Summer Vacation Begins

Well, the kids' summer vacation has officially begun. Yesterday they went to school long enough to pick up their report cards, then they were done for the summer. Sigh, this part is always bitter sweet for me. The beginning and end of a school year always reminds me that they are growing up. Lydia will never be a third grader again, Ross will never be a first grader again. Lydia is moving on to a new school. Sigh, sigh, sigh! I even decided that it was time that I told her about the female cycle. She listened, but didn't say much. She is such a wonderful girl! Always VERY helpful!

Anyway, I've decided to take the summer to teach some responsibility to my children. It's past time that they should be pulling their own weight. So, we are going to do some good things this summer. First off, we are signing up for the library's summer reading program. Therefore they will have to keep their reading skills sharp. We are going back on our TV control program from last summer. I've also been doing a laundry thing that's been helping out immensely! I haven't gotten stressed out over my laundry in 2 months! As that was a huge problem before, this is wonderful! It is pretty simple, everyone has their own laundry basket. I wash it, and when it comes out of the dryer, I put each person's stuff in his or her basket, and they are responsible for folding and putting away their own cloths. It's great because I don't have to hunt for half an hour every morning so we can get dressed. They have to fold their stuff at least once a week, and even if they don't. They can still find their own cloths. I'm copying Amy's bean jar idea. They have to keep their stuff cleaned up, their rooms clean, their laundry folded, stick to their TV charts, and do one household job everyday. They get beans for doing their stuff. They get to buy back their toys from me with their beans. (I have practically a whole roomful of confiscated toys that didn't get cleaned up.) Anyway, so far it's been great! (It's only been two days.) I love it when I have their help. We can get so much more done! Yesterday I cleaned one bathroom, Lydia cleaned the other, Ross did the dishes, and Mark vacuumed all at once! Do you know how much time it would have taken me to get all of that done?!!

A furniture store near us burned down yesterday. It was a HUGE fire. It happened around noon, and they were working on it into the night. In fact, there were firemen there at around 11:00 this morning when I was out. Bruce drove by there on his way home from work today and said that it is still smoldering. They had traffic diverted all day yesterday, and the neighborhood had no power until about 4:00 this morning. (The fire took out a power line.)
We had such a nice evening though last night! Its amazing how we let TV and things like that keep us from enjoying each other. I walked to Taco Bell with the kids for dinner last night. That was fun to go for a stroll. Then we came home and sat on the porch lit sparklers ate marshmallows, read the Friend by candlelight and told stories until 11:00. It was such a wonderful night. We all thoroughly enjoyed each others' company. Well, I'm getting long winded, so here are my recent pics:

Mark at his last Thursday School Graduation

Someone left the peanut butter out

The kids working together today

Justice helping Lydia make her bed