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crafty

so i guess i am messy.

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that’s no secret to anyone who knows me.
but you have to make a mess to create what is in you…i think.
and messes are fun.
just ask my kids.

a few new layouts…

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and for a totally different subject…
sean lost one front tooth.
he made $1.73 in change from dad’s coin jar.
the other one is so wobbly…barely hanging on.
i had craig try to pull it out this morning.
they had picture retakes today.
don’t you think toothless kids are the cutest?
but instead he will be half toothless and one crooked wobbly tooth.
maybe he will smirk instead of cheesey grin.

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and now i am off to see that tiny sweet baby.

amy - the beauty of having a craft room… you can be as messy as you want… and then shut the door! no one will ever see your mess! (unless of course, you blog about it!)

kristin - oh, sweet sean…i love seeing him.

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chore chart

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so this is our chart.
i am not very organized…but i am visual.
these were the chores that when i asked for help they would all scatter…
except talby. (“can i help? can i help?!!”)
it hangs across my view from the cooktop…easy to see whose name to shout.
but now it’s assigned…and surprisingly
they do it.
with little or no complaint.

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if possible they can choose what dinner we make.
and then they help prepare it…
even shaping meatballs!
it’s been fun for all of us (i think)

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i would say that the after dinner part is what we need to work on the most.
there is still a bit of disappearance when it’s your night to clear or wipe off
but now they get called back in instead of me giving a big
nobody ever helps me” SIGH and then doing it myself
and being mad about it all night.

talby and sean also empty the dishwasher every day.
annie helps when she wants to.
and then lauren and scott switch off loading the dishwasher each time.
(we have lost several glasses & plates in this process but it’s a small price to pay)
they also clean the bathrooms on saturdays.
clean their rooms.
and change the pets’ habitats.

what do your kids do?
what more should my kids be doing?
do your kids do laundry?
how much?
folding, putting away, actually loading and unloading?
i am curious on your thoughts.

Emily - Great pictures! Just love the chore chart. Great idea!

Blanca - What an awsome idea. I am so copying you.
Blanca

cynthia - I LOVE YOUR CHART….and i’m such a chart/list kinda person! we have a chart..somewhat, but i know now that i can do better! i’m adding you to my long list of blogs…thanks again for stopping by mine!

meg duerksen - okay…
the chart is poster board.
i left room for adding on if needed (like maybe for trash too?
i printed all their names out and the chores. i picked their days randomly but on each day they only have one or two jobs…like if they pray they have another job because that’s not really a job.
i glued them down and then drew the lines on…and then colored the boxes just because i always feel the need to color. i think we are lucky there is no glitter on this chart.
after years of asking and asking again…i have gone more to assignments for everything…and lists. it keeps me from being overloaded.
AND they need to know how much work there is everyday.
lauren asked me last night if i could wash and dry her pants for this morning. it was 10:30. i said “no.”
i could have done it but what message would that send?
i am thinking about the laundry chore.
we all hate it.
we’ll see what happens.
the other chores are only on saturdays.

Brenis - Meg, I swear we are running parallel lives! This is cracking me up! But you are my hero today, as I have often thought about making one of these large charts, but have never done it. (They always end up on binder paper!! lol And then magically dissapear!!)
Having a large family does require more organization – and that is where i fall short big time!! Your chore chart looks exactly like how ours is set up except dishes and trash are on there also. I gave up on the daily room thing, and found out that if i put a “by friday after school” deadline on it, (every week) the kids are much better at getting it cleaned up – otherwise they don’t get to do ANYTHING on the weekend! 🙂 (so basically they get cleaned once a week) And each person has a different day allotted to them for laundry. When it’s their day, the older kids have to bring it down and load the washer, (i transfer to dryer and pull it out) and they fold and put away. So there is ALWAYS a basket waiting to be folded! ugh. But at least this way it gets DONE!! 🙂 That’s the chore they like the LEAST and try to avoid!! LOLOL
Anyway, just wanted to say KUDOS TO YOU MOM!!! You’ve inspired me to make our chart bigger and with some pizazz!! Now, if i had a bigger kitchen… LOL!
blessings,
Bren

Amanda AZ - What is the chart made out of? Poster board? Also, are the names magnetic? How did you make it?
Amanda AZ

kristin - i have a completely sporadic system that is optional…dang, i want more.
inspired again.

melissa @ the inspired room - I love your chore chart. I need to learn from you, that’s for sure.

Danelle - My kids unload the dishwasher “most” of the time. They help load it a lot too. They take their laundry to the laundry room. They empty the trash. They complain about it all. They are lousy at keeping their rooms clean. They need a chore chart! When I do leave them a list of chores they always do them well. But, I just don’t always do it.

alison - I really like your chore chart–and i drool over your kitchen every time you post a picture!
the 3 older kids are responsible for unloading the dishwasher, the monster tries to help, he has an affinity for the glass items and sharp knives.
whomever cooks does NOT have to clean up. haven’t really had them help cook yet, should probably work on this more personally.
they ARE responsible for putting away their own laundry and getting their laundry to me so i can wash it. includes stripping beds and remaking.

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sweet babies

my phone rang at 3:12 AM last Friday night.
my neighbor.
her water broke…4 weeks early.
i got dressed & slipped down the street to stay with their kids.
so exciting.
we waited to hear….and waited….and waited.
finally i got the call at 10:30 PM (i think?)
baby london was here.
she was only 3 lb. 10 oz.
but she is healthy…doing great.
today i got to see her.
she was so precious, tiny and beautiful in every way.
she is God’s gift.
congrats jen and russ.
i look forward to watching her grow.
it won’t be long before she is running around
in a princess costume up and down the block with the rest of them.

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she is the tiniest baby i have ever seen.
just so sweet.

and then 2 days later my friend Kim had her baby benjamin.
he was 7 lb. 9 oz.
he was so content…and lovely.
i couldn’t hold either baby because i have a cough.
it was killing me.
i was having serious baby fever in that hospital.

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Kim i thought you looked wonderful.
i was thrilled to see you so happy this morning.
benjamin is going to bring so much joy to your family.
he is so adorable…and I WILL be holding him all of bible study.
i know i will have to fight to get him though.
i can’t wait.

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i see alex in this face?
what do you think kim?

kristin - the blessing of having a baby so small to watch grow.
you gave them a wonderful gift of taking those photos.

amy - those tiny feet! anxious to see her… yet wondering what memories of michelle will come rushing back. benjamin is perfect, too. and you do look wonderful, kim!

traci - wow… 3 lbs!!! I cant even imagine. bOth babies are gorgeous and I love the name london!! when are you having your next one????

Christine - Ok, Megan–here is where blogland gets weird! I am paging through the precious pictures of your friends’ new babies and see a picture of my sister-in-law’s sister-in-law. (Stacie) It IS a small world!

alison - they’re both so precious!!

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helper

“i help you mom.”

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“ugh…it HEA-BEEE”

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“here i come mommy!”

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she pushed it across the driveway as fast she could and ran right into me.
i laughed so she did it again and again.
seeing her in that hat was making me giggle.

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then talby jumped in our picture and that made annie giggle.
there was alot of giggling going on.

(you can see our neighbors construction in the background…very cool)

Heather (aka Digby's mom) - So cute! We’re still in shorts here in NYC — I can’t wait to get out the sweaters and hats!

traci - Love it when the kiddos want to help because it seems inevitably one day the stop wanting to help…ugh.
Are your neighbors bloggers of finding the balance? I know ya’ll are friends and I know they are doing some major construction.

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weekend

fall sports are over.
and since i have been accused of not caring about sports…

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lauren tried volleyball for the first time.
loved it.
she wishes the season was much longer.
she received the ‘most improved’ award!
she moved from the B team to the A team mid season.
it was so nice to see her really get in to a sport.

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scott chose soccer over football…gasp!
he plays everyday at recess
he was really working at improving.
he scored almost every game and played hard!

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this photo perfectly captures sean on the soccer field…
in his own world.
i believe this is spiderman?
he loved playing but can easily be distracted by his thoughts.

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talby was finally old enough for soccer.
big year.
the only time she was unhappy was when she had to be a defender
staying by the goal…she hated that.
she just wanted to kick it!

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feet photo by sean…one of my favorites.

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annie wants her own soccer game so badly.
and she was tired of the camera.

and for the record…
i do care about sports.
i just don’t always enjoy being around the pressuring parents that are there.
i may show up to a game one of these days with a poster that says “HAVE FUN”
and run up and down the field shouting it…louder than the other parents
also having 4 kids in tow with me for every game is sometimes tough.
and i am not usually happy with my pictures i take.
but i do care about sports.

saturday was the family outing for craig’s office.
hanging out at the zoo.
lauren wanted to hide behind the camera that day…
kind of nice to share that job.

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here’s what i look like from the back.
there were many of these…i’m not sure what she was trying to capture
boredom?
but i kind of like this behind-the-scenes shot of our life.

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i took this one.
goats always look so annoyed.
they look like they can’t be bothered by you…
“you bore me” he says.

bob vila at work again.
craig is so good at stuff.
i am not trying to embarrass you honey.
just so impressed at all you can do.

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new garbage disposal.
so look out rotten leftovers.

traci - how cool that your daughter loves vollyball!!! I never liked sports but LOVED vollyball.
I am so with you on the HAVE FUN sign….parents who get all bent out of shape because a kid misses a kick or whatever just make me NUTS. Love, Love ,Love your blog!!!

meg duerksen - you are right…
there were a bunch of goats in there too…i guess i didn’t pay attention.
this city girl had a possom on the porch last night too. yuck!

Mom - These are great shots – one minor thing though – that is a sheep, not a goat! Ha. City Girl!

traci - i know how you feel – some parents are freaks when it comes to their kids in sports. i am with you – just have fun!!! unless the pro scouts are looking at them just enjoy the game.

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zingo

do you have zingo?

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it’s bingo – with a ZING!
annie adores this game…
but it’s for bigger kids.
i got it at target.
it’s for ages 4 – 8.
but it’s easy enough for her to play
(even though she doesn’t play fair)
my other kids love it too…when annie lets them play.

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do you like the shirt?
this is the picture that talby drew last school year for ms. kristin.
now it’s the new school logo.
it’s grandpa in a wheel chair and a little girl…both very smiley.
their preschool is in a nursing home
and they visit the grandma & grandpa’s everyday.
it is so neat.
annie tells me if “gwwammpa howard” was there.
i have a shirt too.
i’m one proud mama.

i have so much too do.
and of course that means i can’t do anything unless i do one more scrapbook page…
i am horrible about that.
if i have chores that must be done…
i can’t think of anything but scrapbooking.
my brain is a mess.

so here it is…
sticking with the love of preschool.

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now.. i guess i have to get some cleaning done.
bummer.

amy - craig’s not looking like he loves pre-school too much. 🙂 no offense, miss kristin!

Karin - When you combine kids like yours with that amazing Miss Kristin how could it be anything but fabulous??

traci - will have to try that game for sure…never even heard of it.
I think it is BEYOND COOL that your preschool is in nursing home!!!! I DO love the logo on the t-shirt…you should be one proud mama 🙂

kristin - it is a happy place because of families like you…for real.

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finally here

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can you hear that?
shhhhhh….it’s quiet.
okay.
12 years in the waiting…
i have all my kids in school
and i have a small break 3 times a week.

since lauren was 6 mon. old i have been surrounded by children.
i was a nanny and took her with me.
then when i quit that i did daycare from our house.
when i quit that i had so many kids of my own that it was its own daycare!

i have had 4 or 5 kids with me almost everyday for 12 years!
wow.
and it’s been great.
that’s exactly the way i wanted it.
but now i am ready for what lies ahead.

i have no big aspirations.
i want to be creative
relax…
exercise…
i will enjoy every minute.

naturally i started with the creative.

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(technically i made this one 2 weeks ago.)
i just wanted lorel to see it.

and those brown letters…so cool.
they are made from transparency sheets…
the designs are clear and the letter is brown.
they are made by Making Memories.
self adhesive…love them.

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this was what i made today.
i don’t think i’ve hand sewn on my page before?
maybe once.
it was fun to work with.
some paint too…and the last of my blue bling.

lorel - okay I am finally posting a comment! I love that page. It makes me realize how much Maya has grown, and how she actually is getting more hair. I am so jealous of your time alone! Enjoy it!
P.s. Last night I watched a rerun of the office on TBS where Michael has to fire someone on Halloween. Loved Dwight as a Sith lord. Also found on Youtube a video of “Sexyback” of all clips from the office. very funny. You should go watch it.

traci - Just got an email from a cousin with four kids (they are all in school) who said its only the first hour or so of fall break and she is going crazy…she is serious! You enjoy your alone time and like all moms NEED it but you also enjoy your kids and it shows in all your photos!!! Love the mug. Simple but I love it. The pgs are very neat. Im getting ready to do my door at work…I teach p/t MDO. I took pic and want to do a scrapbook sort of thing on my door….you just gave me MORE ideas…thanks!!!!!

traci - looks like you are enjoying your free time already. love the layouts – they are fun!!

Linda - I’m like you, finally on my own and life can be a bit more about me! I love it…I feel like I have this newfound freedom, and I cherish it!
I just watched that clip from the Office…you gave me a good laugh!! I just love Jim, (and his innocent charm), and don’t we all know a Dwight??
Your pictures of your home give me a pang…it is sooo beautiful!!
Enjoy your day!
Linda

amy - is it just the angle, or is your coffee sitting dangerously close to the edge of your table?

alison - thanks for giving me hope, i have another few years to go b4 the youngest will be in school.

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