So since we have moved into our new house the kids have been acting like wild animals every night. They make a mess and do not clean it up, they think they can just go to bed without brushing their teeth, and do nothing to help out around the house. With that said of course every night I am exhausted and do not get to enjoy one single moment with them or in peace. I am constantly running around telling them not to fight, or to do something they should already know to do.
Well last night I had enough of the little monsters well being little monsters!! We have tried chore charts before and they never worked, so I started thinking about why they don't work...they never have consequences! And they were always for allowance paid to them in cash. That just doesn't seem appealing to children, not as appealing as getting a reward like a fun trip to do something at the end of the week or a small toy. So this week the reward is simply getting to go trick or treating, because honestly I could care less if they go or not, although it is great exercise for me. But I really think they could pass on that initial sugar high they get right after getting home from trick or treating, because they are tired, and when children are tired and then they eat tons of sugar it just is not a good combination! Anyway, this time the charts I made were no longer called "CHORE" charts...because that makes it sound like work. They are now called "RESPONSIBILITY" charts, because that sounds like they are in-charge and being grown ups. Also this chart has a "strike out" zone. They are allowed 3 strikes a night, the strikes can be anything from saying a bad word, or too just being hateful. If they strike out any of the 5 nights they no longer get the reward at the end of the week. They also reap the benefits at the end of the week if they go all 5 days without getting any strikes because then they get to go to the store and pick out a candy bar of their choice and get the reward also! In the end they are both super excited about this. OH I forgot to tell you what their "responsibilities" are.
Dalton: Check the Pets' water & food
Pick up his things around the house
Take a bath & brush his teeth
Allie: Help me with laundry or dishes (which ever one I choose)
Pick up her things around the house
Take a bath & brush her teeth
These don't seem like much but last night was great because the pets were full & happy, I didn't have to even get my hands wet in dirty dish water, I also didn't have to walk over toys, dirty clothes, and I could see the living room floor, & the best thing was that my kids were clean and had white shiny teeth! What a perfect night! Like I said they are super excited about all of this, as am I...they were so excited they wanted to wake up and start doing their charts!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Our House
A view of our property
A view of our pond
The Front of our new house
Again the front of our house
Another view of our property
Our living room
Allie's aqua colored bedroom
Dalton's bedroom
The kids' bathroom
Our bedroom, bathroom, & closet
Fred & Dalton's "man den"
Our Kitchen
Again our kitchen
The sun room
A view of our back yard
A side view of our house
Our boat
Another view of our pond
Friday, October 15, 2010
Here you go Grandma!
Last time I didn't post any pictures of Allie because she was playing and really didn't want to be in the pictures with the giant catfish. Oh and she didn't cut up her underware and then want me to take a picture of them! ; )
Oldie but goodie from last year!
Cousins & Allie with no teeth!
Before school
Pretty blue eyes
Presenting the next act at the circus...The Girl that grew a mustache!
Poor baby....haha
Best Friends
So pretty
Can you say DIVA?!?!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
New Pics!
The 57 lb. Catfish caught on trout line
Our New House!!
So just in case I haven't told anyone yet...We are getting a new house!! We will be renting to own for the next year or so & then will be re-applying for our home loan. Unfortunately we didn't get approved this first time due to us being new residents in the area. The major requirements are that we need to be living in the same place and have our jobs for around a year before we can get approved. Anyway we are super excited because it is our 1st house that will be OURS. It's about damn time right?? The house is close to 3000 sq. feet, it is a brick slab home that is in the country on a private drive. Pretty much it is what we have always wanted. The kids have their own bathroom (thank GOD), we have two living rooms, so one will be my pretty and formal one, and the other that ascends off the kitchen has a fireplace will be formally known as Fred & Dalton's "man den". We painted the kitchen and the man den a light olive green, my beautiful living room we painted a slate dark turquoise blue, Allies room that has her own walk-in closet is painted a light aqua (of course) that will have an ocean theme, Dalton's room is going to be pained a mossy oak green and will be camo or hunting theme, we have a really cool old mosquito tent that will be draped over his bed so it will be like he is sleeping outside in the tent! He is very excited about that, although I showed him the color I picked for his room on a day that he was very cranky and he informed me that it was a "yucky color that looked like poo" but now he has since changed his mind and likes the color. Wow he is so like his daddy! Our room is the only room that has been a challenge, when picking out colors, Fred & I agreed that we needed some pretty bright colors to make it look a little brighter in the house since we are completely covered with giant oak & pine trees and there is little sun light that gets in, which is very good for our electricity cost, but not good for the lighting aspect. So we picked out a bright orange for our room, we had in the past painted a bedroom for a girl that was orange and we both loved it, however I guess the orange that we picked out was not the one we thought we loved. Our room looks like a giant pumpkin or carrot!!! We still want to go with an orange so we are puzzled to what shade or tint we should go with to not so bright and crazy but bright enough so that it doesnt' look like we are living inside of a dark pumpkin! What to do??? If you guys have any suggestions PLEASE share. Our house also has what I am calling my sun room or as the kids say they would love to make it into a rec room. It was part of the outside carport that the former owners closed in with beautiful pained windows and a real stone floor. The kids and of course Fred wants to put a pool table and pinball machine in it, which really does sound fun, however I really would like to put my treadmill, and a cute little breakfast table in there? I think I'm going to win this one, in fact I know I will, I'm the mother...right?? Anyway we have a huge pond that we will be sharing with our only neighbors and they are great by the way. They have SIX boys and one is the kids' age so they have a playmate, also we have two acres that comes with the house, and a huge advantage is that our land butts right up to David & Laura's land, so we are close to family. We have all decided that we are going to chip in and purchase a golf cart so that we don't have to walk the 3 acres to get to one another's house. Well I have pictures of the house but they turned out terrible, so I am going to go take more today after work and will post them ASAP!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Fun Family Weekend
So this weekend we had fun and relaxed at the same time. Friday after work I came home to Dalton & Fred standing over the 57 lb catfish they caught on the trout line (WOW) then we went to our friend Joey's house to spend the night. He has two little girls that Allie is good friends with so she always has fun, however Dalton is always out-numbered. Everyone woke up Saturday and went squirrel hunting, that season is just as popular as deer season is in MO, people actually sign their children out of school early on the Friday before opening day. Poor little Dalton though... by the time we got home last night he was so sick of girls picking and making fun of him. After we got home we then got ready and I took Allie, Chelsea (Allie's friend) & Dalton to see Alpha & Omega in 3-D. We went to the 9 o'clock show so everyone was tired, but I had already bought the tickets on-line so we were going weather they slept through the movie or watched it! Dalton ended up snoozing but the girls really liked the movie except it was negative 20 degrees in the theatre. Dalton really liked the 3-D. They had a part in the movie where it was snowing and he was tyring to grab at the snow, sooo funny. We ended up getting home at 11:00!! Dalton stripped down to his undies, plopped on the couch and passed out. Allie and her little friend went straight to her room got in their p.j.'s, turned the Disney channel on and went to sleep. It was really wonderful because I didn't have to tell one single child to got to bed!! I guess the best part about being out so late last night was that we all slept in this morning. I actually got to sleep until 10 AM! Today has been a very productive day for me. I woke up and got two loads of laundry done, vacuumed the bedroom floors, swepted and mopped the dining room, kitchen, hallway, & living room, washed all the counter tops, bathrooms & dishes. Then I cleaned all 13 of our windows, inside & out! Then I joined the family down at David & Laura's for some chili-dogs and watched the Saints play & WIN today! I heard the Chiefs are doing good this season, but if I don't want to be murdered in my sleep I have to cheer for the Saints, and secretly keep up and cheer for the Chiefs behind closed doors. These southern people take their football very serious. The weather is finally feeling like fall, only 68 degrees today and breezing. I'm loving it and so are the kids, they have done nothing but play outside all weekend. Tomorrow I have to stay home from work until 1 o'clock, the kids don't have school due to parent teacher conferences. Which I'm very anxious for. We need to get Allie's grades figured out, and I want to see what Dalton's teachers say. He has 3 I have to talk with. His homeroom teacher, speech teacher & his excelled learning class teacher. Oh by the way Dalton finally made all A's on his calendar last week, usually he makes a couple of B's due to not laying down at nap time or making weird noises in class. But last week was a perfect week and boy was he proud of it!! Every night he would come home and shove his calendar in my face and say "momma wook, I made a good gwade again" like see I told you I could do it. So for his good behavior Fred is taking him on the boat tomorrow to go catfishing at the river. He said he didn't want a toy cause he wanted to fishing instead. So that is great saves us some money!! Well it is now time for dinner, we are having blackened catfish...yummy!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Most Wanted: Pictures of the Clark Gang
Allie thinks she looks like one of the chipettes in this pic(bcause of her cheeks)
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