Monday, July 22, 2013

Outdoor Project: Shed/Playhouse Part 5

This past weekend was a busy one working on the playhouse. The slide arrived on Tuesday and my hubby was very anxious to get it put together and on the playhouse. Saturday morning after breakfast he started putting it together. Little did he know it would take a couple of hours. At least he had a little help in the form of a 4 year old, 3 year old, and one year old.





 The girls enjoyed crawling through the tunnels as pieces were put together and rolling it back and forth with one of them in it.
 Late afternoon we finally got the slide attached and the hubby started on the railing of the deck.


 Sunday afternoon, the deck was finally finished and ready for the girls.




Sunday night the girls finally got a chance to try out the slide and the two older girls loved it. The oldest slid down yelling, "This is incredible!" It made us laugh. 

We are getting much closer to completion. The inside still needs a little more work. Next week we are hoping to be able to paint and I will be taking the girls to pick fabric for curtains.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Happy Birthday to my 3 year old!

Every birthday leaves me wondering how my kids have grown so much. Celebrating my daughter's third birthday was one that really had me reflecting on the past 3 years.


She is our middle child and has such an adventurous spirit. The past 3 years haven't been easy on her yet she seems to take things head on and with a smile on her face.

At 3 months old she contracted whooping cough. I was told it was more mild but if you ever hear a baby coughing, wheezing, and struggling for breath there is nothing mild about it to me. It was a long recovery for her and many sleepless nights for both of us. She was almost 8 months before the coughing was almost completely cleared up. Unless you heard her coughing you wouldn't realize she was sick. There was always a smile on her face and she wasn't lethargic like most kids are. Most of her days were spent playing on the floor and enjoying big sister.


After that she seemed to be sick a lot. Ear infections tended to never heal sending us to the doctor every month. Finally she had tubes put in her ears before her second birthday. Her speech was affected and in the fall she started with a speech therapists.

She has come a long way but I am so amazed at her spirit. An always smiling and cheerful child keeps our home a happy home.

For her birthday she wanted a Rainbow Dash (from My Little Pony) party. It was a small party with family. I made her a new dress and Rainbow Dash cake. It was a simple affair but brought so much joy. 





As I watch her turn 3, I am reminded again how much growing up she has done. It is always bitter sweet to see your kids becoming more independent and responsible. Some day they won't have you to depend on. I am so proud of our 3 year old and can't wait to see what God has in store for her this year.

Monday, July 8, 2013

My NEW Cleaning Schudule

After participating in the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge in April, I decided I needed to change my cleaning a bit. There were things that I was not cleaning that I realized should be done every week if possible. It seems almost overwhelming when you see the list but most of the items take maybe 10 minutes and my kids are involved in some of the cleaning.

Here is my grand list:
  • Pay bills (Monday morning)
  • Strip beds (kids help)
  • Vacuum (kids help)
  • Spot clean bedrooms
  • Wipe down light switches and doorknobs
  • Clean toilets, sinks and bathtubs (kids help with their bathroom)
  • Dust
  • Clean out van
  • Wash windows and mirrors (kids help)
  • Mop kitchen and entryway
  • Mop Bathroom floors (kids do their bathroom)
  • Wipe down kitchen cabinets
  • Clean out one closet/cabinet/shelf/fridge
  • Sew one item
There are items I do first so I make sure they are getting done. The rest I try to get to if time allows.

The things I added has made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my house. My room usually becomes a dumping ground but when I take time every week to declutter it is much more organized and cleaner. I had to add dusting and wiping down surfaces. I didn't realize how long I would go in between dusting and wiping. 

One thing I am really glad I added was cleaning out the van. My husband gets frustrated when he gets in it on Sunday and toys are everywhere and garbage is on the floor. It takes 5 minutes for me to grab the garbage, put toys in container, and take the hand vac to clean it up. My husband has been very happy to have a clean van.

How do you get all your cleaning done each week? Do you have a list or a schedule? What has worked for you?

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Mommy's Store

In order to motivate my girls to help out around the house I have created my own store for my girls to go shopping in. After having some tough weeks with my oldest I decided I needed to change things a bit. She was getting paid for her chores but since she has no concept of money, it was taking too long for her to get her reward of a shopping trip. 

Our new system was created after seeing many different ideas on Pinterest. When the girls do chores they are rewarded with tickets. They can then trade the tickets in for different items in the store I created or trade it for money to save for something else. 

My store is stocked with many items from the Dollar Tree. I also have a few dollar aisle stuff from Wal-mart and a some $3-$5 movies and a Barbie.

Each item is priced from 2 tickets all the way to 24. I want to have a few things which they have to save for. My oldest is currently saving for the Barbie. Each shopping trip she will buy on item and save the rest. I am very proud of her. If they choose to, they may exchange a ticket for a quarter and put it in their spending jar for a shopping trip to a real store. They have not done this yet but I believe it will be done soon. 

Putting the tickets in their containers

Counting the tickets

She bought a dinosaur

She bought a coloring book

My store which is slowing depleting

Monday, July 1, 2013

Weekly Goals

We will see how this weeks goals go. Since it is a holiday weekend, I don't think a whole lot is going to be accomplished. I'll just do my best.

Last weeks goals:
Around the House

  • Complete my weekly cleaning list
  • Sew one item
Personal
  • Work out 5 days this week
  • Memorize Proverbs 31:20
  • Track Calories on myfitnesspal.com
Family
  • One night spent as a family, playing games, going for a walk, doing something all together
  • Read a chapter each night from a chapter book as a family
    • One chapter left in Little House in the Big Woods
In the Kitchen

This weeks goals:

Around the House

  • Complete (half) my weekly cleaning list
  • Sew one item
Personal
  • Work out 5 days this week
  • Memorize Proverbs 31:20
  • Track Calories on myfitnesspal.com
Family
  • One night spent as a family, playing games, going for a walk, doing something all together
  • Read a chapter each night from a chapter book as a family
In the Kitchen
  • Try a new recipe 
  • Get one freezer meal completed and in the freezer

Summer Project Shed/Playhouse Part 4

It's been awhile since I updated the progress on the shed. The progress is slow now since my husband can pick up Saturdays here and there. He has also needed to do more prep work, like painting the trim before it on.

The past month he has wired it for power, started on the outside trim, insulated the upstairs, and sheet rocked the upstairs.







The next steps are to mud and paint the upstairs, finish the trim on the outside, and start on the deck.