & yours a wonderfully blessed

Happy New Year!