Some things have changed since this time last year- Keith is one year closer to graduation (yippee!), my house is officially toddler-free (as Kooper grows quickly into a preschooler), and I have a new camera that I love! So no more hazy, unclear pictures for me!
Baseball is coming to an end for this season, so I feel like I can breathe a little before tackle football starts. I thought I would take a minute to share some of the things that are making my life run smoother and are helping me along this crazy road.
The Mob Society website
For Moms of Boys by Moms of Boys
I recently discovered this website and the posts are great to read. It's refreshing to hear that other moms of boys are overwhelmed and intrigued by these little creatures. It's also a great resource for reaching into their little hearts and raising them to be Godly men. I also love the book Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James. Steam Mop
Wow, these boys are messy! Especially in the summer when they are running in and out of the house! They track in mud from the baseball field and dirt from the backyard. I am in love with my steam mop because it makes my life so much easier.
Summer Reading Program at the library
Any incentive that helps kids get excited about reading is a favorite of mine! The prizes are really fun (who could turn down a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme or a free $5 game card to Incredible Pizza)!
Sunnygram
Bento lunch boxes
Keaton's camp requires a packed lunch four days a week and his Laptop Lunch box by Bento makes it much easier for me to pack him a healthy lunch. Instead of buying the pre-bagged snacks and chips, this lunch box has dividers (some with lids) that I fill with healthier choices. He really likes eating lunch out of this box, and I can see how much he ate at lunchtime. Plus, not using all those baggies and packaging is better for the environment! You can buy the lunchbox or get great ideas to pack a healthy lunch here: laptoplunches.com
Keaton's new chore chart
I finally found something that is working to help Keaton be more responsible. I printed this chart with a baseball from stickersandcharts.com and filled all the boxes with chores; some are really chores "Empty trashes" and some are more fun "Read a book to Kooper" or "Use the computer to look up a fun fact." When he completes a task, he highlights it. He gets to chose a reward when the whole chart is highlighted. He is really excited about his list of rewards- right now, he's eying the 5 iTunes songs! It's taken him a little over a week to get finished, but he can choose when he wants to complete them. That's been the key to our success!
He does have daily chores that are expected but not rewarded- Make his bed, brush his teeth, feed the dog.
My maid!
Just typing that made me excited! But, no, I am the maid. But I can dream, right? Keeping this house clean is a major feat. And speaking of clean, I have two little monkeys that need to be tossed into the bath!
2 comments:
Wow that's cute - the bento lunch boxes. But if you want, I know another site you can browse when you want to buy a food stacking container because the product that I'm going to suggest to you is a stainless steel container which has an easy re-pack and stack design, is more convenient to use, easy to carry around, lightweight, can stack liquids in it such as juices, water, liquors, is eco-friendly and safe to use. Why not try it? It's affordable and much practical if you'd choose to grab it. ;-)
I'm so glad you're back to blogging.
This post had some great ideas/helps in it. I'm definitely checking out the sunnygram!!!
And, I'm sharing the MOB society with some of my friends who have boys.
I can't believe how much your boys have grown in a year.
Post a Comment