Monday, September 22, 2014

Things

Have I told you that we got a dishwasher!? I can't believe I forgot to mention it but about a week after sweet Penny came into our lives, so did this lovely machine:



It's timing couldn't have been better because I literally do not have time to hand wash dishes anymore. I am SO grateful for it and I find myself frequently wondering, how did we ever survive 8 months without it!?

And speaking of making our lives easier, this week our Landlord finally got our downstairs tub fixed. Previously the knobs were broken and it was stuck in shower mode. Our kids are not much for showers so that meant that we were always dragging them and their jammies upstairs for baths. No need to do that anymore because we now have a functioning downstairs tub- wahoo!


And it wasn't just household items needing fixed this week...The boys have had some major behavior problems that needed to be tackled. I have been feeling like all I do is yell at Steven when he is home from school and Ben has gotten into a fair amount of trouble as well. In one of these moments of frustration Steven informed me that we should make a behavior clip chart like he has at school, so I did: 


We started it yesterday and it did not go well for the boys. Steven ended the day on the bottom and Ben was on the Chore Jar. If they end the day on the top they get to put 2 warm fuzzy's in a jar (if they end up on green they get to put in 1) and when they get 10, Tyler will take them out for lunch/dinner at McDonald's. Today has been better and hopefully when Steven gets home from school it will stay better. Even if they are still trouble though, I am just happy we have a system in place with set consequences so I am not constantly just yelling and making up consequences on the fly. And hopefully, eventually, their behavior will improve too...

Now for some going ons with the kids....


The other night Ben woke up crying. Tyler went to check on him and Ben said he was scared because a ghost shut his door. Um..creepy! Usually it is Steven who sees ghosts but apparently Ben is starting to see them too- heaven help us!


He looks so cute but he has been absolute trouble this week! He keeps telling us stories from school that sound like he's been trouble there too and than he flashes this grin- like his smile makes it all better. One such story had to do with moving his clip on his behavior chart at school. He informed us that he moved up to the top of the chart but then he went down because he wanted to be on the starfish instead (there chart is fish theme). He wanted to get in trouble and move his clip down!? I am so sure!


Observe Penny's cry cry face above. This is still how she is 97% of the time that she is awake. Thankfully for her first day at church she was the other 3%. She did really great which I was so thankful for. I had been really nervous about going back to church for a billion reasons but it went so well. We somehow got there right on time, she behaved and I was able to be with my primary class during the last hour. Yeah! Here is a picture of her (obviously not at church) during that 3% time, the time where I am reminded how gosh darn cute she is:



And lastly, Miss Lucy. Last week you may remember I taught Lucy the value of using "please." She has clung on to that phrase and uses it often (not just to hold the baby). I love it when she has manners. Too bad I can't always fulfill her "pleases" and this leads to tantrums. Tantrums then lead to time out. This morning she was having a tantrum because she wanted my phone and I said "no." And when I told her to stop or she was going to have to go to time out, she went and put herself in time out. It was AWESEOME!

Here she is with her favorite sister:




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