Money, money, money by the pound

Today I finally got my act together and paid my children. I have been trying for quite a while to come up with a system that works for me. I found a system that works quite well. The boys start each morning with a quarter. On the white board in the kitchen is a record of their quarter, and they keep their quarter until I have to remind them, yet again, to PRACTICE! or GET DRESSED! or whatever. They lose a nickel each time I have to remind them. This is particularly difficult for Evin, who gets distracted by dirt and air, much less interesting books and toys. I like this system, because I keep all the records on the white board for the whole week, and then at the end of the week if I don't have time to pay them, I just add it to the total. Today I finally paid them. I'm actually out of ones and fives, so Derek owes Kaleb four dollars and Isaac five. I had enough for Evin and Ian. In the process, with each small boy, we discussed what the savings were for (mission/college), that we pay tithing first, and what they wanted to save their money for. Hopefully that will inspire them to work faster in the mornings.

Evin turned out to be a fairly rich child. Between losing teeth, winning money for different things, and a mommy that never lets him spend money, he has about $35 to spend. He's trying to decide what he wants to save up for. He's currently on the couch perusing a toysRus ad.

The thing I like most about this system is it doesn't involve the children actually finishing anything. I know that sounds funny, but poor Evin can't realistically finish his practicing. He has far too much to practice now, and that's not fair. Isaac, on the other hand, always finishes because he (almost every day) never stops. So he always would have the most money. He still does, but at least the other boys have a shot. All they have to do is be working on whatever they are currently supposed to be doing, so I don't have to yell at them. It works for me.

So right now, the total column on the white board is zero, everybody has a 25 by their name, and we're off for another week!

A Kaleb memory

As I was out with Emily and Marilyn last night we were talking about our charming children, and I had to write down my proudest Kaleb moment, even though it happened last year.

Every year, the elementary school does a reading program and the kids get tickets for certain amounts of reading they do every month. Twice a year they do a drawing for prizes. Evin won $10 once, a basketball another time, they usually give each child a book, things like that. Last year, my Isaac came home with a brand new bicycle! He was a very happy child, but what impressed me the most was my Kaleb. He was so happy for his brother. And although he wanted a big bicycle of his own (which he got later) he never pouted, or got angry with Isaac, or whined that it wasn't fair. He was so genuinely happy for Isaac and only made comments like "I wish I had a big bike too". I still am so proud of him.

Another post about Ian

I just have to brag a little bit, because I discovered on Sunday that Ian is so close to reading! He can read words like CAT and HAT and MAN and BIG if you help him think through the sounds the practice putting them together. If I actually worked with him he'd get better . . . I'm so glad he wasn't born September 2nd!

The dinosaur world

Today is George Washington's birthday, celebrated at Ian's preschool. I asked him if they sang Happy Birthday to him. "We can't do that, he's not there." Where is he? "You know the dinosaur world that has all the dinosaurs that are dead, he's there. That's where dead people are. Like the other guy with the tall hat (Abraham Lincoln)"