Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Monica!!

Happy Birthday to you, my love.  Maybe someday we will spend your birthday ON the beach!!  Hope you have a wonderful Thomas, Dinosaur Train, Wonder Pets, Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chipmunks kind of day. 

Happy 6th Birthday Jordan!

This was Emory's first time getting to participate at Pump It Up.

 At least a dozen times on this very slide. :)

Yep chips, juice boxes and cake:  One of the many reasons our boys love birthday parties.

Complete exhaustion.  Even so, Emory refused to take a nap in his crib. 

You see, the bin of stuffed animals and a brick wall is apparently much more comfortable. 

Happy Birthday Jordan!

Happy {early} 1st Birthday Kade!

We celebrated Kade's 1st birthday a week early this evening as we are not able to make his birthday party next weekend. So sad we're going to miss it.  :o( Kade is precious and so is his new baby brother, Jase.

Baby Jase

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Kade.

3 Years Ago Today...

Matt & Everett looked like this:

Organizing digital photos on the computer; this one made me smile.

Growing Up

All of a sudden our Everett has taken great interest in raising his baby brother.  I am blown away by his willingness to greet him each morning when he wakes up, how he helps with diaper changes and now spoon feeding Emory during meals.   He's growing up before my eyes and I'm a little emotional about it.

Fall Open House

Age Appropriate Chores



Photo Credit:Dandeedesigns

I decided to post this article (as a reminder) because I would really like to include something like this  to our daily routine in the very near future.  I'm sure Everett will think it's pretty fun ~ especially if stickers are involved.

 

Do you know which chores your child can do?

by Sheila Seifert


What chores are important for your children to learn, and what are they capable of doing?
First, recognize the difference between a chore (an ongoing task that benefits the household) and a life skill (an activity that children should know how to do before living on their own, such as managing a checking account). The following list does not include life skills. It is a list of chores.
Second, remember that every child matures at a different pace. Adjust this chart to what you know about your children's skills and talents, and realize that no child should do all of the chores listed below every day.
With those two qualifiers in mind, here are some general guidelines for personal and family chores. This list is only meant as a guide and reflects the types of chores that many children in these age ranges are capable of completing:

Ages 2 and 3

Personal chores

• Assist in making their beds
• Pick up playthings with your supervision

Family chores

• Take their dirty laundry to the laundry basket
• Fill a pet's water and food bowls (with supervision)
• Help a parent clean up spills and dirt
• Dust

Ages 4 and 5

Note: This age can be trained to use a family chore chart.
Personal chores

• Get dressed with minimal parental help
• Make their bed with minimal parental help
• Bring their things from the car to the house

Family chores

• Set the table with supervision
• Clear the table with supervision
• Help a parent prepare food
• Help a parent carry in the lighter groceries
• Match socks in the laundry
• Answer the phone with parental assistance
• Be responsible for a pet's food and water bowl
• Hang up towels in the bathroom
• Clean floors with a dry mop

Ages 6 and 7

Note: This age can be supervised to use a family chore chart.
Personal chores

• Make their bed every day
• Brush teeth
• Comb hair
• Choose the day's outfit and get dressed
• Write thank you notes with supervision

Family chores

• Be responsible for a pet's food, water and exercise
• Vacuum individual rooms
• Wet mop individual rooms
• Fold laundry with supervision
• Put their laundry in their drawers and closets
• Put away dishes from the dishwasher
• Help prepare food with supervision
• Empty indoor trash cans
• Answer the phone with supervision

Ages 8 to 11

Note: This age benefits from using a family chore chart.
Personal chores

• Take care of personal hygiene
• Keep bedroom clean
• Be responsible for homework
• Be responsible for belongings
• Write thank you notes for gifts
• Wake up using an alarm clock

Family chores

• Wash dishes
• Wash the family car with supervision
• Prepare a few easy meals on their own
• Clean the bathroom with supervision
• Rake leaves
• Learn to use the washer and dryer
• Put all laundry away with supervision
• Take the trash can to the curb for pick up
• Test smoke alarms once a month with supervision
• Screen phone calls using caller ID and answer when appropriate

Ages 12 and 13

Personal chores

• Take care of personal hygiene, belongings and homework
• Write invitations and thank you notes
• Set their alarm clock
• Maintain personal items, such as recharging batteries
• Change bed sheets
• Keep their rooms tidy and do a biannual deep cleaning

Family chores

• Change light bulbs
• Change the vacuum bag
• Dust, vacuum, clean bathrooms and do dishes
• Clean mirrors
• Mow the lawn with supervision
• Baby sit (in most states)
• Prepare an occasional family meal

Ages 14 and 15

Personal chores

• Responsible for all personal chores for ages 12 and 13
• Responsible for library card and books

Family chores

• Do assigned housework without prompting
• Do yard work as needed
• Baby sit
• Prepare food — from making a grocery list and buying the items (with supervision) to serving a meal — occasionally
• Wash windows with supervision

Ages 16 to 18

Personal chores

• Responsible for all personal chores for ages 14 and 15
• Responsible to earn spending money
• Responsible for purchasing their own clothes
• Responsible for maintaining any car they drive (e.g., gas, oil changes, tire pressure, etc.)

Family chores

• Do housework as needed
• Do yard work as needed
• Prepare family meals — from grocery list to serving it — as needed
• Deep cleaning of household appliances, such as defrosting the freezer, as needed

Big Brother Responsibilty

Big brother Everett has recently decided it is his 'big brother' responsibilty to retrieve Emory from his crib each morning.  

He also likes holding Emory's hand and getting him into his crib for afternoon naps.

Such a sweet AND helpful big brother!

Our Day Out at Turner Falls

We decided to take a day trip to Turner Falls in Davis, Oklahoma.

Everett walking carefully on slippery boulders and Grammy trying hard not to fall and/or lose a flip-flop.  It's not as easy as it looks.  Today we saw minnows, crawdads, pollywogs, frogs, dragonflies, squirrels, birds and lots of bees.

Ev and I taking the stairs up to tour Collins Castle.

Can you find Emory & Grammy?  If you can spot Emory's red stroller, you found them.

 Everett loves finding flowers to pick.  Luckily he only picked this one today.

 Ev and I walking through the low water crossing to get to the falls.

 Grammy braves the frigid water.

Emory loves splashing in the frigid water.

 There were lots of crazy people swimming in the frigid water.

 Grammy gave the boys each a bug collecting kit; complete with a magnify glass and a set of tweezers.  Today Ev demonstrated his exceptional bug collecting skills by catching a beetle with his fingers.  No tweezers required.  Way to go Everett! 

 We definitely deserved an icecream and sno-cone break today.

Collecting sticks is always so much fun when you're in nature.

 and so is walking through caves.

 I absolutely LOVE how much Everett loves nature. 

I am looking forward to many more adventures with our boys. 

 It's time I get back into "backpacking" shape. :) 

 On our way home, we stopped at the Visitor's Center at the border, for a potty break and a couple of pictures. 

A wonderful day with our wonderful family.