Caleb's turn...

Caleb developed a cough yesterday and my8:30pm he had a fever. Thus, he is home sick today... although he is without a fever now, the school rules still state no fevers within 24 hours. He does still have a bit of a cough though. But I'm hoping that he'll be over this stuff quick.

However, Joshy and I look more sick with the runny nose, sneezing and snuffles... ALLERGIES, gotta love the nice weather, but the dry weather floats the pollen more than wet weather.

So with a sicky, we will probably stay pretty close to home today.

Last Friday at MOPS, there was a speaker whose topice focused on Training your Children in Chores. I really enjoyed it, and chores have more benefits than just me getting help. They will gain a sense of responsibility towards our home, a sense of their value as contributors to the home, a self of self-confidence in their success, they will be better team players as employees, they will be better spouses to learn how to clean and help in their future homes. Tips from the lecture: Boys are more difficult to train, make chores a routine rather than what can be perceived as an interruption to their life, set perceivable goals and consquences, and the most difficult part for me... taking the TIME (1 hours for a bathroom, sigh) to teach and make them learn rather than doing it in the fast 15 minutes (My mom was a house cleaner, I know how to work good and fast) and just getting it done with. It is so tempting to just do it, get it done and move on... but I really can't if this lesson is important. So we embarked on learning how to clean on Saturday. It took a really long time, a bit of frustration, and yes they are difficult, easily distractable boys. They were all about getting the rag wet (rather than the instructed damp), spraying the cleaner because that's cool, and moving on to the next before completing the first task. That's boys for you. I really did my best to reign them in. If I left it to them, they would be standing on the counter twirling dripping wet rags in the air in a fog of airborn cleaning chemicals. And cheering and squealing with glee. YET, I had to keep them on task and the cleaner used in an appropriately way. It worked sort of. Hard lesson from the lecture #2: Don't follow right behind them and to it right, they will see that they aren't successful and that will stunt their desire to learn/sense of accomplishment. So maybe tomorrow when they are at school there will be a quick tidy up. But at least we have begun the process. I can then give myself permission to dream of the cleanliness of my home in the future, or them rooming together in an apartment at 22 and 24 that's isn't close to being condemed as a environmental hazard or waste dump.

Jockey saw the neighbors have a party to include a pinata. It must be the sticks and whacking, but now that is what he desires for his party. Of course, Caleb will jump in the bandwagon too. What is it about pinatas that make me want to phrase an invite like "full face helmets will be provided"? Instead for Caleb, we will be having a pool party. And Jockey has informed us that he wants to go to Chuck E Cheese (without friends, this might be managed for him).

Jockey is practically living in the Buzz Lightyear costume (he calls himself Jockey Buzz). Caleb has condescended to wearing at least pants in the backyard now that he is older. Their greatest joy is to play with the rabbit still, or climb on the swingset to the highest possible point... and then talk to the neighbors if applicable. I just shake my head. Especially when I hear "Daddy, she's not wearing any clothes." I HOPE he is talking about the 3yr old, not the mom over there.

Ahh, summer.
TTFN