They all look so happy don't they! The candy rush must be over. This was the night of the Trunk or Treat @ church, but they will be wearing the same get-ups tonight.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween from Spidey, Kitty, and Bunny
They all look so happy don't they! The candy rush must be over. This was the night of the Trunk or Treat @ church, but they will be wearing the same get-ups tonight.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Remembering Rockville Ward
I remember the bit of advice Betty gave me as I went off to college "Even if you never need or use your college degree, Get one! I always regretted not getting mine" As I am two classes away from my degree and have been working on it off and on over the past 15 years. I want Betty to know I remember her advice often and keep moving forward (though slowly) because of it. I also want Betty to know she never needed a degree to do what made her special. Many, Many of our Young Women (myself included) have become better wives, mothers and women because of her example in our lives.
What do the Mitchell's do?
So...I have kids that aren't quite as helpful as they probably should be. The girls are always willing to help on "their" terms which is okay, but Stone is rarely helpful unless there is a "big" something in it for him. In the past we have tried all sorts of "fun" ideas: charts, stickers, dollar store rewards...etc. The kids would stay interested for all of about two minutes. This has always been a bit frustrating for me but since I am usually to impatient to deal with the chaos and the fact that I could have finished it by myself 20 minutes ago, I just accept the idea that I get little to no help and go about my business. A few Sunday's ago, the Relief Society lesson spoke a bit about families that are successful are those which work and play together. In a recent talk with the Bishop he also suggested in passing the fact that our kids are old enough to help and we should allow them to do so. These things considering I decided to put this goal on the front burner. I want children who are responsible, who know how to work hard. Yet I do realize that if I do not teach them to be such it will be difficult for them to acquire these traits latter on in life. So with greater resolve and the help of my Father in Heaven I began a new plan of attack.
My children always fought about which job they wanted or didn't want. So this time, I gave all three the title of "Helpers". Every Saturday, I took a new sheet of paper and wrote each of their names across the paper. Then would ask them to do specific tasks, depending on what I was working on, so If I was cleaning the kitchen I would ask one to take the trash out and replace garbage bag, another to take dirty dish cloths upstairs to the dirty clothes baskets, another to but away the clean silverware from the dishwasher. I would then write whatever I ask them to do next to their name. When they returned to tell me it was done, I would put a star by their job and find another job. Each star is worth 20 cents and they do not get paid until the next Saturday. Reason 1: I may have specific jobs during the week which are star worthy. Reason 2: When you have just handed them $ they are more likely to remember what they are working for. This has worked amazingly for our children. 
I do not have to ask them more than once to do a task (which means no yelling) and if they "get lost" while doing a job when they return we pull out the paper and see what jobs under their names have no stars and then I point out how many stars another child might have. All of the sudden, they figure out they are getting less money than their counterparts and begin to pick up the pace. I also have started a Motto "The Mitchell's work together" and throughout the week when things need everyone to pitch in I always say "What do the Michell's do?" and they all know the answer "The Mitchell's work together". I am so excited! My kids are learning to be helpful and they can actually earn some money so when we go to the store and they ask if they can something, I can now reply: Do you have enough money to pay for it? If not, keep saving! lol.
My children always fought about which job they wanted or didn't want. So this time, I gave all three the title of "Helpers". Every Saturday, I took a new sheet of paper and wrote each of their names across the paper. Then would ask them to do specific tasks, depending on what I was working on, so If I was cleaning the kitchen I would ask one to take the trash out and replace garbage bag, another to take dirty dish cloths upstairs to the dirty clothes baskets, another to but away the clean silverware from the dishwasher. I would then write whatever I ask them to do next to their name. When they returned to tell me it was done, I would put a star by their job and find another job. Each star is worth 20 cents and they do not get paid until the next Saturday. Reason 1: I may have specific jobs during the week which are star worthy. Reason 2: When you have just handed them $ they are more likely to remember what they are working for. This has worked amazingly for our children. 
I do not have to ask them more than once to do a task (which means no yelling) and if they "get lost" while doing a job when they return we pull out the paper and see what jobs under their names have no stars and then I point out how many stars another child might have. All of the sudden, they figure out they are getting less money than their counterparts and begin to pick up the pace. I also have started a Motto "The Mitchell's work together" and throughout the week when things need everyone to pitch in I always say "What do the Michell's do?" and they all know the answer "The Mitchell's work together". I am so excited! My kids are learning to be helpful and they can actually earn some money so when we go to the store and they ask if they can something, I can now reply: Do you have enough money to pay for it? If not, keep saving! lol.Friday, October 12, 2007
Adventures with Fuzzy
Fuzzy is a stuffed dog which Phoenix's class is passing around. Each child gets Fuzzy for a 24 hour period. Fuzzy comes along with a journal, so that each child can write what they did with Fuzzy and share with the class the next day. Yesterday was Phoenix's turn. The bus had barely pulled away when Fuzzy came like lightning out of Phoenix's backpack. Immediately she disappeared on her adventures. An hour later she reemerged to write in the journal what her and her new best friend were up to. I, at the time, was helping Stone with homework, but every few minutes I would get a "How do you spell..." question. She would then disappear again. Avery has become Phoenix's newly acquired shadow, which for the most part, Phoenix doesn't mind. So three steps off was Avery. All afternoon long it was Fuzzy, Phoenix, and Avery. They played a game of throw Fuzzy in a tree and shake him down (I liked this game least of all) They rode bikes with Fuzzy in the basket. They jumped on the trampoline and played hide and seek. Fuzzy even tried to make it to the dinner table. I found Fuzzy in the crib with the twins while Phoenix and Avery giggled and when Mitchell got home from work it was picture taking time with Fuzzy. At bedtime, Phoenix read Fuzzy stories and went to bed cuddling up to him. This was really cute and quite frankly kept both Avery and Phoenix entertained all night long. So here's to you Fuzzy, from a Mom who really needed the extra help!
Fuzzy @ Sea
Fuzzy's a Hot Dog!
Fuzzy listening to the MP3 player on the Trampoline
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
My Adult Thumbsucking
I was watching some TV program on ABC the other morning and they had this guest on named Judith Wright who spoke about Soft Addictions. I took the below directly from the ABC web page to help me explain.
"Wright, the author of "The Soft Addiction Solution," says soft addictions are normal, everyday activities done to excess. She says some addictions zone you out, like television or Internet, while others, like overeating or overusing gadgets like BlackBerrys, are the adult equivalent of thumb-sucking.
Soft addictions start early, according to Wright, and she sees more than boredom as the cause. "The real issue is that they're stressed out. They're trying to comfort themselves."
It's a problem "when the behavior no longer just soothes you, but instead begins to bother you," Wright said.
Wright said these soft addictions could become very embarrassing for the addicts.
"You don't feel good that you are out of control and that something has this much power over you,"
I have now not been able to get this crap off my mind. I was not at all bothered by my so called Soft Addictions until this lady gets on the TV and says that "you are out of control and that something has this much power over you" and "adult thumb sucking" As I began to think about what in my life would be classified as a Soft Addiction they just kept coming and coming. It is no real surprise to me as my self awareness has always allowed me to identify that I become addicted to things quite quickly. My plight in life has just been to control what I allow myself to become addicted to. Is that an oxymoron? I also have on and off switches to certain Soft Addictions such as: Exercise, Weighing myself, Eating Candy, Getting lost in my music, going out for drive-thru food, etc. Then there are others that seem to be constant: Cracking my fingers, TV as background noise, Eating Popcorn/Crunchy Foods, etc. I have found that the trick to this for me is to pick the "healthy" ones and tweak the not so healthy ones. Like I only exercise once a day at a certain time and if I miss it, I will not do it until the next day or eating light Popcorn, carrots, almonds and apples not only for the crunch but to combat the candy. I have been working on the TV as background noise, but seem to be loosing this battle (I may give it more attention now) But as for cracking my fingers call it what you will "thumb sucking" whatever it will never stop. One of the greatest things about my husband is that it doesn't bother him, he has actually never said one word about it and he doesn't even do it! This is a blessing as I grew up being backhanded with a "knock it off" by Mommy for it a few times a day since John Cook taught me to do it in fifth grade.
"Wright, the author of "The Soft Addiction Solution," says soft addictions are normal, everyday activities done to excess. She says some addictions zone you out, like television or Internet, while others, like overeating or overusing gadgets like BlackBerrys, are the adult equivalent of thumb-sucking.
Soft addictions start early, according to Wright, and she sees more than boredom as the cause. "The real issue is that they're stressed out. They're trying to comfort themselves."
It's a problem "when the behavior no longer just soothes you, but instead begins to bother you," Wright said.
Wright said these soft addictions could become very embarrassing for the addicts.
"You don't feel good that you are out of control and that something has this much power over you,"
I have now not been able to get this crap off my mind. I was not at all bothered by my so called Soft Addictions until this lady gets on the TV and says that "you are out of control and that something has this much power over you" and "adult thumb sucking" As I began to think about what in my life would be classified as a Soft Addiction they just kept coming and coming. It is no real surprise to me as my self awareness has always allowed me to identify that I become addicted to things quite quickly. My plight in life has just been to control what I allow myself to become addicted to. Is that an oxymoron? I also have on and off switches to certain Soft Addictions such as: Exercise, Weighing myself, Eating Candy, Getting lost in my music, going out for drive-thru food, etc. Then there are others that seem to be constant: Cracking my fingers, TV as background noise, Eating Popcorn/Crunchy Foods, etc. I have found that the trick to this for me is to pick the "healthy" ones and tweak the not so healthy ones. Like I only exercise once a day at a certain time and if I miss it, I will not do it until the next day or eating light Popcorn, carrots, almonds and apples not only for the crunch but to combat the candy. I have been working on the TV as background noise, but seem to be loosing this battle (I may give it more attention now) But as for cracking my fingers call it what you will "thumb sucking" whatever it will never stop. One of the greatest things about my husband is that it doesn't bother him, he has actually never said one word about it and he doesn't even do it! This is a blessing as I grew up being backhanded with a "knock it off" by Mommy for it a few times a day since John Cook taught me to do it in fifth grade.
Who gets the Binki?
The older they get, the louder they get. Cy has always had the market cornered when it came to decibel level, yet now a days Zion is giving her a run for the money. My favorite (sarcasm) is when they cry me a duet. Sometimes I just have to laugh as I remember the days when one was enough of me and I was able to jump up and rescue my baby from whatever was ailing them. Now I must pick which one will be rescued leaving the other to just become more and more upset. It, at times, gets quite ugly...red faced, screaming, shaking, kicking. While I rehearse in my head the following "go to my happy place, go to my happy place" knowing I can do nothing until I am finished dealing with the other. I have been getting good at breastfeeding one while bottle feeding the other (Cy refuses to breastfeed), but the burping is giving me issues with this process. Inevitably someone spits up. I must admit...I do love the chaos and the challenge of it all. Plus they are just so cute together.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Ode to Daniel
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...You look like a monkey and you smell like one too!"
It's so much better than a card or even a gift which was sent two weeks ago and must be lost in the mail. Gosh, you are the luckiest to have such a wonderful sister as me! Some would give their right arm for space on THIS blog. Have a happy happy day! Hey isn't this 30? You're getting up there. Good luck with that...Old Man :)
I love you!
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