Today was a big day in my wee girls' life...we extended her bedtime by 30 minutes.  She now gets to stay up LATER than her brother!  Woohoo- a big deal.  We have been noticing that she's been calling down after lights out, claiming nightmares when she's clearly not been asleep!  She's just been lying there for up to an hour I suspect.  Then, I think she's napping at school which furthers the cycle! 

Today I let her know about the extension as a condition of her going STRAIGHT TO SLEEP at lights out.  She was SO excited!  She wanted to run and tell/ gloat to her brother, but we diverted that.  I think the excitement backfired a bit as she was so thrilled to be up after her brother that she had a LOT of energy!  We worked on preparing her Valentines for class, and she even wrote Wee Man's name on his Valentines for his classmates. 

The Scot has started coaching soccer at Westminster (a private school here in Atlanta), so he's getting in about 6:15.  I am now the main one cooking dinner, whereas before he tackled that.  It's a challenge, but I am really enjoying it. I will need to do more meal planning a la Leila and I will document that adventure here as well, I'm sure!

 I've found a great way to keep them busy while I hustle for dinner is asking them to work on their Sticker Chart (which is really a chore chart).  I modeled it after Simple Mom's chart, and promise a picture soon.  Basically both kids get age-appropriate chores and a sticker for each completed.  There are opportunities to do things every day, but no penalties for not completing them all on any day (still too young for that) - I think the positive reinforcement is a more natural approach to getting into a routine.  At the end of the week they get a nickel for each sticker in their piggy banks as Simple Mom suggests.

We didn't have set chores growing up, so I had to learn how to maintain a home AFTER I got married.  Not that I do it alone!  I have a great working relationship with The Scot.  But, I do want to make pride in the home and the work that comes with it more natural for my kids than it was for me.  And I love delegating - HA!

You might say - "Are you crazy for thinking a 5 year old and 2 year old should have a chore chart?!"  To which I reply, "Of course I am!  Don't you know me yet??!"  We are 1 week into chore charts and I am a BIG fan.  These are not big things, folks.  But in the spirit of structure that keeps the kids (and us) from going nuts, I think that it is going to be great.  While they are tasked with items (Wee man needs more help, but both need reminding) they are not hanging on me whining for cartoons.  AND they are helping share the burden of the house.  Just these TINY things have actually alleviated a lot of stress from day to day things!  So I can focus on my chores that are too hard for them.  Here's the list:

Wee Man -age 2:

Put away backpack (front closet), coat (front closet cubby), and shoes (garage)

tidy toys

trash helper (he loves to put things in the trash)

laundry helper (he puts the dirty clothes in the basket or washing machine when they change into PJ's - his and his sister's)

Sugar & Spice - age 5:

Put away PJ's (in the drawers in the front closet - she's supposed to do in the morning but sometimes it's the afternoon - her and her brother's PJ's)

Put away backpack (front closet), coat (front closet cubby), and shoes (garage)

tidy toys

set table (she puts out placemats, plates, forks, napkins, cups)

clear place (putting dishes in sink after dinner, evaluating if placemats are dirty -wash- or clean - basket, throwing away any trash)

reading (she is reading the Bob books now which are great)

While I tidied up after dinner, the Scot took Wee Man up to play with his batcave – and the girls stayed in the kitchen. She wanted to draw hearts on the calendar for Valentine’s day, and she also did a picture of George Washington for Presidents’ day and a smashing rendition of Honest Abe for Lincoln’s birthday.  We did a mini-learning activity where I asked her a day of the month and she had to find it on the calendar and go up to see the day of the week.  I can’t believe she can actually do things like that!  It’s amazing what happens when you turn off the TV and have a spirit of interactivity and learning.  So, that’s the “Presidents” reference.

I realize I’ve missed many days of documentation on the play.  I HAVE been playing each day, although I was at a conference for 3 days last week where I couldn’t play L with the kids but learned many great things for work.  Of course I a consequently swamped at work because of being out!  But I will make it through!  I am so thankful to have an awesome husband who took up my half of the deal while I was gone for work, and I gave it nary a second thought.  It’s foreign to me to hear women worry about the job their hubbys will do with the kids while they are away.  They are men, not incompetent!  They have jobs and lives, and are smart people quite often WITH common sense who can shoulder tasks!  We share responsibility while both are here, so when one is gone, it’s taking on the other 50% of the job, not going from 0% to 100%. 

And he can read a hell of a rendition of Where the Wild Things Are.  The kids weren’t the only ones impressed with Max’s adventure tonight!