Summer of the...

Praying Mantis.

This summer I seriously saw more praying mantis' than I think I have my whole life.

Eli can spot these things a mile away.

Anyone else notice a lot of these critters this summer?

Pumpkin patch

This has become one of the kids new favorite traditions. I love it too.

 

 

(Can't wait to get rid of those glasses. Lasik in 7 days, yeah!)

Eli is so indecisive and it took him forever to pick "the perfect one."

Hallie is impatient and easily persuaded and picked  basically the first one she saw.

I love their totally opposite personalities.

A little magical book

Eli does not like cleaning his room, playroom, or making his bed. It seems everyday it was a huge fight to get him to do his chores.

One day I decided to make a chore chart, but decided to put a spin on it. This is Eli's new "chore chart":

I took a bunch of magazines and let him cut out pictures that would remind him to do certain chores. (ie.. make his bed, clean his room, pick up his stuff around the house, brush his teeth, etc.)He then glued the pictures to paper, put them in sheet protectors, and put them in his book.

I put stars on a couple of his chores and told him if he did the chores with the stars as soon as he woke up and before I woke up he would get a little treat first thing in the morning. The other chores I just put a box on that he could check off. At the end of the day I go through his book and if everything has a check in the box he gets another treat. (I know I am a terrible mom for bribing him with so many treats, but hey, whatever works).

And we start all over the next day.

It has been WONDERFUL!! Almost everyday since we started, he has his bed made, room cleaned, and playroom cleaned before I am out of bed. Then he separates the laundry, makes sure to remind me to brush his teeth and comb his hair, and will run through the house and pick up his stuff on the floor. No more fighting him to clean his room. I LOVE it.

This little book is my new best friend!